Sugar from Fruit...all bad?

twocsmom
twocsmom Posts: 120 Member
edited October 1 in Food and Nutrition
I expected when I started logging my food that carbs would be the issue-their not. In fat I'm under my carb allowance every day. It seems that sugar is the issue-which shouldn't have surprised me because I've always had a major sweet tooth. I'm really trying to cut out the junk, but am eating a lot of fruit which is still causing the amount of sugar I take in to go over my allowance each day. So is sugar from fruit a bad thing? Is sugar just sugar no matter where it comes from?

Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • kitujainen
    kitujainen Posts: 143 Member
    I'd also like to know soo bump :D
  • no one seems to know this lol. I decided , using my great wisdom, that fruit is good for you. It has loads of vitamins and most of it has fiber or other things your body needs. So I stopped tracking my sugar because i am not eating sweets, and I don't add sugar and I still go over my sugar every single day. But I am losing weight at the speed I am suppose to, soooooo I say eat your fruit and be proud that it isn't a huge bar of chocolate :)
  • abbie017
    abbie017 Posts: 410
    This is a bit of a contentious issue here on MFP. Personally, I don't pay attention to sugar too much because I know it's coming primary from fruit or other good sources (my greek yogurt has more than half my daily allowance!) and not from cookies and candy. Just pick what makes sense for you and be consistent!
  • chelraeb
    chelraeb Posts: 33 Member
    no, fruit is very good for you. I don't track my sugar because i try to eat a lot of fruit to keep my sweet tooth under control.
  • McKayMachina
    McKayMachina Posts: 2,670 Member
    In short: It's smart to track sugar AND fruit is not evil.

    Long: Search feature up there ^ will reveal all sorts of topics on this very subject. Enjoy. :)
  • jbdowns35
    jbdowns35 Posts: 352
    Fruit contains natural sugars, which are good for you. Unless you are diabetic or have blood sugar problems, you really shouldn't worry about going over your sugar intake as long as it's primarily from fresh fruit. Sugars from fruit shouldn't hinder your weight loss. I don't fully understand it either, I've asked the same question to my doctor at my last appointment, which was last week. This is how she explained it to me. I have also asked the same question to an my aunt who is seriously into natural healing & nutrition & just a health encyclopedia. She basically said that fruit contains natural sugars which are good for you. Any other form of sugar, (sweets, etc) are a processed form of sugar which means all of the good things have been removed & you are getting no health benefits from it, just the negative effects of the sugar. The reason why so many people are suffering from diabetes & obesity is because we eat an abundance of processed foods. We didn't have any fat or diabetic cave men!!!!
  • sc1572
    sc1572 Posts: 2,309 Member
    I stopped tracking sugar for this reason alone!
  • engineman312
    engineman312 Posts: 3,450 Member
    In short: It's smart to track sugar AND fruit is not evil.

    Long: Search feature up there ^ will reveal all sorts of topics on this very subject. Enjoy. :)

    McKay, you have the best signature.
  • luv2run
    luv2run Posts: 54 Member
    I dont track sugar anymore either, due to the fact if you eat a piece of fruit and even plain yogurt you are over your "allowance" I think that the source of sugar does matter your body does process different sugars in different ways, refined sugars are processed much faster which causes trouble for your kidneys, blood sugar, etc. where as non refined sugars are more slowly released into your system giving it time to process it, I am by no means an expert but that is just my opinion from reading different books, So I wouldnt cut back on fruit because of the sugar content maybe just balance it out with some protein like an apple with natural peanut butter or some cheese.
  • Scoobies87
    Scoobies87 Posts: 379
    I am so glad you posted this topic! As I have been wondering myself! Today I changed my settings to track sugar then went back through my food diary and was alarmed at how much I was going over from fruit and smoothies! Suffice to say I changed my settings back and will not be paying any attention to it now!
  • rock127
    rock127 Posts: 369 Member
    I expected when I started logging my food that carbs would be the issue-their not. In fat I'm under my carb allowance every day. It seems that sugar is the issue-which shouldn't have surprised me because I've always had a major sweet tooth. I'm really trying to cut out the junk, but am eating a lot of fruit which is still causing the amount of sugar I take in to go over my allowance each day. So is sugar from fruit a bad thing? Is sugar just sugar no matter where it comes from?

    Thanks in advance!

    Sugar from fruits are not harmful but again if you start eating too much fruits then it would give extra carbs which means calories.
  • editara13
    editara13 Posts: 384 Member
    All sugar I eat is from fruits & vegetables and I eat lots of those. For as long as you get your sugar only from fruits and vegetables you'll be healthy as a ROCK :-) :-) :-)

    3574379.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods
  • Emma1903
    Emma1903 Posts: 195
    it depends on the fruits your eating and how much of it your eating. 2-3 portions a day is fine. stick to lower sugar fruits if your worried. berries are great.
  • cownancy
    cownancy Posts: 291
    If you are trying to lose weight and not here as an athelete or body builder, you should count all sugars together for your daily limit. Yes, fruits are better for you, healthwise, then processed sugars, but they all count toward your daily sugar intake. I see nutritionists and weight loss doctors and have been told that optimal weight loss is obtained by restricting your sugar serving size to no more than 14 grams. I also limit my daily carb intake to about 125 grams, which is a bit higher than when I first started, at 100 grams per day. Fruits are high in carbs. Both carbs and sugars cause hunger and food cravings, so that provides another reason to limit your intake. I am limited to two fruits per day, and bananas are to be avoided due to the higher numbers. My doctor likes apples the best. We are to avoid fruit juice because they refer to it as "sugar water".

    I know many disagree with me on this, but I am going by what I've learned in four different encounters with weight loss nutritionists.
  • Watch_Me_Shrink
    Watch_Me_Shrink Posts: 24 Member
    I have also stopped tracking sugars because I found I was always going over, fruit contains a lot of sugars and I think that is the reason why. I concentrate more on eating a lot of protein and low fat, not sugar.
  • TK421NotAtPost
    TK421NotAtPost Posts: 512 Member
    As with most things, the effects that sugar from fruit will have on your body is context dependent. Given sufficient protein and assuming you aren't going over on your daily calorie alotment, then consuming fruit will lead to many good things.
  • Libby81
    Libby81 Posts: 734 Member
    I am totally with everyone so far. Sugar from fruit is fine. I still track mine but I don't really pay attention to it. At the end of the day I'd rather have a nice big bowl of fruit than go over my suger with a few cookies or a chocolate bar.
  • Just as a caveat to what people are saying... Sugar from fruit is generally fructose, which has a different metabolic pathway from glucose. Fructose is metabolized in the liver, and therefore doesn't cause the insulin spike that glucose produces. That being said, too much fructose has been linked to insulin resistance, increased LDL, elevated triglycerides, metabolic syndrome, and obesity. Unfortunately, fructose from fruit is not treated any differently in they body say fructose from soft drinks (high fructose corn syrup). There is the added benefit of the fiber from fruit, which should keep a person from eating too much.

    Having stated that, I don't think people should cut out everything that has fructose. However, if you are insulin resistant, leptin resistant, having trouble losing weight, diabetic, high triglycerides, etc. you might look at your sugar intake and maybe think about reducing your overall sugar consumption, even from fruit.
  • EthanJeremiahsMama
    EthanJeremiahsMama Posts: 534 Member
    BUMP
  • SoCalSwimmerDude
    SoCalSwimmerDude Posts: 507 Member
    Awwww... the 'ol fruit debate.

    Eat the fruit... just eat the fruit...
  • Fruit is good for you!!! I usually do not worry too much about sugar from fruit. I try to get two servings in a day and it often pushes me over.

    Now, if you are eating fruit for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between then you may have problems...
  • M12e31g
    M12e31g Posts: 38
    I was just going to post the same question, so glad to see this. A few people critiqued my diary yesterday saying watch the sugar, it'smostly from milk, yogurt and fruit! I didn't understand how natural sugar could be that bad. There's so many conflicting facts out there, it's hard to know what to follow.
  • twocsmom
    twocsmom Posts: 120 Member
    LOL-not a debate as far as I'm concerned because I had already decided I was going to keep eating the fruit! Just really curious about whether or not I should still try to stay within limits on sugar when just a half cup of red grapes takes up almost half of my "allowance" each day! Frustrating...
  • Sophie983
    Sophie983 Posts: 119 Member

    I know many disagree with me on this, but I am going by what I've learned in four different encounters with weight loss nutritionists.

    I don't disagree.
    My ex personal trainer told me the same thing. I
    14 grams a day is nothing for me. A banana contains 14 grams of sugar. And then there is sugar from vegetables, beans ...
    I usually eat about 60 grams a day (from veggies and fruit). :(
    I will try to lower my sugar intake at some point.
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    I don't sweat the sugars from fruit. I actually upped my carb allowance so that I could accomodate my fruit intake a little better (I generally have .25 c of berries at breakfast and an apple or pear later or, and sometimes another piece of fruit or a cup of berries later in the day).
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