sugar in fruit

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pjb58
pjb58 Posts: 100 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Do you consider natural (fruit) sugar or are you interested only in the sugar from processed food?
It is all lumped together on the food chart, but there is such a huge difference.
Typically I discount the sugar from fruits but want input from MFP users.
So, what do you think?
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Replies

  • uconnwinsnc
    uconnwinsnc Posts: 1,054 Member
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    I don't even track sugar because I don't eat a lot of it normally. The only thing that bothers me about sugar is too much gives me a royal stomach ache.
  • MBrothers22
    MBrothers22 Posts: 323 Member
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    If you have medical reasons to care then be careful. If not, I don't think it really matters
  • tonyamt2
    tonyamt2 Posts: 16 Member
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    I am on slow carb and I count sugar from fruit as well. I guess it depends on what plan you are following. I am only allowed fruit on my one cheat day. I have learned that if I eat any sugar, I crave more of it.
  • pjb58
    pjb58 Posts: 100 Member
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    Sorry I guess I should have provided the why.
    My concern is reducing the flabby stomach.
    My weight is good, I lift weights for toning, but the flabby stomach is an issue.
  • pjb58
    pjb58 Posts: 100 Member
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    WOW! If I couldn't eat fruit I'd be in trouble.
  • Maddyhomeier
    Maddyhomeier Posts: 1
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    My aunt is a certified dietition and I was curious about the same thing so I asked her and she said that no natural sugars in fruit and veggies should NOT count toward your daily intake unless you are a diabetic or someone with a health problem regarding sugar.
  • xenu01
    xenu01 Posts: 117 Member
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    Sugar is sugar, unfortunately. However, I really and truly believe that natural sugars are much better for you.

    Anyway, it's good to do things in moderation, and it's always better to eat whole fruits than juice.

    Here is a list of some low-glycemic fruits:
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/272829-low-sugar-fruits-vegetables/

    Pears, grapefruits, plums, cantelopes and blueberries are all excellent low-sugar fruits.
  • YamaMaya1
    YamaMaya1 Posts: 49 Member
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    fruit isn't just sugar, it is fibre as well as vitamins and antioxidants. I don't worry about it, as long as I'm within my calorie target for the day.
  • rebeccaisafish
    rebeccaisafish Posts: 87 Member
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    Sugar is sugar no matter where its from.
  • Valrotha
    Valrotha Posts: 294 Member
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    Seems like there are a handful of posts per day on this topic. I think I need to type the following up on MS Word and just copy and paste.

    In short, fructose from fruit IS sugar, HOWEVER, fruit also contains fiber which offsets the negative impact of sugar on your system. So, as long as you don't go overboard you should be fine. Focus on your calorie goals and don't sweat eating fruit. It's ok. :)
  • CindyMarcuzAdams
    CindyMarcuzAdams Posts: 4,006 Member
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    I agree that sugar is sugar but there is a difference the way you consume it. Eating an apple or orange you are getting vit c and fiber along with other goodness can not compare to a fried donut dipped in white sugar . If you are going for the sweetness you may as well have something good for you...
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    The sugars are the same, chemically. Fructose and sucrose are structurally the same chemical whether you eat them in fruit or eat them in something else (like ice cream or cookies, or table sugar).
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    Sugar is sugar, unfortunately. However, I really and truly believe that natural sugars are much better for you.

    Anyway, it's good to do things in moderation, and it's always better to eat whole fruits than juice.

    Here is a list of some low-glycemic fruits:
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/272829-low-sugar-fruits-vegetables/

    Pears, grapefruits, plums, cantelopes and blueberries are all excellent low-sugar fruits.

    Natural sugars are better than what? What is a 'natural' sugar?
  • fgodfrey56
    fgodfrey56 Posts: 24 Member
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    fruit isn't just sugar, it is fibre as well as vitamins and antioxidants. I don't worry about it, as long as I'm within my calorie target for the day.
    Lol. Fruit isn't sugar? You can't be serious.

    What do you think happens to carbs at the end of process?

    You left out the word "just." not speaking for the other person, but the point being fruit includes fiber vs. a donut. Don't be so down on fruit. All things in moderation.
  • perseverance14
    perseverance14 Posts: 1,364 Member
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    Even in low carb diets fiber counts against carb totals, so if you eat a low carb fruit to begin with and then count the fiber against the carb total (for example, this morning I had 20 grams of blackberries, 2 grams of carbs, 1 gram of fiber = 1 gram of carbs), I also had 73 grams of strawberries, with 6 grams of carbs and 1 of fiber, which is net 5, so for all the berries I had 6 grams of carbs...there were more carbs than that (8) in my cottage cheese.

    I watch added sugars, that doesn't mean I would eat tons of fruit, but I tend not to worry about eating fruit.
  • crys39
    crys39 Posts: 40 Member
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    When you eat food that contains fructose (sugars from fruit), you don't need to digest the fructose before your intestine can absorb it.
    The intestines can absorb monosaccharides (fructose which is made of a single sugar unit), but can't absorb disaccharides (such as sucrose which is made of two sugar units) or larger carbohydrates.
    Your body breaks down sucrose into two monosaccharides -- fructose and glucose -- using a digestive enzyme called sucrase.
    Your cells use sucrose similar to how they use fructose -- particularly because sucrose contains 50 percent fructose.
    Cells can burn fructose for energy, or can convert it to fat and store it.

    One difference between sucrose and fructose is that sucrose contains glucose. This means sucrose triggers insulin release. Insulin is a hormone that the pancreas releases that tells cells to take up glucose from the blood. Fructose consumption triggers a much less significant insulin release.

    Take the info above as you will but personally, I'd rather have a fruit than something processed and smothered in table sugar. Just my 2 cents...

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