Friday, June 27, 2008

The truth about fruit...?

Did you see the news reports yesterday about fruit (potentially) causing a pot belly?  Good excuse for a tantalising headline and (for those that need it) to revert to, or continue on, their junk food diet!  Think again! Peter Havel, the Californian scientist who led  the study, commented that further research needs to be conducted as to why fructose (fruit sugar) might cause this undesirable side-effect.  

As part of a healthy diet, fruit is good - wonderful indeed for the vitamins, minerals and enzymes it contains -  but it does need to be balanced with other food groups.  For some people it works best eaten on an empty stomach -  away from other food - because largely it is a high(ish) water content food and the body can best absorb its nutrients when it's eaten alone. It can also be best digested, in this way, for some people.  Those who believe in a food-combining ethos suggest that it can sit in the stomach too long when eaten with other foods.  Try it for yourself and see what works best for you!

It's true that we shouldn't eat too much sugar but wholefoods - i.e. in this case, fruits in their natural form - are wonderfully nutritious and, for most of us, shouldn't be avoided.  Anything eaten (or drunk) to excess isn't so great!  Balance is the key - variety is good - also eating seasonally is desirable and sensible.  Additionally and especially, it makes sense to avoid too much fruit in the concentrated fruit-juice form.

2 comments:

David J said...

I'm not a great fan of food fads or food scares: the advice ends up being so contradictory.

I tend to follow my Mother's advice: 'A bit of what you fancy does you good' (emphasis on a bit) and 'Everything in Moderation'.

arlene k said...

Absolutely, food fads sometimes do more harm than good and can cloud the issue resulting in confusion at the very least...

As 'they' say: "Mother knows best"... Perhaps that isn't always true but your Mother's adage makes good sense...!