'Healthiest fruit on Earth' is packed full of vitamins tastes like 'banana meets pineapple'

'Healthiest fruit on Earth' is packed full of vitamins tastes like 'banana meets pineapple' The fruit tops a BBC list of the world's most nutritious foods and is the highest-ranking fruit with a score of 96 out of 100 Fruit makes for a fantastic breakfast, snack or dessert, packed with vitamins, fibre and essential nutrients that make it broadly good for our health. But if someone asked you to name the healthiest fruit, what would you say? Oranges, perhaps, for their vitamin content? Pomegranates, with their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties? One fruit you'd almost certainly never mention is the one that tops a BBC list of the world's most nutritious foods with a nutritional score of 96 out of 100. It ranks as the highest-scoring fruit on the list and comes second overall, pipped only by "the world's healthiest snack", which scores 97, reports Surrey Live. It is described as "rich in sugar and vitamins A, C, B1, B2 and potassium". One trader who sells the fruit, Robbie Sigona, describes them as "a real treat, kind of custard-like in texture" with a flavour he likens to "a banana meets a pineapple". He adds: "It's a real treat that you have to try." The fruit in question is the cherimoya, which is also commonly known as the "custard apple" owing to its distinctive texture. On the outside, it is a green, cone-shaped fruit with leathery skin, while inside it boasts a creamy, sweet flesh that can be scooped out with a spoon and is sometimes served chilled, much like a cold custard. Healthline describes the cherimoya as "loaded with antioxidants" and "rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals", suggesting that "this unique fruit may support immunity, reduce inflammation, and promote eye and heart health". That said, it warns that "certain parts of cherimoya contain toxins that may damage your nervous system if consumed in high amounts". Antioxidants combat free radicals in the body, which can trigger inflammation linked to numerous chronic conditions, including cancer and heart disease. Cherimoya is additionally a rich source of vitamin B6, which can help lift your mood. It is equally a valuable source of fibre, which supports digestion and benefits your gut microbiome. It even boasts anti-cancer properties due to its flavonoid content, which, according to Healthline, are compounds "which have been shown to stop the growth of cancer cells in test-tube studies". Can you get cherimoya in the UK? Cherimoya is available to purchase in the UK, though it is considerably harder to track down than everyday fruits such as apples and bananas. While some supermarkets do stock them, they are not a guaranteed fixture on the shelves. For instance, although Asda has cherimoya listed on its website, it currently states the item is "currently unavailable". Nevertheless, a wide range of specialist online food retailers do carry it in stock.