Is fruit really bad for your line and overall health?

Fruit. Another hot topic in healthy eating. We've been hearing the advice "eat more fruit and vegetables" almost since we were little. But within diet trends, there is speculation about the suitability of fruit because of its sugar content, specifically fructose, which supposedly prevents fat loss and, on the contrary, promotes fat production. Are you limiting fruit because you're afraid of it? And is it really necessary?

Excessive sugar intake is indeed harmful, but it depends...

Many studies conclude that excessive sugar intake is harmful. Studies include table sugar (sucrose) and high fructose corn syrup. In both cases, the composition is approximately half glucose and half fructose. One of the main reasons why excessive sugar intake is harmful is the negative metabolic effects of fructose when consumed in too large quantities. Many people now believe that since added sugars are bad, the same is true for fruit, precisely because it contains fructose. However, this is a misconception. Fructose is indeed harmful in large quantities, but it is almost impossible to achieve that amount just by eating fruit.

But fruit is not just about fructose. Fruit also contains other components such aswater, fiber, vitamins, antioxidants , and you also have to chew most fruit to break it down and digest it better. As a result, the uptake of fructose into the liver is more gradual and there is no shock, as with a single dose, which happens, for example, when consuming fizzy drinks such as coca-cola.

If we compare a bottle of cola, which has 52g of sugar of which 40g is fructose, and an apple, which has 23g of sugar of which 13g is fructose, we conclude that after eating an apple you feel full for a longer period of time than after drinking a sugary soda, which most people drink to compensate for their low intake. When fructose reaches the liver quickly and in large quantities, as is the case with fizzy sweetened drinks, it can really result in some health problems over time. However, when eating fruit (apples) the body is able to metabolize fructose very easily. So sugar intake is indeed harmful, but this is not true for a REASONABLE amount of fruit.

As mentioned, fruit is not a "water balloon filled with fructose". It has many other nutrients in it that are important for health. Fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other compounds. The fibre content is very important and offers many benefits - for example, it has a satiating effect, which is why it is recommended to consume plenty of fruit and vegetables in reduction. It also lowers cholesterol and slows down the absorption of carbohydrates. Furthermore, fruit contains vitamins such as vitamin C, potassium and folic acid. Of course, fruit is a very broad food group; there are hundreds of different types found in nature and their composition and nutrient content can vary greatly. If you want to get the most out of fruit, focus on the most nutritionally rich ones. Small berries such as strawberries, blueberries and raspberries are said to be the best. But it's a good idea to rotate fruit types to maintain a varied diet.

Now, let's do some studies.

Most studies conclude that eating enough fruits and vegetables reduces the risk of various diseases. For example, one study found that eating a normal amount of fruit a day reduced the risk of heart disease by up to 7%. Many other studies have suggested that fruit and vegetable consumption is associated with a lower risk of heart failure and stroke - the two leading causes of death in Western countries. There have also been studies looking at the link between fruit and diabetes, or how different types of fruit affect the risk of type 2 diabetes. Subjects who consumed more grapes, apples and blueberries had the lowest risk, and blueberries specifically had the greatest effect. However, there was no evidence that this was related to eating only selected fruits.

People who eat more fruit tend to have relatively healthy diets and are interested in an active lifestyle. That said, several randomized trials (on real human subjects) have shown that increased fruit intake can reduce blood pressure, oxidative stress, and improve glycemic control in diabetics. Overall, the results of the various studies suggest that fruit has a significant health benefit.

Fruit and diet?

Often overlooked is the satiating effect of fruit, which is provided by fibre, water and the fact that we have to chew the fruit. For example, apples or oranges have a higher satiety index (how well a food can satisfy hunger) than beef or eggs, according to studies. Yes, fruit does contain sugar, but it can actually be part of a diet! It' s just a matter of quantity and appropriate inclusion in the daily intake (as with everything).

Despite the fact that fruit is healthy, there are reasons to avoid it.

One of the main reasons is intolerance. Yes, indeed, quite a large percentage of people have problems digesting fruit. The other reason is some sort of restrictive diet, such as a low-carbohydrate or ketogenic diet. The main goal of these diets is to restrict carbohydrate intake so that the brain starts to use ketones instead of glucose. For this to occur, you need to restrict carbohydrates to less than 50g per day (you can make your own judgement on whether this is an appropriate diet type, there are some people who are fine with this diet, but in my opinion, a healthy diet is the basis and a ketogenic diet should be used solely for the purposes for which it was developed - i.e. for the treatment of diabetes, autism and other serious illnesses and is not an appropriate choice for the normal, healthy, active individual. But back to the point, if you are convinced that ketosis is right for you, fruit contains well over 20g of carbohydrates, can easily take you out of a state of ketosis, and is therefore not a suitable food for these dietary types.

If fruit, then fresh fruit only.

When we talk about healthy fruit, we mean fruit that is exclusively fresh, not dried or juiced. Many "fruit" juices have fruit on the box at most. It's a mixture of water, fruit concentrate and added sugar, so it's not much. However, beware of truly 100% fruit juices as well. There really is quite a bit of sugar in the fruit, and if you're juicing the fruit then you're consuming a much larger amount than if you take a bite fresh. Well, a seemingly healthy drink is a calorie bomb. The same goes for dried fruit. These are usually sweetened, if you want dried fruit, make your own at home, or at least look for the unsweetened versions and control the quantities!

What to take from this?

Current Paleo nutrition strategies, recommend eating foods that our ancestors already consumed . You can be sure that fruit is one of them. If you have doubts about chemical fertilizers and ripening in shipping containers... You may not even have to, but if you focus on fruits that are grown here, youcertainly won't go wrong.

Modern nutritional trends may condemn fruit quite radically, but there's no reason to. Excessive sugar intake is harmful, no question about it... But you need to control the amount! Then fruit can be part of a diet, even a reduction diet. As already mentioned, it's much more about eating varied, balanced, healthy and knowing how to incorporate it in the right amount into your daily intake.

Another common question around fruit consumption is timing. It is recommended to eat fruit only in the morning. However, have you ever thought that an apple, for example, contains 20g of carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins, and this regardless of whether it is in the morning or evening? If you are active in the afternoon, there is no reason to be afraid of eating fruit in the afternoon.


Sources: healtline.com, examine.com, Pubmed