Can You Eat too Much Fruit?
Can You Eat too Much Fruit?
Fruit Holds a Lot of Health Benefits But is the Sugar Content too High?
Fruit is a key part of a healthy eating plan. Fruits contains many nutrients that your body needs. In fact, a healthy diet that includes fruit has been found to reduce your risk of several chronic diseases. But fruit contains natural sugars, and some types are fairly high in calories. So some people may wonder whether they’re eating too much of it.
You can eat too much of anything. But the truth is that it’s hard to get too much fruit. In fact, most Americans don’t eat enough of it. Adults should eat at least 1 ½ cups of fruit every day.
However, a “fruitarian” diet, in which you eat almost nothing but fruit, can keep you from getting enough nutrients from other foods. Experts recommend that 25%-30% of your diet be made up of fruit.
And what about the sugar in fruit? The sugar you should worry about, experts say, is the added type you find in sodas, desserts, and many other products. Since fruit contains fiber, your body reacts differently to its natural sugars.
Fruits are low in fat and sodium, and don’t contain cholesterol. They do have plenty of healthy nutrients that most people don’t get enough of, including:
Potassium which helps to regulate your blood pressure.
- Dietary fiber to help reduce cholesterol levels, lower your risk of heart disease and promotes good digestion.
- Vitamin C. This vitamin supports the growth and repair of your body’s tissues, heals injuries, promotes oral health, and helps your body absorb iron.
If you’re not sure where to begin, start with color. The more colorful your meal is, the more nutrients it has. A fruit’s color can tell you what nutrients it contains.
RED FRUITS: These contain plenty of vitamins A and C, potassium, and antioxidants. Red fruits include cherries, cranberries, pomegranates, raspberries, red grapes, strawberries, red apples and watermelon.
YELLOW & ORANGE FRUITS: These are packed with vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium. Some yellow and orange fruits are apricots, grapefruit, mangoes, oranges, papaya, peaches, pears, pineapple and yellow apples.
WHITE FRUITS: White fruits contain potassium, which promotes heart health. White fruits include bananas, pears, white nectarines and white peaches.
GREEN FRUITS: Green fruits contain lots of potassium and vitamin K, which are good for blood clotting, vision health, and strong bones. Some green fruits are avocados, green apples, green grapes, kiwis and limes.
BLUE & PURPLE FRUITS: The nutrients found in these fruits not only help to prevent cancer, heart disease, and stroke, but also promote memory, healthy aging, digestion, and urinary health. Blue and purple fruits include blackberries, blueberries, figs, plums and purple grapes.
Fruit juices, on the other hand, you can definitely drink too much of. You may be surprised to learn that even if your juice says “100% fruit juice” can contain as much sugar as soda pop. And unlike fruit, it’s low in fiber, so your body will process it the same way as added sugar.
The sugar and calories in juice are more concentrated than those in whole or cut-up fruit. Without skin and pulp, fruit juices lack the fiber that helps slow down your digestion, prevents spikes in blood sugar, and makes you feel full. It also takes longer for you to eat whole fruit.
What about juicers? A popular alternative to eating whole fruits is to juice them. But most juicers remove the fruit’s fiber. And juicing doesn’t help your body absorb more nutrients than just eating the fruit. If you don’t like fruit, use your blender to make it into a smoothie. This makes a delicious drink that still contains fiber.
What is important to point out is that while eating fruit is essentially only good for you, watching your caloric intake is also important. Plus, eating a balanced diet that includes proteins, fats and carbohydrates will help you to maintain metabolic health. If your metabolic machinery functions well, you feel and operate at your best.
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Kim Duke is a certified personal trainer and owner of Core Performance Fitness and Training, 55 Bristol Lane, Ellicottville, NY. Kim resides in Ellicottville where she raised her two sons, Zach and Nik. For more information about her studio, visit her Facebook (Core Performance Health and Fitness), Instagram (@cptcoreperformance), go to www.coreperformancefitness.com or call her directly at 716-698-1198.
