Is too much fruit bad?

moosh2014
moosh2014 Posts: 13
in Food and Nutrition
So I love fruit and it doesn't bother me eating healthy because I would rather pick up a fruit salad over a slice of cake any day. However I came across an article saying that too much fruit can lead to weight gain and funnily enough I am usually over on my daily sugar target. Its made me think I should maybe cut down on fruit as its maybe why I have not moved on the scale for weeks or that could just be down to strength training on a slight deficit. I wouldn't say I eat excessive amounts by the way but probably slightly more than the average person on most days. I am just confused because I have seen diets online and my friends have done diets where they get to eat unlimited fruit and veg and there is excellent weight loss results.

So can anyone help?

Replies

  • bluetit1802
    bluetit1802 Posts: 1
    Much depends on which fruits you are eating. They are all full of sugar, but some are better than others. Here in the UK we say avoid tropical fruits especially bananas, oranges and grapes. Try fresh berries (most varieties), cherries and plums, and always eat fresh or frozen, never tinned. Stick to 3 portions a day if you can.
  • mamahannick
    mamahannick Posts: 322 Member
    Too much of anything can lead to weight gain, but that would be because of an excess of calories in general. To lose weight you need a calorie deficit. Eat your fruit, just log it and stay at a calorie deficit.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    as mamahannick said, too much of anything can cause weight gain. I would add though that a lot of people tend to think just eating a whole bunch of fruit and veg is what it means to eat healthy...it is true that there are a lot of nutrients in fruit and veg, but proper nutrition also requires dietary fat and protein. If you fruit intake is hindering you from hitting your requisite fats and protein then it is too much.

    I'd also add that a couple servings of fruit per day is generally pretty good...you really should have about 3x that in veg. I generally have around 2 servings of fruit per day...usually some berries in the morning and an apple in the afternoon (nectarines or peaches in season) and about 6 servings of veg daily. I do tend to eat a bit more fruit on long ride days as I need the sugar for quick fuel...but it is quickly burned up as i log miles and hour on the bike.

    Also, eating a lot of fruit can be an issue if you have insulin sensitivities or are insulin resistant.
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
    However I came across an article saying that too much fruit can lead to weight gain and funnily enough I am usually over on my daily sugar target.
    Fruit will not make you gain weight. Fruit is low in calorie density, and high in fiber and water. It is the human animal's most preferred food. By the time you have eaten the proper amount, you are full. Fruit is a natural food, and the human satiety mechanism knows what fruit is, unlike most of the foods eaten these days.

    If there is any doubt, check out Michael Arnstein, the ultra-runner. This dude eats massive amounts of fruit, and doesn't have a drop of fat on his body.

    If the article was not in a medical journal, it is likely that the publication that brought it to you takes money from the food industry. All those advertisers dollars tend to skew the info. Any nutritional info brought to you by any media outlet that gets most of it's money from advertisement should be taken with a grain of salt.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShmoS0AnPNA

    175 -> 190 lbs eating a lot of fruit
  • flowertriumph
    flowertriumph Posts: 1
    I eat plant based diet for 3 years. I did experiment eating mostly fruits for 6 straight months. Since I don't eat flesh and animal products, I lost too much weight from 105 to 97 lbs. I can tell you that if you only eat fruits and other plan based food, you will lose weight. (not oil or too much nuts and plant based food that contain high fat like avocado. Too much fruits will not make you fat, but other things will. I ate a lot of Durian and and other sweet fruits. I had my blood sugar level check 3 times within 3 years, all perfect. Blood sugar is normal.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShmoS0AnPNA

    175 -> 190 lbs eating a lot of fruit

    My God, and there are tons of people in the comments INSISTING that the diet works and he just needed to give it more time/eat at different times of the day/he must have cheated/etc. I bet if he did it for a year and gained 40 lbs they'd insist he needed to give it 3, and if he did it for 3 and gained 70 lbs they'd insist he needed 5.

    It's really nice to claim 'science' when none of your 'facts' can be debunked by any sort of experience because you just insist they haven't done it for long enough.

    Thanks for the video yarwell.
  • shinkalork
    shinkalork Posts: 815 Member
    well fruits are full of sugar.. healthy sugar but still considered carbs.
    too much would raise your sugar level pretty high. In my opinion ..it's not good.
    That's why Insanity, P90X etc... tells you to eat more veggies...

    STILL.... fruits are way better than snacks,cake,candies etc..not the same sugar at all.
    If craving for candy bar or apple.... duh.... take the apple for sure.
  • kilsafari
    kilsafari Posts: 61
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShmoS0AnPNA

    175 -> 190 lbs eating a lot of fruit

    My God, and there are tons of people in the comments INSISTING that the diet works and he just needed to give it more time/eat at different times of the day/he must have cheated/etc. I bet if he did it for a year and gained 40 lbs they'd insist he needed to give it 3, and if he did it for 3 and gained 70 lbs they'd insist he needed 5.

    It's really nice to claim 'science' when none of your 'facts' can be debunked by any sort of experience because you just insist they haven't done it for long enough.

    Thanks for the video yarwell.

    The Youtube comment section is not generally a meeting ground for intelligence.
  • mumblemagic
    mumblemagic Posts: 1,090 Member
    I eat plant based diet for 3 years. I did experiment eating mostly fruits for 6 straight months. Since I don't eat flesh and animal products, I lost too much weight from 105 to 97 lbs. I can tell you that if you only eat fruits and other plan based food, you will lose weight. (not oil or too much nuts and plant based food that contain high fat like avocado. Too much fruits will not make you fat, but other things will. I ate a lot of Durian and and other sweet fruits. I had my blood sugar level check 3 times within 3 years, all perfect. Blood sugar is normal.

    Not true, if you eat only fruit and are in calorific deficit you will lose weight. Although fruit and veg makes you feel fuller so it's easier to be in calorie deficit if you fill up on F&V.

    Nitpicking aside, there are a few reasons why you may want to limit the amount of fruit you eat:
    1. Many fruits have acidic compounds in them that can damage your teeth if consumed in high quantities.
    2. A lot of fruit has a high sugar content, which many people find helpful to reduce to make dieting easier. For this reason diabetic and pre-diabetic people are sometimes advised to limit fruit intake or avoid certain fruits altogether. (Although there is some dispute about whether this is a good approach - there have been some studies that suggest that eating more fruit can actually help diabetes even if the fruit is high in sugar.)
    3. Fruit is a great way of easing "slow digestion" because of the fibre, but too much of this and you can easily get the runs! Syrup of figs is an old-fashioned remedy for constipation for a reason :smile:

    You will notice that I say too much and in high quantities ..... as usual, moderation is the key. Fruits have lots of yummy vitamins and minerals in, which are good for you, and fibre is good for the digestion. However, limiting fruit to 2-3 portions is probably a good idea, and/or tracking your sugar, and getting the rest of your 5 a day from vegetables.

    Have a read of these articles if you are interested:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-26818377
    http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/5ADAY/Pages/Portionsizes.aspx
    http://www.bda.org/news-centre/press-releases/39899-research-shows-the-potential-dental-health-risk-of-fruit-smoothies.aspx
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/457351-how-much-fruit-should-be-eaten-by-diabetics/
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    The Youtube comment section is not generally a meeting ground for intelligence.

    No, but it's still intriguing to see how people cling to what they believe to be true in the face of any evidence to the contrary.

    I'll freely admit that it's *difficult* to overeat on this diet simply due to volume, but even Graham (the guy who came up with the 80/10/10) has said that if you start gaining weight while adhering strictly to his diet, you're cramming too much in and/or not getting enough exercise (he recommends a lot of exercise). Yet people badly want to believe there's some sort of magical diet where they can eat as much as they want and not get fat.

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