Is sugar from fruits bad for you?

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shutterbabe
shutterbabe Posts: 125 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So I try to eat a couple apples a day and some other fruit at times, but I notice that I'm usually over (sometimes way over) my sugar allowance for the day and the majority of it is from the fruit. I understand that sugar ultimately turns into fat so I'm wondering if fruit sugar is bad for you and/or will make you fat. And if its not, what makes fruit sugar ok?
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Replies

  • nsblue
    nsblue Posts: 331 Member
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    no it's not bad... like everything... in moderation.

    i eat fruit... have all along... had diabetes where i was on 170 units of insulin a day.... lost alot of weight... now am not on any insulin... n ate fruit all the while doing it... no.... fruit is NOT bad.
  • JayByrd107
    JayByrd107 Posts: 282 Member
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    Sugar does not "ultimately turn to fat". Excess calories turn to fat. Fructose (fruit sugar) is okay because it has fiber and nutrients with it meaning it's better than processed, refined simple sugar (sucrose).
  • ChristieStearns
    ChristieStearns Posts: 94 Member
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    Many low-carbers are afraid of fruit... I eat high protein but I don't believe carbs are bad, I believe there are "worthless" carbs... fruits are not worthless! Humans have been eating fruit forever.... it's natural... can't be bad in my opinion! I'd say if you went over your sugar daily due to candy, that would be an issue. But as my weight watchers leader used to say... "None of us are here because we overate on fruits and vegetables".... focus on other things you can improve an don't worry about fruit :)
  • cschmidt45
    cschmidt45 Posts: 37
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    What he said, lol. No I agree. All in moderation. Take care of your calories, and your calories will take care of you.
  • kbw414
    kbw414 Posts: 194
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    no it's not bad... like everything... in moderation.

    i eat fruit... have all along... had diabetes where i was on 170 units of insulin a day.... lost alot of weight... now am not on any insulin... n ate fruit all the while doing it... no.... fruit is NOT bad.

    Thanks for sharing your story! I don't know why so many people are afraid of whole, natural foods like fruits. It is very inspirational to me that you were able to get off your insulin. Your ticker is amazing! Congratulations!!
  • solarpower4
    solarpower4 Posts: 250 Member
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    Sugar does not "ultimately turn to fat". Excess calories turn to fat. Fructose (fruit sugar) is okay because it has fiber and nutrients with it meaning it's better than processed, refined simple sugar (sucrose).

    ^^ EXACTLY. Unprocessed foods have fiber and nutrients and minerals and phytochemicals and things we aren't even yet aware of that make fruit a much better choice than processed anything. Unless you are diabetic (some fruits cause issues) or have a fructose allergy/intolerance (rare, but it does exist).
  • day_dreamr24
    day_dreamr24 Posts: 15
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    Pretty much what everyone else has said: "Everything in moderation!"

    I was challenged to only eat 15g of processed sugar a day (really hard on some days :grumble: ), with the exception that I can eat unlimited fruit and vegetables...but I still like to keep my fruit levels low, generally 1-2 pieces of fruit a day and unlimited veggies :smile:
  • Becky_Boodle
    Becky_Boodle Posts: 253 Member
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    In my opinion...
    if most of my sugar intake comes frome fruits and veggies
    then I don't care if I'm over :)
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
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    When you eat the whole fruit, there are also chemicals that tell your body what to do with the sugar, so it has less impact on you blood sugar (and less crashes and such later). This is from an article in Parents magazine, from a nutritionist (sorry, don't have more reference than that).

    The other nutrients in fruit (fiber, vitamins, phytochemicals, etc) are good for you, enough to definitely justify the intake of sugar. It would be better to cut out sweets or refined starches.

    Go for the whole fruit, not just juice. Better balance of nutrients and will fill you up for longer!
  • mcosme25
    mcosme25 Posts: 26
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    It is my opinion that all sugar is sugar just in different forms. Glucose is glucose. Fruit should be taken in moderation. Here are a few list that may help. If you have a craving for something sweet, fruit is by far what you should reach for over anything proccesed. Another impotant factor is to stick to your allowed calories and work out to utilize those carbs. When you dont utilize the carbs, they are stored as fat- Bottom line. Hope this helps and good luck!!

    Fruits Lowest in Sugar

    ◦Small Amounts of Lemon or Lime
    ◦Rhubarb
    ◦Raspberries
    ◦Blackberries
    ◦Cranberries

    Fruits Low to Medium in Sugar

    ◦Strawberries
    ◦Casaba Melon
    ◦Papaya
    ◦Watermelon
    ◦Peaches
    ◦Nectarines
    ◦Blueberries
    ◦Cantaloupes
    ◦Honeydew Melons
    ◦Apples
    ◦Guavas – Pineapple Guavas (Feijoa) and Strawberry Guavas
    ◦Apricots
    ◦Grapefruit

    Fruits Fairly High in Sugar

    ◦Plums
    ◦Oranges
    ◦Kiwifruit
    ◦Pears
    ◦Pineapple
    Fruits Very High in Sugar

    ◦Tangerines
    ◦Cherries
    ◦Grapes
    ◦Pomegranates
    ◦Mangoes
    ◦Figs
    ◦Bananas
    ◦Dried Fruit, such as
    ◦Dates
    ◦Raisins
    ◦Dried Apricots
    ◦Prunes
  • suziecue66
    suziecue66 Posts: 1,312 Member
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    Many low-carbers are afraid of fruit... I eat high protein but I don't believe carbs are bad, I believe there are "worthless" carbs... fruits are not worthless! Humans have been eating fruit forever.... it's natural... can't be bad in my opinion! I'd say if you went over your sugar daily due to candy, that would be an issue. But as my weight watchers leader used to say... "None of us are here because we overate on fruits and vegetables".... focus on other things you can improve an don't worry about fruit :)

    If you are a low carber you are just interested in your carb count so some fruits will be out. I think fruits are fine - its high fructose corn syrup that is no good in excess.
  • shutterbabe
    shutterbabe Posts: 125 Member
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    I'm not afraid of fruit; I love them. I'm just wondering about the sugar in fruit and going way over my allotted sugar amount because of them. I want to know whether its bad or not to be -50 in sugar for the day because of fruit, you'no?

    Thank you for the responses, I appreciate the help!
  • Redheadllena
    Redheadllena Posts: 353 Member
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    In my opinion...
    if most of my sugar intake comes frome fruits and veggies
    then I don't care if I'm over :)

    ^That's my rule too! I am curious what you guys think about honey- sometimes I have it in my tea or with yogurt and it's very high in sugar. Is this "as bad" as something like candy/processed sugar/other desserts?
  • domsmoms
    domsmoms Posts: 174 Member
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    I've been wondering about this too, so good to hear most think fruit sugar is ok. I always go over in sugar and it's almost always from fruit. I LOVE fruit.
  • Queen2day
    Queen2day Posts: 68 Member
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    Information I received and go by indicates that natural sugar is fine to have and should not cause issues. The type of sugar that does cause issues is refined sugar. I was also told by my doctor that anytime I felt hungry, the best thing I could grab was a piece of fruit. Honey is also a natural sugar and not a refined sugar.

    I believe and try [although not always successful] to eat foods in their natural form and not so much processed foods. I cook quite a bit and I do cook from scratch. As such, I utilize the recipe option here so that I can list out the actual items in their pure state that I include in my own recipes to get an accurate calorie count. This has also helped me to see which recipes I enjoy that may not be the best options for my long term goals as some of them have surprised me as to how less healthy they really are.

    :smile: :smile: :smile:
  • Ange0NZ
    Ange0NZ Posts: 45 Member
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    I've been wondering about this too, so good to hear most think fruit sugar is ok. I always go over in sugar and it's almost always from fruit. I LOVE fruit.

    Yep, me too! I like to make my own fruit and veggie juices (combined) so fructose is always high for me.
    Information I received and go by indicates that natural sugar is fine to have and should not cause issues. The type of sugar that does cause issues is refined sugar. I was also told by my doctor that anytime I felt hungry, the best thing I could grab was a piece of fruit. Honey is also a natural sugar and not a refined sugar.

    I have read quite a few articles that say the same too. Fructose (sugar found in fruit and vegetables) is fine. It is sucrose (refined, processed, added sugar) that is not.
  • CharRicho
    CharRicho Posts: 389 Member
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    "None of us are here because we overate on fruits and vegetables"

    Haha I like this, very true!
  • rocket_ace
    rocket_ace Posts: 380 Member
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    Many low-carbers are afraid of fruit... I eat high protein but I don't believe carbs are bad, I believe there are "worthless" carbs... fruits are not worthless! Humans have been eating fruit forever.... it's natural... can't be bad in my opinion! I'd say if you went over your sugar daily due to candy, that would be an issue. But as my weight watchers leader used to say... "None of us are here because we overate on fruits and vegetables".... focus on other things you can improve an don't worry about fruit :)

    this is VERY WELL SAID. I'm going to remember forever your quote "I believe there are "worthless" carbs... fruits are not worthless!"
  • kenzietate
    kenzietate Posts: 399 Member
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    I just wanted to pop in and tell you what my doctor told me. For the majority of the population eating fruits is never bad. The only time you would need to worry about limiting it is in some cases of insulin resistance. I have that and I have to limit my fruit intake. The sugar in fruit still triggers my insulin to produce and then I can't "receive" the insulin/sugar so fat binds to that to protect my body from the insulin causing weight gain. But unless you have insulin resistance then you should feel free to eat as much fruit as you would like and don't worry about that sugar! :)
  • emboslice94
    emboslice94 Posts: 60
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    I personally find that it depends on the person! Some people I know have maybe two servings of fruit a day, and that's it, they prefer to eat a higher veggie diet because it works better for their body and their goals. I personally, find that it depends when and what I'm doing, I always eat a high GI fruit right before I go to work or on break at work because it'll keep me going and I'm doing a lot of things that'll make sure that the large amount of sugar isn't stored (I work in retail doing a lot while on my feet for 8 hour stretches), but in my regular school routine, I stick to low GI fruits like berries, and the only time I eat the high GI fruits are right after work outs, I personally find that I feel better this way and so far I'm happy with the results.
    So basically, it's not necessarily bad, but you have to figure out what types of fruits and what amounts of fruits will work for you and your goals.

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