One of the most common, yet silliest myths I hear is "don't eat fruit, if you don't want to be fat". Seriously? In all my years of nutrition consulting, I never met anyone say, "I eat too much fruit." Maybe "too many sodas" or "too much chocolate", but never too much fruit.
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| Seriously, this is bad for you? |
As I said, to cut out fruit to lose weight is just silly. Just as silly as to say "you shouldn't eat carbs" (read MYTH: Carbs are bad for You). Most people who need to lose weight hardly eat fresh fruit. It wasn't that long ago that I was reading one of those "muscle head" magazines where a bodybuilder was suggesting that you should cut out fruit. They stated that fruit has "sugar" and that the sugar content causes glycation which leads to the creation of fat. It's absolutely laughable and an over-simplification. I'd be willing to bet that the author would be more than willing to eat one of those bars that came out of wrapper, full of sugar alcohols, saturated fat and other crap. Now, if you're a bodybuilder who is trying to get to a ridiculously low body fat, then I may agree. But, that's not a healthy perspective of fruit.
Anyway, I'm going to make a case for fruit:
The Glycation Myth: First, I must address glycation. Glycation is the process of bonding a protein or lipid molecule to a sugar molecule (e.g. fructose or glucose) without the use of an enzyme. Usually, this process occurs exogenously (outside the body) in cooking (the chemistry is in the heat) with something that contains sugar with a protein or fat. To keep it simple, the end product can create molecules that lead to inflammation called glycotoxins. But note, this has nothing to do with weight loss, moreover, cooking is involved.
There is an endogenous (from within the body) glycation process that also exist. However, this is more likely to happen if you are insulin-resistant (i.e. pre-diabetic or diabetic). It is also more likely to occur from a product that may have already gone through an exogenous glycation process. In other words, something that came out of a plastic wrapper, cardboard box, carton (such as juice), etc. Something that is raw, like a banana is not going to cause glycation.
Fruit has a low glycemic load: You may have heard of glycemic index, which is the rate of which a carbohydrate breaks down in the body. Yes, some fruits can be high on the scale as it relates to glycemic index. A ripe banana is a perfect example. However, the amount of sugar per ounce (or any given weight measurement) is going to be low, thus, a low glycemic load. One of the main reasons for this is that fruit contains a substantial amount of water. Watermelon is a perfect example. Though very sweet and high in sugar, the amount of sugar per volume is not going to outrageously raise blood sugar like a Twinkie would.
Fruit has fiber: Let's not forget that raw fruit has fiber. Fiber is good for you, yes? Men need at least 38 grams per day and women at least 25 grams. You need fiber to "clean out" your digestive system, absorb nutrients better, and move out feces better. The average American eats ~15 grams of fiber per day. Why are we not getting enough? Because we are not eating enough real fruit and vegetables.
Fruit has energy nutrients (macronutrients) and micronutrients: Fruit is not comprised of refined sugar (e.g. high fructose corn syrup, table sugar). It's comprised of naturally occurring carbohydrates (read MYTH: Carbs are Bad for You) that are not only monosaccharides (such as fructose), but polysaccharides (such as fiber). Polysaccharides breakdown slowly and do not spike blood sugar. In any case, the monosaccharide content is not high enough to cause an insulin spike. Unless you eat tons of very ripe fruit, it just won't happen.
As to the micronutrients, we're talking about vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. The cool part is, these micronutrients were not fortified (added to the food). Instead, they are naturally occurring, which means they are more easily digestible and absorbed. We're talking about nutrients that prevent cardiovascular disease, cancer, etc.
Eat more Fruit!
Chances are that fruit is the least of your problems. You're not likely to "over-eat" fruit. Raw fruit is good for you. It's what we do to fruit that makes it bad, such as putting it in a can, adding sugar (or HFCS), baking it in a pie, etc. If you're wondering about dried fruit, I say go for it so long as there are no added sugars. Flash frozen fruit used for smoothies is also okay, so long as, once again, syrups and added sugars are not being used.
written by:
Kelly Huggins, A-CPT
Exercise Science, B.S.
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