Fruits: harm or benefit?

Doctors debunk the myth that too many whole fruits are bad for you because they are “high in sugar,” but warn you should stay away from concentrated juices.

Many people criticize fruits, claiming that their sugar content negates their nutritional value, but doctors say this is a myth.

Apples, blueberries, bananas, oranges, and dozens of other fruits are nutrient-dense, low-calorie, and have a wide range of health benefits that reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers.

While many people believe that fruits contain too much sugar to be healthy, nutrition experts insist that the type of sugar the body absorbs matters a lot.

It’s almost impossible to eat too much fructose, the sugar found in fruits, and it has the least effect on blood sugar, making it safe for diabetics.

Sucrose, meanwhile, is made up of the simple sugars glucose and fructose and is commonly referred to as table sugar. It can be found naturally, but is commonly added to sweets and other processed foods in amounts that doctors say are fueling epidemics of obesity and diabetes around the world.

Candy and other sweets are full of sugars, namely sucrose, the so-called disaccharide that is formed when glucose and fructose react together to form a single molecule.

It is sucrose that can raise your blood sugar within minutes of consumption. Repeated spikes in blood sugar levels can cause problems with the kidneys, nerves, eyes, and heart over time.

Fructose, meanwhile, must be converted by the liver into glucose before it can be used by the body.

This means that it does not cause a spike in blood sugar levels, at least not at the levels found in fruit.

Fruits are also rich in fiber, which slows down digestion. Not only will this delay help you feel full, but it won’t cause your blood sugar to spike as quickly as if you were consuming fruit in juice form. This is not the only benefit of fiber. A 2009 study by researchers in Quebec found that fiber helps regulate levels of ghrelin, a hormone that signals appetite, which may help people lose weight in the long run.

In 2012, a group of endocrinologists at Wake Forest University reported that for every 10 grams increase in soluble fiber in the diet of more than 1,000 people aged 18 to 81, the rate of visceral fat accumulation decreased by nearly four percent.

Waist circumference is a good indicator of how much fat is deep inside the abdomen.

Soluble fiber, or one that dissolves in water, helps lower blood sugar and cholesterol, a waxy, fat-like substance produced by the liver.

Daily intake of five to 10 grams of soluble fiber, which is about the same as a cup of blackberries and blueberries, can lower bad cholesterol levels.

Once in the intestines, soluble fiber binds to cholesterol, which prevents this substance from entering the bloodstream and spreading to other parts of the body. It is then excreted in the feces.

Fruits are also rich in nutrients that provide the body with key micronutrients such as vitamins C and A, potassium, folic acid, and antioxidants that can help boost the immune system.

Christina DENISYUK.

Source: dailymail.co.uk

Photo by Natalia Bakhareva