In Defense of Fruit: 3 Things to Consider
By Amber Lowry
Fruit: it’s healthy right? Some diets would disagree. Due to its sugar content, specifically fructose, fruit has earned somewhat of a bad reputation in certain health circles. With so much contradictory information circulating online, figuring out fruit’s place in your diet can be confusing. In order to sort through the mess, one must ask if fruit is the problem or are there other factors being overlooked. To provide some guidance, let’s take a deeper look into how serving fruit can serve you.
1. Micronutrients
The most obvious health reason to eat fruit comes from its micronutrient profile. Packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber, the benefits of fruit can’t be written off. Avoiding fruit can lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies if not supplemented properly. Certain dietary disciplines call for restrictions on fruit consumption, with some preaching total elimination altogether. This is often advocated without taking into account individual activity levels and biology. Before eliminating any food group, it’s important to get your micronutrient levels tested to know where you stand nutritionally. From there, you can better assess your own physical need for certain fruits and make educated dietary decisions.
2. Refill Glycogen Stores
Fruit is infamous for high amounts of sugar, especially in favorites like bananas and various dried fruits. While this is true, it’s important to note what happens to that sugar once consumed. Simply put, there are two main places our bodies store sugar: the liver and the muscles. These are known as glycogen stores, which are used for energy. This is where the whole fruit story can get confusing. Most people live sedentary lives, never fully depleting their glycogen stores. Issues like weight gain arise when you overfill your glycogen stores. So basically, fruit isn’t automatically the problem here. The negative effects some experience from fruit in relation to its sugar content is a symptom of a bigger problem: our overly desk-bound lifestyles. Instead of completely eliminating fruit, uphold the Dolce Diet principle of eat for what you just did and what you’re about to do.
3. Dessert
For those trying to live a healthy lifestyle, the struggle to find a dessert that is both satisfying and in line with health goals can be tough. Referred to as “nature’s candy,” fruit can be a great dessert choice over something typical like ice cream or a cookie. You wouldn’t eat an entire chocolate cake by yourself right? So why would you eat an entire pineapple? Seeing fruit as an earned treat is a great way to still enjoy something sweet while also getting nutritional benefits.
