'World's healthiest fruit' you've never heard of has anti-cancer properties

Cherimoya, also known as the "custard apple", has been crowned the healthiest fruit in the world and is second overall on a BBC list of the "world's most nutritious foods".

Fruit isn't just a tasty option for breakfast, snacks, or dessert; it's also loaded with vitamins, fibre, and other nutrients that do wonders for our health. Ever wondered which fruit tops the chart as the healthiest?

Oranges might come to mind with their burst of vitamin C, or perhaps pomegranates with their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. However, there's a lesser-known fruit that has snagged the title of "world's most nutritious foods" on a BBC list, scoring an impressive "nutritional score" of 96 out of 100.

It's the highest-rated fruit and is only narrowly beaten by almonds, which notch up a score of 97. According to Surrey Live, this fruit is celebrated for being "rich in sugar and vitamins A, C, B1, B2 and potassium".

Robbie Sigona, who sells this fruit, describes them as "a real treat, kind of custard-like in texture" and says the flavour is like "a banana meets a pineapple". He recommends: "It's a real treat that you have to try.", reports Gloucestershire Live.

The star fruit here is the cherimoya, often referred to as the "custard apple" because of its creamy texture. On the outside, it looks like a green, cone-shaped fruit with a rugged exterior, but inside, it hides a sweet, creamy flesh that's often enjoyed with a spoon, especially when served chilled for a dessert-like experience.

Healthline has praised the cherimoya fruit for being "loaded with antioxidants" and "rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals" suggesting it could be a boon for immunity, inflammation reduction, and the health of eyes and heart. Yet, they also caution that "certain parts of cherimoya contain toxins that may damage your nervous system if consumed in high amounts".

Antioxidants are champions in the fight against free radicals, which are linked to chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease due to their role in causing inflammation.

Cherimoya is not just a powerhouse of nutrients; it's also packed with vitamin B6, known to boost mood, and is abundant in fibre, which is great for digestion and maintaining gut health. Adding to its impressive profile, Healthline notes that cherimoya contains flavonoids with anti-cancer properties, "which have been shown to stop the growth of cancer cells in test-tube studies".

If you're on the hunt for cherimoya in the UK, you might need to look a bit harder than you would for everyday fruits such as apples or bananas. While supermarkets like Asda do list cherimoya on their websites, it's often marked as "currently unavailable". However, a variety of specialist food stores online have this exotic fruit up for grabs.