Unbelievable! Now fruits are the culprit for causing weight gain? Not our late-night snacks, sugary drinks, and lifestyle of a couch potato? There is an ongoing trend of painting every other healthy thing as the evil one and the mastermind behind increasing obesity. One day it’s the grains, and the other day it’s fruits. This vicious cycle is just going on and on. But we are not going to get caught in this cycle, because we know what fruits can do. Even if you do not, don’t worry.
This article is all about debunking this myth around fruits being the culprit behind the fat game and telling you how good fruits can be for you. We will clear the name of fruits from this false accusation and will bring back your good old beliefs about fruits that you had since childhood and were shattered by so-called fitness trainers, nutritionists, and media bloggers. Let’s dig into it.
Before that, just be clear – NO, FRUITS DO NOT MAKE YOU FAT.
Why the Myth: Fruits Make us Fat
The idea of becoming fat due to intake of fruits has been associated with it due to its SUGAR content. There is no doubt that fruits contain sugar, that’s why they are so sweet. Fruits contain a combination of fructose and sucrose, and people claim that processed sweets and juices also contain that same fructose, relatively in high amounts, which one should avoid to prevent one’s self from putting on weight.
But the truth is, in the case of fruits, firstly, the sugar is not processed. Although it works in the same manner it’s not that harmful because fruits are high in water content and the sugars it has are not that much concentrated as in other sugary items. Secondly, fruits have fiber. Fiber is known to balance out the effect of fructose on your health. As fiber is hard to digest, it takes time to get the nutrients into your bloodstream. As a result, the sugar released from fruits does not get absorbed in the bloodstream very quickly, and the blood sugar level does not rise or cause immediate glycogen storage. No excess glycogen storage means no extra fat and no extra calories. Only a potion full of nutrition.
Fruits are too Good for us!
Instead of being a fat monster, fruits actually are like fairy godmothers; always there for us; looking out for us; providing us unlimited benefits, no matter what. The benefits they possess and pass on are:
- Complete nutrition: They have minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants, all good for health; provide better nutrition than any other single food. Some studies also suggest that daily intake of fruits can make you live longer by keeping you away from health problems.
- Energy booster: That sugar in fruits actually accounts for a high amount of energy that keeps us going and doing our daily chores.
- Better heart: Fruits are rich in flavonoids, fiber, carotenoids, magnesium, and potassium; which are protective agents of the heart. The number of vitamins in fruits keeps cholesterol levels low and prevents heart stroke.
- Prevent cancer: Citrus fruits like mangoes, oranges, and tangerines have been found to have hepatoprotective abilities which prevent liver and breast cancer.
- Blood pressure never gets high: Regular consumption of fruits rich in potassium like apple, banana, pear, mango, and apricot can lower hypertension.
- Weight loss: Fruits’ fiber and water content keeps you full for a long time and prevents you from having unhealthy cravings for snacks and junk foods. Nutritionists also suggest people aiming for weight loss to add a portion of fruits to their daily diet plan.
- Glowing skin and shiny hair: Fruits nourish our skin and hair with essential minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins, that keep our skin radiant, free of acne, and hydrated throughout the day. Vitamin A and C in fruits contribute to soft and healthy hair texture.
Few side-effects
We couldn’t emphasize anymore that excess of everything is bad. Even if you eat the healthiest thing possible in this world, but keep having it every other minute, you’ll end up getting hurt. There is a very fine line between being healthy and unhealthy, and one should be aware of it. So is the case here. Eating an excess of fruits might lead you to:
- Digestive problems: Fruits are rich in fiber and fiber is not easy to digest. Not everyone’s gut is always ready to process all that fiber in a jiff. That’s why having too much fiber can cause stomach pain, bloating, and gas. To avoid that, keep fruit in your diet but in a controlled quantity.
- Heart diseases: There is no scientific evidence for it, but some theories. According to those theories, excess fruit intake results in excess fructose incorporation in our liver, which by the way our liver cannot process immediately. So, some fructose might keep lingering in our liver, which can make our liver overflow, and out of panic, our liver will release lots of triglycerides (not good for the heart)- thus the increased risk of heart diseases. As I said, it hasn’t been proved by any scientific study, but why not just be careful?
- Weight gain: The above theory of holding out on fructose also points out that those extra fructose molecules will eventually turn into fat molecules that’ll stay in our bodies forever. But honey, nothing stays forever. Those fats will get burned as soon as our body will need energy. But then again, we lose nothing if we stay on the safe side.
Is it a Good Idea to Cut Back on Fruits?
So, what? Now we know that fruits can cause some little health issues, shall we cut back on them? No! That’s not how it works. It only works if you keep having it, but have it in a balanced portion.
Conclusion
Fruits are painted as evil and have been pointed out as the major cause behind weight gain just because they have sugar. But we have debunked this myth for you, as fruits only contain beneficial sugar, which might even help you in your weight loss journey. However, eating balanced portions of fruits is what is called healthy eating. You should not keep munching on fruits just because you like them or it’s easy to have or you find them full of nutrition. Keeping check and balance on your fruit consumption is always a good idea and never hurts a soul or a body.
I look up to fitness as a lifestyle and love to pen down about it. I have 2 years of experience in content writing and I am here to share my research and knowledge on health and fitness.
