Sugar in Fruit

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rocakes
rocakes Posts: 44
in Health and Weight Loss
OK so whats the deal here??? I LOVE my fruit but it seems I go over my sugar every day because of it!! I know some fruit is lower sugar than others but I dont know what else to snack on when I'm on the run. I love my watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, blueberries, grapes etc!!!

Its it really bad I go over my sugar everyday because of my fruit? OR is it just bad when I go over because of sugary snacks?
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Replies

  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Sugar is sugar as far as the human body is concerned.

    However, unless you have a metabolic disorder that requires you to limit sugar consumption, then sugar doesn't matter at all. As long as you stick to your calories, you won't eat too much sugar.

    Most studies that show sugar having a negative effect on people require consumption levels of over 300 grams of sugar a day, which is not realistic at all. So I wouldn't worry about it.
  • ChrisRS87
    ChrisRS87 Posts: 781 Member
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    I partially agree with Tigersword, sugar is sugar and 1 gram of sugar is 1 gram of carbs, eat whatever you want as long as you hit your carb/fat/protein targets.
  • rocakes
    rocakes Posts: 44
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    I sometimes go over my calories and protein but not by a ridiculous amount. It try to keep it around 1200 calories a day but I'm not a freak about it if I go 100 or 2 over I dont beat myself up about it

    Thanks guys!
  • novalh42
    novalh42 Posts: 102 Member
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    Fruit sugar is something known as FRUCTOSE

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fructose

    "Fructose is broken down by the body slowly and is converted into
    SUCROSE and GLYCOGEN. Fructose is often recommended for, and consumed
    by, people with diabetes mellitus or hypoglycemia, because it has a
    very low Glycemic Index (GI 23) relative to cane sugar."
  • chuisle
    chuisle Posts: 1,052 Member
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    Just to offer a different point of view - there are a lot of people (fitness experts, scientists, nutritionists) who would argue that the added sugar in our products has a very different affect on our bodies from the naturally occurring sugars in fruit etc. (No one jump all over me, I'm not saying its gospel truth).

    See here:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM

    http://toscareno.blogspot.com/2012/01/sugar.html#.UCETLPYgosc

    http://www.3fatchicks.com/is-added-sugar-always-bad-for-you/

    Those all have different reasoning and philosophies. Read about it and decide.
    (Also there are probably better resources to scientific studies on sugar. If someone has those handy do post please)

    For me - I don't worry about naturally occurring sugars. For instance, I'm over sugar today but am eating pretty much 100% unprocessed foods. I like to eat whole foods over processed foods because I believe they are more nutritional, satisfying, I feel better, and it supposedly helps achieve good body composition. Just my 2 cents.
  • astraldream
    astraldream Posts: 39 Member
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    The way i look at it is, if you are hungry you should eat. It is far better to eat a piece of fruit than a chocolate bar.
  • kiminikimkim
    kiminikimkim Posts: 746 Member
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    It is only bad if you live like the person I just met at a recent vegetarian potluck.

    He had become a Fruitarian 3 years ago and his teeth had been damaged from the sugar and his skin was a light pale banana peel color. Compared with what he was eating, I'd say you're totally fine.

    He was on a diet of 30lbs of fruits per day and nothing else.
  • rose313
    rose313 Posts: 1,146 Member
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    Fruit is fine, the benefits of eating it instead of unhealthy options far outweigh the sugar content.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    I quit tracking my sugar and I am happier for it. I only worrying about getting in enough protein and fiber. Occasionally, I will switch up my settings to check how I am doing on iron and calcium.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Fruit sugar is something known as FRUCTOSE

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fructose

    "Fructose is broken down by the body slowly and is converted into
    SUCROSE and GLYCOGEN. Fructose is often recommended for, and consumed
    by, people with diabetes mellitus or hypoglycemia, because it has a
    very low Glycemic Index (GI 23) relative to cane sugar."
    Fructose is not converted into sucrose or glycogen. Fructose is a component of sucrose, Sucrose is a molecule of fructose with a molecule of glucose. Fructose is generally converted into glycerol, not glycogen. Glucose is converted to glycogen. Also, there are hundreds of different sugars found in fruit, it's not all fructose, there's plenty of glucose, sucrose, maltose, galactose, and other sugars in fruit. In fact, there are plenty of fruit that have more sucrose than anything else.

    If you're going to link to a Wikipedia article, you might want to read it first, and not pretend to quote something from it that isn't true, or even in the article.
  • goodisnotgoodenough
    goodisnotgoodenough Posts: 5
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    However, unless you have a metabolic disorder that requires you to limit sugar consumption, then sugar doesn't matter at all. As long as you stick to your calories, you won't eat too much sugar.

    I agree!
  • ChrisRS87
    ChrisRS87 Posts: 781 Member
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    Fruit sugar is something known as FRUCTOSE

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fructose

    "Fructose is broken down by the body slowly and is converted into
    SUCROSE and GLYCOGEN. Fructose is often recommended for, and consumed
    by, people with diabetes mellitus or hypoglycemia, because it has a
    very low Glycemic Index (GI 23) relative to cane sugar."
    Fructose is not converted into sucrose or glycogen. Fructose is a component of sucrose, Sucrose is a molecule of fructose with a molecule of glucose. Fructose is generally converted into glycerol, not glycogen. Glucose is converted to glycogen. Also, there are hundreds of different sugars found in fruit, it's not all fructose, there's plenty of glucose, sucrose, maltose, galactose, and other sugars in fruit. In fact, there are plenty of fruit that have more sucrose than anything else.

    If you're going to link to a Wikipedia article, you might want to read it first, and not pretend to quote something from it that isn't true, or even in the article.

    Served.
  • superpapa16
    superpapa16 Posts: 244 Member
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    It is only bad if you live like the person I just met at a recent vegetarian potluck.

    He had become a Fruitarian 3 years ago and his teeth had been damaged from the sugar and his skin was a light pale banana peel color. Compared with what he was eating, I'd say you're totally fine.

    He was on a diet of 30lbs of fruits per day and nothing else.

    Holy expensive fruit, Batman!
  • salgalruns
    salgalruns Posts: 83 Member
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    I always go over as a result of fruit and have still managed to lose. It's summer. I live in Southern California and drive past strawberry fields daily. Produce is all around me, and it's fantastic.

    My thought is this - I cannot think of a person that became fat (or stayed fat) just because they ate too much fruit. Thus, I am not worried about it.
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    I once read an article (sorry, I say this a lot on here--this forum topic comes up quite often) where a scientist said "Show me a person that got diabetes from eating too many strawberries and I'll eat my hat."

    Eating fruit has so many health benefits. Think of how that sugar is different compared to say...eating a bowl of Captain Crunch. And how it us utilized by the body.

    I personally don't track sugar (since much of my sugar comes from natural sources--like fruit). If you have issues with sugar (pre diabetes, diabetes) of course tracking it is very beneficial.
  • Angie__1MR
    Angie__1MR Posts: 388 Member
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    I partially agree with Tigersword, sugar is sugar and 1 gram of sugar is 1 gram of carbs, eat whatever you want as long as you hit your carb/fat/protein targets.

    Negatory dude.
  • ElviraCross
    ElviraCross Posts: 331 Member
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    I ignore the crap out of it.
  • vtachycardia
    vtachycardia Posts: 374
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    Fruit sugar is something known as FRUCTOSE

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fructose

    "Fructose is broken down by the body slowly and is converted into
    SUCROSE and GLYCOGEN. Fructose is often recommended for, and consumed
    by, people with diabetes mellitus or hypoglycemia, because it has a
    very low Glycemic Index (GI 23) relative to cane sugar."
    Fructose is not converted into sucrose or glycogen. Fructose is a component of sucrose, Sucrose is a molecule of fructose with a molecule of glucose. Fructose is generally converted into glycerol, not glycogen. Glucose is converted to glycogen. Also, there are hundreds of different sugars found in fruit, it's not all fructose, there's plenty of glucose, sucrose, maltose, galactose, and other sugars in fruit. In fact, there are plenty of fruit that have more sucrose than anything else.

    If you're going to link to a Wikipedia article, you might want to read it first, and not pretend to quote something from it that isn't true, or even in the article.

    Served.

    Well, apart from the fact that is, when the liver is full of glycogen then the fructose path is conversion to fat., ready for reconversion at a later date, or not as the case maybe.

    But then it all goes a bit scaremongery and received wisdom rather than sciencey.
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    I quit tracking my sugar and I am happier for it. I only worrying about getting in enough protein and fiber. Occasionally, I will switch up my settings to check how I am doing on iron and calcium.

    I'm the same way. :)
  • vtachycardia
    vtachycardia Posts: 374
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    diabetes, hat eating and strawberries

    This is fructose sweetened and yes I mean, High Fructose Corn Death

    Consuming fructose-sweetened, not glucose-sweetened, beverages increases visceral adiposity and lipids and decreases insulin sensitivity in overweight/obese humans. Stanhope KL, Schwarz JM, Keim NL, et al. J Clin Invest. 2009 May;119(5):1322-34. - cited from an article on about.com

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