Can you have too much sugar from fruit?

mittensofdoom

I hate to burst the happy fruit bubble but natural sugar is not "processed differently" than synthetic sugars nor is it any "better" for you. Your intestines only absorb monosaccharides so every carbohydrate you eat is broken down into several basic molecules (monosaccharides). The major "difference" between sugars in fruits and say, high fructose corn syrup is that your body doesn't have to break corn syrup down, it's already predominately in the form of fructose, a monosaccharide.

"Polysaccharides and disaccharides must be digested to monosaccharides prior to absorption and the key players in these processes are the brush border hydrolases, which include maltase, lactase and sucrase. Dietary lactose and sucrose are "ready" for digestion by their respective brush border enzymes. Starch, as discussed previously, is first digested to maltose by amylase in pancreatic secretions and, in some species, saliva.

Dietary lactose and sucrose, and maltose derived from digestion of starch, diffuse in the small intestinal lumen and come in contact with the surface of absorptive epithelial cells covering the villi where they engage with brush border hydrolases:

maltase cleaves maltose into two molecules of glucose
lactase cleaves lactose into a glucose and a galactose
sucrase cleaves sucrose into a glucose and a fructose
At long last, we're ready to actually absorb these monosaccharides. Glucose and galactose are taken into the enterocyte by cotransport with sodium using the same transporter. Fructose enters the cell from the intestinal lumen via facilitated diffusion through another transporter."

http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/digestion/smallgut/absorb_sugars.html

As the quote above alludes to, the three monosaccharides used by your body are glucose, galactose and fructose. These molecules are either broken down immediately for energy or stored as glycogen in the liver or fat in the rest of your body. It doesn't matter if they came from a Snickers bar or from an apple, it all gets processed the same way. This is a biochemical fact of life. So to sum up, as far as your body's physiology is concerned it doesn't matter where the sugar comes from. That said, it is better to eat fruit than chocolate cake, not because candy is "processed" but because fruit contains fiber and nutrients, which are generally lacking in products high in refined sugars. Thus, if you must eat 50 grams of sugar a day it is better to eat it from fruit because you get the rest of the nutritional benefits of fruit. But, if you're really dedicated to cutting the weight you'll probably need to cut down on the fruit.

As mentioned earlier, try sticking to high fiber low sugar fruits. Anything in the berry family is usually a good choice. Sweeter fruits like bananas and mangoes pack a much higher sugar punch.

How sugars influence the creation of fat gets a little more complicated but if you really want to know I can send you some information. Suffice to say, excess sugar in the body (ie, you just ate 2 cups of grapes while sitting and watching a movie) drives fat production.

In the event you're realllly interested, more on glycosis (sugar break down for energy): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycolysis
Glycogensis (storing glucose as glycogen): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycogenesis

tigersword

A nutritionist told me that i can eat alllllllllll the fruits and veggies i want! The sugars from fruits are complex sugars, which takes longer for the body to break down so it's actually good for you and keeps you full longer annnnnnndddddd it's jam packed with nutrients! so in the words of my nutritionist "eat to your hearts content!" I eat fruits and veggies alot and i not experience not one negative thing.

Nutritionists actually don't have to have any kind of training to call themselves nutritionists, and this is a pretty good example of that. Fruit does not have complex sugars in them, they consist of mostly monosacharides, like glucose, fructose, and galactose, which are the simplest sugars there are. They also contain a lot of disacharides, like sucrose and maltose, which are almost as simple. Sucrose is actually the same chemical as the "dreaded" refined sugar, and it usually makes up the overall majority of sugar in fruits.

FlynnMacCallister

A nutritionist told me that i can eat alllllllllll the fruits and veggies i want! The sugars from fruits are complex sugars, which takes longer for the body to break down so it's actually good for you and keeps you full longer annnnnnndddddd it's jam packed with nutrients! so in the words of my nutritionist "eat to your hearts content!" I eat fruits and veggies alot and i not experience not one negative thing.

Nutritionists actually don't have to have any kind of training to call themselves nutritionists, and this is a pretty good example of that. Fruit does not have complex sugars in them, they consist of mostly monosacharides, like glucose, fructose, and galactose, which are the simplest sugars there are. They also contain a lot of disacharides, like sucrose and maltose, which are almost as simple. Sucrose is actually the same chemical as the "dreaded" refined sugar, and it usually makes up the overall majority of sugar in fruits.

That depends on where in the world you are. In some places, it is actually heavily regulated.

tigersword

A nutritionist told me that i can eat alllllllllll the fruits and veggies i want! The sugars from fruits are complex sugars, which takes longer for the body to break down so it's actually good for you and keeps you full longer annnnnnndddddd it's jam packed with nutrients! so in the words of my nutritionist "eat to your hearts content!" I eat fruits and veggies alot and i not experience not one negative thing.

Nutritionists actually don't have to have any kind of training to call themselves nutritionists, and this is a pretty good example of that. Fruit does not have complex sugars in them, they consist of mostly monosacharides, like glucose, fructose, and galactose, which are the simplest sugars there are. They also contain a lot of disacharides, like sucrose and maltose, which are almost as simple. Sucrose is actually the same chemical as the "dreaded" refined sugar, and it usually makes up the overall majority of sugar in fruits.

That depends on where in the world you are. In some places, it is actually heavily regulated.

Dieticians are usually strictly regulated, nutritionists usually aren't. The issue tends to be that most people don't know the difference, and just assume that nutritionist and dietician mean the same thing. Canada is the only country I can think of that has regulations specifically for "nutritionists."

FlynnMacCallister

A nutritionist told me that i can eat alllllllllll the fruits and veggies i want! The sugars from fruits are complex sugars, which takes longer for the body to break down so it's actually good for you and keeps you full longer annnnnnndddddd it's jam packed with nutrients! so in the words of my nutritionist "eat to your hearts content!" I eat fruits and veggies alot and i not experience not one negative thing.

Nutritionists actually don't have to have any kind of training to call themselves nutritionists, and this is a pretty good example of that. Fruit does not have complex sugars in them, they consist of mostly monosacharides, like glucose, fructose, and galactose, which are the simplest sugars there are. They also contain a lot of disacharides, like sucrose and maltose, which are almost as simple. Sucrose is actually the same chemical as the "dreaded" refined sugar, and it usually makes up the overall majority of sugar in fruits.

That depends on where in the world you are. In some places, it is actually heavily regulated.

Dieticians are usually strictly regulated, nutritionists usually aren't. The issue tends to be that most people don't know the difference, and just assume that nutritionist and dietician mean the same thing. Canada is the only country I can think of that has regulations specifically for "nutritionists."

Australia also, or at least NSW.

Lyra89

Wow thanks so much you guys for all the info/opinions! :happy:

I don't have diabetes and it doesn't run in my family. I do very well on high fruit, I always feel/look leaner and WAY more energy, and for sure, it is better than eating candy and chocolate.

Fruit is such a natural food and is an antioxidant, nutrient & fiber powerhouse so I don't feel it is necessary to cut back on ANY kind of fruit, it certainly WASN'T the fruit that packed on extra weight, it was the takeaway and junk food binges

And I'd certainly rather eat real sugar than eat food with artificial sweeteners...don't even get me started on those! Why people put them into their body I'll never understand, I wouldn't touch a diet soda now if you paid me!

Awkward30

Sugar is sugar, the source doesn't matter. That said, are you diabetic? Then sugar will be a bad thing. If you arent, then, quite frankly, the amount of sugar you eat makes no difference. The human body doesn't see "apple" or "chocolate cake." it just sees "sucrose," "glucose," and "fructose." As long as you stick to your calorie goal, then you can eat as much, or as little sugar as you want. It's irrelevant.

This! With the amendment of you probably don't want to eat a crapton of fruit in one sitting because your body will want to store it. If you hit a plateau, try seeing if cutting sugar down helps, till then enjoy your fruit!

Nix_

I just added the sugar column to my food diary, and oh boy was I over this week, but I still lost 4lbs! My sugar comes from fruit and natural yoghurt!

Maybe should try snacking more on veg, just to lower it a little

ianwartist

Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it. First, fruit is higher in fiber than any processed foods that contain sugar. Fiber helps to slow down the absorbtion rate of the sugars, which is why you don't get a "high" followed by a "crash" like you do with a candy bar. I added the sugar category and was shocked as well, until I did my research.

The other thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is if you are in anyway an active person engaging in an exercise routine, fruit is an excellent source of carbs. I have a banana before I workout, followed by raisins with my oatmeal for a post-workout meal. Those two fruits alone would skyrocket me past my sugar limit, but both those are high in carbs (which i need for my workouts) and both are a combined 5 grams of fiber, which isn't bad. So, there isn't any general way to answer your question, I think, because you have so many variables (your sugar tolerance/diabetic situation, if any; exercise regime, if any; other available food options to satiate your sweet tooth, like chocolate). I believe the best diet is the one you can maintain, and if eating healthy fruits with fiber and carbs for your workout prevents you from nose-diving into German Chocolate Cake, then do it.

Finally, here is a link to the excellent "60 minutes" segment that ran sometime ago on CBS. Caused quite a stir with the tagline, "Is Sugar Toxic?":

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7403942n

Good luck!

Ian

ianwartist

Also, same "60 minutes" segment, but one of the pullout segments from the entire show, this one focused specifically Fruit Vs. Sugar in other foods:

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7403954n&tag=segementExtraScroller;housing.

Ian

quixoteQ

A nutritionist told me that i can eat alllllllllll the fruits and veggies i want! The sugars from fruits are complex sugars

No they aren't complex. They are simple sugars, like the kind you pour from a packet into your coffee. They just have prettier colors when they look like fruit.

ianwartist

They aren't complex, they are simple sugars, but a far cry from the sugar you put into your morning coffee in that they actually have nutritional value (high fiber being chief among them). I would say if you have a glucose problem that would be your main concern about eating too many fruits, but they are not like eating a snickers or drinking a soda. Big difference.

tigersword

The question was about sugar in fruit, not nutrition in fruit. Two completely different subjects. The sugar in the fruit is exactly the same as a packet of sugar. Fruit has vitamins and fiber in addition to the sugar, but that doesn't have anything to do with the sugar itself. If someone has already reached their nutritional goals for the day, then sugar in fruit can put them over their limit for sugar, carbs, and calories just as easily as sugar from a glass of soda.

amanda_ataraxia

I am a vegan and I eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. I go over on sugar every single day.
I pay no attention to it whatsoever.
I will never stop eating lots of fruits and I would not trust a,"diet," that ever told me I couldn't have fruit.

vespertine1207

I just read and article about how fructose and glucose have their influences on our body. In Germany scientists proved on both, mice and humans, that fructose leads to an increased fat-reserve. Means that there are connections between the intake of fructose and obesity. The results of that study pointed out, that fructose increases lipogenesis, the process of building up bodyfat. And unfortunately it didn't have any relations to a higher calorie intake.
This doesn't necessarily mean it's right, but it's something to think about.

I just talked with my hostmum (I'm an Aupair) and she is really really healthy. She only shops at Whole Foods and knows a LOT about nutrition. She ready this book called "On Target Living" which is a pretty good one and even in there it says, that you should always choose vegetables over fruits.
So it's danger in disguise. Of course it's smarter to pick a fruit over a candybar or other trash, since fruits also deliver important nutrients. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't be careful.

SideSteel

I just read and article about how fructose and glucose have their influences on our body. In Germany scientists proved on both, mice and humans, that fructose leads to an increased fat-reserve. Means that there are connections between the intake of fructose and obesity. The results of that study pointed out, that fructose increases lipogenesis, the process of building up bodyfat. And unfortunately it didn't have any relations to a higher calorie intake.
This doesn't necessarily mean it's right, but it's something to think about.

Go take a look at the fructose dosages and consider how much fruit one would need to eat in order to approach those dosages and the results should tell a different story as it pertains to making applicable diet changes based on the study.

EDIT: Also, this thread was from March.

deb3129

I am vegan, and am also over on sugar everyday, but it all comes from my fruit. I am not a nutritionist, or a scientist, but I know for me it is not a problem. I have lost weight consisteny, and when I had my physical two weeks ago my lab work was fantastic! I think unless your body has some kind of problem processing sugar (such as insulin resistance) it should not be a problem.

vespertine1207

I just read and article about how fructose and glucose have their influences on our body. In Germany scientists proved on both, mice and humans, that fructose leads to an increased fat-reserve. Means that there are connections between the intake of fructose and obesity. The results of that study pointed out, that fructose increases lipogenesis, the process of building up bodyfat. And unfortunately it didn't have any relations to a higher calorie intake.
This doesn't necessarily mean it's right, but it's something to think about.

Go take a look at the fructose dosages and consider how much fruit one would need to eat in order to approach those dosages and the results should tell a different story as it pertains to making applicable diet changes based on the study.

EDIT: Also, this thread was from March.

If you ate as many grams of fructose as glucose, the fructose would have a worse impact on your bodyfat.

They had 3 groups of people. The first one had to drink a juice for breakfast that was out of 100% glucose, the second group's juice had a 50:50 amount of glucose and fructose and the last group had a 75% fructose juice. They proved that the higher the amount of fructose, the higher the lipogenesis. And not just that, it even lasted longer. The third group's fat was being stored longer, even at dinner it was still way more active than compared to the other groups.

tsh0ck

I just read and article about how fructose and glucose have their influences on our body. In Germany scientists proved on both, mice and humans, that fructose leads to an increased fat-reserve. Means that there are connections between the intake of fructose and obesity. The results of that study pointed out, that fructose increases lipogenesis, the process of building up bodyfat. And unfortunately it didn't have any relations to a higher calorie intake.
This doesn't necessarily mean it's right, but it's something to think about.

I just talked with my hostmum (I'm an Aupair) and she is really really healthy. She only shops at Whole Foods and knows a LOT about nutrition. She ready this book called "On Target Living" which is a pretty good one and even in there it says, that you should always choose vegetables over fruits.
So it's danger in disguise. Of course it's smarter to pick a fruit over a candybar or other trash, since fruits also deliver important nutrients. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't be careful.

I'm sorry, but when someone calls candy bars trash, I can no longer pay attention to anything else they say.

LMCyeah

I'm glad I found this thread! I've been having the hardest time trying to hit my calorie goal without going way over on my sugar. I'm trying to look for more sources of lean protein to bulk up my meals and snacks, but it's hard when the budget doesn't allow for a whole lot of meat!

PaullaG

Try low glycemic fruits. Also, trying eating 1/2 of the frui. t then the other half later. I know it's hard when you love fruit and I do, too! \Apples, berries, grapefruit

PaullaG

Lot of protein in lentils and chia seeds and other legumes and veggies! Chia seeds are great!

janerfitnesspal145

Bump for reference.

christocentrist

Bumping to read later. I have this same problem; I am ALWAYS over in sugar.

SoDamnHungry

Unless you're potentially diabetic, it's probably fine.

chewyjuhee

If its natural sugar from fruits, then I don't honk you have to stress so much in limiting it as the diary plans. However too much fruit can lead to diabetes. I know this cuz I joined my doctor dad on a medical missions trip to Cambodia: he people there are mostly in poverty, so they mainly get their food from fruits that grow abundantly around like banana, mango, or cane sugar drinks. My dad found that the majority of the people who came to him had diabetes because their diet mainly consisted of sweet fruits. So yeah, too much fruit every day can lead to health problems, so I would recommend at least combining your fruits with bland vegetables and develop your taste buds to adapt to less sweetness. I add spring mix to my fruit smoothies as a filler. Also, if you feel that your vegetable smoothies are too bland and tasteless (even with added banana or strawberries), adding a pinch of citric acid really improves the taste tremendously;) it's sweet/tangy and full of vitamin c without adding any sugar or other sweet fruits.

Rocbola

Can you have too much sugar from fruit?

Not if you are eating it raw and whole. Yes, if you are cooking it, juicing it, or blending it.

snazzyjazzy21

Can you have too much sugar from fruit?

Not if you are eating it raw and whole. Yes, if you are cooking it, juicing it, or blending it.

logic?

Rocbola

Can you have too much sugar from fruit?

Not if you are eating it raw and whole. Yes, if you are cooking it, juicing it, or blending it.

logic?

Yep, logic.

snazzyjazzy21

Can you have too much sugar from fruit?

Not if you are eating it raw and whole. Yes, if you are cooking it, juicing it, or blending it.

logic?

Yep, logic.

No that was me requesting you explain your logic of how blending a fruit can magically make you capable of consuming too much sugar from it. Despite the fact the only thing that's changed is the physical structure of the fruit in question.