Sugar from fruit?

jonibc

My blood sugar level has been way too high (at least prior to joining MFP) so I added a column to my daily nutritional breakouts to measure my sugar intake. I was surprised to see that I am always exceeding my sugar goal even though I never use sugar or eat sweets. My whole wheat sandwich bread has 11 grams in 2 slices. But the real killer is fresh fruit. I try to have a little with breakfast and/or lunch and it is so full of sugar. I dont want to cut out the good stuff I get from fruit. Is sugar from fruit something to be concerned about?

fishgutzy

There are differing schools of thought on this. However one thing is clear. Either in excess is not good.
Someone who never taken a drop of alcohol can develop fatty liver disease from drinking too many beverages sweetened with HFCS. Many doctors assume the patient is a drunk and lying about it in these cases.
Fructose metabolizes differently than glucose. Too much fructose leads to fat build up in the liver.

For me, I had to switch to low carb high fat. My A1C (indicator of long term sugar) and blood glucose are no longer pre-diabetic. Cholesterol dropped 30% too.
My niece was put on low carb, <100g per day, high fat by her doctor because she had developed gestational diabetes that became type 2. After 6 months she was no longer clinically diabetic.

karensoxfan

If you have blood sugar concerns, it's probably best to ask your Dr. how much fresh fruit is "too much" -- for you.

For me, fruit is good, healthy, filling food, and I have no medical reason to worry about the natural sugar content. Everyone's different though.

MacSkillz

Sugar from Fruit = ok because it's natural sugar.

It's the excess of sugar and artificial sugar/sweetener that is found in desserts, candy, and other things that you need to watch your intake of.

thedreadpersephone

I eat lots of fruit too so my intake of sugar is also usually over the maximum, as is my vitamin C. Frankly I'm not too worried about that - I love fruit and I know it's good for me so I'm not going to reduce my intake. On the other hand, I don't have any medical problems to worry about (that I know of). So if you are concerned it might be best to check with your doctor.

semperfit1823

Sugar from Fruit = ok because it's natural sugar.

It's the excess of sugar and artificial sugar/sweetener that is found in desserts, candy, and other things that you need to watch your intake of.

Wrong even intake of natural sugars cause a spike in insulin that leads to fat storage the best time to eat would be an apple immediately post workout for that insulin spike to provide nutrients throught the body to increase recovery.

cbrrabbit25

I wouldn't worry about the sugar coming from fruit. I always go over my sugar intake because of fruit and i still lose weight if i stay close to my calorie goal. The only thing you need to watch is that certain fruits such as grapes tend to have such high amounts of sugars that they make me really hungry about a half hour after eating them since they spike your insulin levels. I am still in the process of trying to learn more about this but i have found that cantelope and watermelon dont effect me the way grapes usually do. Also, I try to use the "eat this, not that" books to determine the bread with the least sugar.

JustMichelleB

Please speak with your doctor, get a referral to a nutritionist. If you are diabetic, sugar from fruit is something you do need to worry about. There are some fruits that are naturally higher in sugar than others.

randomgyrl

I had gestational diabetes while pregnant with my daughter. I was told to be careful with my fruit intake, that it was important to get in fresh fruits but to make good choices. I was told to never eat fruit for breakfast, because that is the time of day your body has the hardest time processing the sugar, and you are more likely to have blood sugar problems. I was also told to try to stick to fruits with a low Glycemic Index (apples, pears, berries, etc) instead of fruits with a higher GI (bananas, pineapple, watermelon).

fitsin10

bump

Akimajuktuq

If you have health issues even sugar from fruit can be detrimental. However, I'd get rid of the bread first, then limit fruit. I hardly eat any fruit and get all the same nutrients from vegetables. Fruit are healthy but for some of us, sugar is an issue no matter the source. Berries are great because they have lower sugar levels.

tkillion810

It sounds like a visit with the doctor would be a good idea, or a nutritionist. I am not a believer in the adage "a calorie is a calorie is a calorie". Our bodies need different types of calories. For me, I am a long distance runner. I always watch my sugar intake and even moreso when I approach my race. Three weeks before a race, I try to stay under 40 grams of sugar a day. These are all natural sugars, I'm not adding any to my foods. I rarely eat fruit but I have greatly increased the amount of veggies I consume. It's also forced me to open my perspective to trying new veggies. Watching my sugar intake has helped me maintain a good running weight, meet my macro %'s easier, and reduced - yes reduced my sugar (and other food) cravings. This was recommended to me by a certified sports nutritionist. Every body is different. It's best to find out what your body needs from someone with the education to back up their suggestions. It will be money well spent!

Danied13

Sugar from Fruit = ok because it's natural sugar.

It's the excess of sugar and artificial sugar/sweetener that is found in desserts, candy, and other things that you need to watch your intake of.

Not quite. Sugar is sugar. Sugar from fruit may offer more nutritional benefits than candy, but it's still broken down the same way in your body leading to an increase in insulin.

mmapags

Sugar from Fruit = ok because it's natural sugar.

It's the excess of sugar and artificial sugar/sweetener that is found in desserts, candy, and other things that you need to watch your intake of.

So you think if it's sugar from fruit it somehow "doesn't count'? That's totally wrong in terms of the impact on blood sugar levels. Sugar is sugar. No matter what the source, it impacts blood sugar levels.

jonibc

I'm not diabetic but I have been pre-diabetic. I've only eaten 1/6 cup of craisins and 1/2 cup pineapple plus 2 slices of whole wheat bread and my sugar goal has been exceeded for the day. But I'm not really sure what the goal numbers represent so I posed that as a separate question. I mean, that is not a lot of fruit. I'm hoping my weight loss will bring my blood sugar back into the normal range soon anyway.

mmapags

I'm not diabetic but I have been pre-diabetic. I've only eaten 1/6 cup of craisins and 1/2 cup pineapple plus 2 slices of whole wheat bread and my sugar goal has been exceeded for the day. But I'm not really sure what the goal numbers represent so I posed that as a separate question. I mean, that is not a lot of fruit. I'm hoping my weight loss will bring my blood sugar back into the normal range soon anyway.

You might want to learn a little bit about what fruits contain more sugar and which ones contain less. Raisins are made from grapes, a high sugar fruit, and then dried. This concentrates the sugars. Pineapple is also high in sugar content. Most berries are not and apples and pears are only moderate.

fitsin10

I crave fruit on my diet and just can't seem to shake that. I think from now on I will just not buy anymore so it won't tempt me. I'm trying to find something that I can do for a life change but it always drags me back to fruit and I mostly want them at night. UGH! I'm going to try the low carb way but why higher in fat rather than proteins?