Drop the peeler eating the skins of fruit and ­vegetables could boost your nutritional intake of vitamins, combat cancer and increase your energy levels. Dr Marilyn Glenville, former president of the Food and Health Forum at the Royal Society of ­Medicine, says: 'All fruit and vegetables have a "bio-synergy", which means the nutritional ­benefits of each part are reinforced by the others.'

And the skin is not the only healthy bit we discard stalks and cores can also be packed with nutrients.
Eating the skin of bananas can ease depression. The hairy skin of the kiwi fruit is high in antioxidants and thought to have ­anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-­allergenic properties, says Dr Glenville. ‘The skin contains three times the anti­oxidants of the pulp; it also fights off bugs such as Staphylococcus and E-coli, which are responsible for food poisoning.

Don’t panic — it’s the tough core of the pineapple, not the prickly skin you should be tucking into. Along with fibre and vitamin C, a pineapple’s real benefit lies in an enzyme called bromelain, which breaks down food and dead human tissues linger in the digestive ­system quickly, ­protecting the stomach. ‘The core of a pineapple contains twice the bromelain concentration of the surrounding fruit,’ says Dr Glenville.