Although the winter season does not offer a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, those that are present are real nutritional bombs. Nature is there to offer us the necessary nutrients for its evolution, and therefore for our immunity.
Here are 3 great fruits that you can consume in Switzerland during the winter:
Apple :
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away”.
This fruit is known for its abundance of soluble fibre, especially pectin, which helps maintain healthy intestinal transit, and helps regulate the absorption of sugar and fats during digestion. Apple pectin also captures heavy metals.
The apple also contains a wide variety of antioxidants from the flavonoid family, in particular quercetin which helps fight against oxidative stress by capturing and blocking the activity of free radicals, but also by inhibiting the oxidation of lipids. These antioxidants could apparently alter the profile of the microbiota and play a role in intestinal permeability, fat absorption, bile acid metabolism and systemic inflammation.
Fun fact: There are around 1200 apple varieties in Switzerland, and two thirds are grown in just three cantons: Thurgau, Valais and Vaud.
Pear :
The pear is a fruit very rich in water with a rate of about 84%, it is a particularly thirst-quenching fruit. Its water contains carbohydrates responsible for most of the energy intake, which depends on the variety and its maturation.
It contains a wide range of vitamins, minerals and trace elements. Especially copper, vitamin C and vitamin K.
Like the apple, its main asset is its fibre content, between 2 and 3.5 g per 100 g. Fibre has the property of effectively stimulating the functioning of the intestines, by increasing the volume of the food bolus, and by accelerating intestinal transit. Thus fighting against a tendency to constipation.
Beware, however, of sensitivity to FODMAPs, because the pear contains sorbitol and fructose, types of sugars that can cause gastrointestinal disorders (gas, bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhoea).
Fun fact: pears in Switzerland are cultivated in four regions: Sierre–Sion, Sion–Riddes, Riddes–Martigny and Martigny–Vernayaz. A tree needs four years of intense care before it produces its first fruit. Maximum harvest is achieved only after six to eight years.
Kiwi :
The kiwi is the star of energy fruits since it contains 10% of carbohydrates of all its constituents. They are mainly dominated by fructose and glucose, sugars easily assimilated by the body.
But it is best known for its vitamin content dominated by vitamin C, which reaches a rate of 80 mg per 100g. It also provides a quantity of vitamin E and provitamin A, vitamins known for their antioxidant effect.
One kiwi particularity is that it contains a specific enzyme: actinidin. This enzyme is a protease also present in other tropical fruits such as banana, mango, pineapple and papaya. It is able to split proteins into smaller molecules. It could then improve protein digestion in the stomach and small intestine, allowing faster and more complete digestion of dietary protein.
Fun fact: the largest kiwi production in Switzerland is in Allaman (Vaud). Contrary to popular belief, the kiwi is not a tropical fruit. The extremely robust fruit originally comes from China and grows in temperate zones. The tree can resist temperatures of minus 15 degrees.
We invite you to have a taste of the Swiss winter HERE
Article written by nutritionist Aurelia Corbaz
Resources:
- https://www.valais.ch/en/about-valais/local-products/williams-pear
- https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/getting-a-taste-for-tradition/7318256