Sugar in fruit
ayamourada92
Posts: 62 Member
I would like to ask a question.. every time I try to add fruit to my daily diet, it shows me that it is full of sugar. I don't eat a lot of carbs, fats or even Protein. I don't finish my portion but while trying to eat any fruit it shows that "I have reached my sugar percent" so what if I eat more than the daily percent, will it be bad while losong weight.
Thanks
Thanks
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Replies
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If you don't eat a lot of carbs, fat, or protein, what do you eat?
The default sugar limit is 15% of total cals, I think, so 45 g on the lowest setting (1200) that MFP will set. You can certainly eat some fruit within that limit, so I am wondering if you have your cals set extra low.
That aside, MFP's default makes assumptions about the amount of sugar from added sugar vs that intrinsic in fruit, veg, and dairy. The recommendations for added (so not talking about fruit) sugar from the US, the WHO, and other gov't health agencies is no more than 10% of total cals, and ideally limited to 5% (I'd say it's more important to eat below the limit over the course of a week or weeks, individual days don't matter).
The only reason I'd worry about sugar from fruit is if you were eating so much fruit you were failing to get sufficient protein, healthy fats, vegetables, or fiber, or other important macros. Normally, then, I'd say don't worry about it, but I'm concerned if you are getting enough of everything else based on the statement that you don't eat much of carbs, fat, or protein. That's what I would look at if I were you.9 -
Well, I eat protein, carbs, vegetables. I don't like nuts but I like eating fruit. It makes me feel that I am not hungry. That's why I try to eat it a lot. It is also easy to be carried outdoors while working or so on. Actually, I like watermelon, apples, banana, peach.. so whatever the kind is, it is full of sugar!
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Do not worry about sugar from fruits leading to problems with weight loss. As long as you are eating less calories than you need to maintain you will lose weight.
I personally would try to make sure to get enough protein and fat, too, but if MFP says you ate over your sugar goal and all sugar you ate came from fruits and vegetables that just means you definitely got in your "five a day". 🙂7 -
As long as the fruit isn't crowding out the other things you need to stay healthy and you don't have a medical reason to limit sugar, I wouldn't worry about it.5
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ayamourada92 wrote: »Well, I eat protein, carbs, vegetables. I don't like nuts but I like eating fruit. It makes me feel that I am not hungry. That's why I try to eat it a lot. It is also easy to be carried outdoors while working or so on. Actually, I like watermelon, apples, banana, peach.. so whatever the kind is, it is full of sugar!
Well yeah...that's why they call fruit "natures candy". That said, I assure you the obesity epidemic isn't a result of people eating an apple. Most recommendations for sugar are for added sugars, not naturally occurring sugars. 2-3 servings of fruit per day is recommended...the only issue would be that you're eating so much fruit that you're not meeting other nutritional requirements. It could also be an issue if you're diabetic or otherwise insulin resistant. I typically have 2 pieces of fruit per day.5 -
For most people, it's the added sugar that we need to be more cognizant of. I usually eat one large apple a day, plus anywhere from 1-3 other servings of fruit. I'll admit, when I see "You've reached your sugar intake for the day" after I add a fruit I get a bit annoyed, but it doesn't alter my plan to eat fruit.0
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I switched tracking my sugars to fiber! If you don't eat an absurd amount of "included" sugar which is normal sugar, high fructose corn ect I wouldn't worry about it
LORD JESUS bless 💟6 -
I'd just ignore the sugar tracker. That said, I don't like fruit because my body doesn't react well to the type and amount of sugar in it. It causes me to be shaky and trembling, and it makes me hungrier. But for most people, I would think 1-3 servings of fruit per day would fit into a healthy diet.
As for your claim that you don't eat much carbs, fat or protein...huh? All foods are carbs, fat or protein...or alcohol. Those are the only options.4 -
Unless you have a health/medical reason to worry about your sugar intake...don't worry about it. MFP has default settings for macros -- you can change them if you like. Eating fruit is never a bad thing - unless some condition makes it bad.3
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Take a look at this short video on the subject of Fructose in Fruit. https://nutritionfacts.org/video/flashback-friday-if-fructose-is-bad-what-about-fruit/
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I always exceed my sugar. I eat ice cream everyday and dried mangos as well as gummy worms along with the fruit I eat (bananas and clementines are staples). Just gotta stay within your calories.
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I swapped out sugar for something more useful for me to track - fiber.6
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hi all, i am having a similar issue with the sugar, i love my fruit and as my body is unable to hold potassium i eat a banana every day. These show that the sugar is very high, and i am trying to lower my prediabetic bloods from 43 to a reasonable range. But everywhere i read says to ignore the fructose readings as long as i am in the calorie range. I dont know how to do this, as i need to read the sugar intake?0
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hi all, i am having a similar issue with the sugar, i love my fruit and as my body is unable to hold potassium i eat a banana every day. These show that the sugar is very high, and i am trying to lower my prediabetic bloods from 43 to a reasonable range. But everywhere i read says to ignore the fructose readings as long as i am in the calorie range. I dont know how to do this, as i need to read the sugar intake?
What is the 43? Normal blood sugar levels fasted for adults is less than 100 mg/dl. Pre-diabetic is 100-120...so I'm confused by 43 being a pre-diabetic reading.
At any rate, the "as long as I am in the calorie range" thing is for weight loss and where sugar is a non issue for an otherwise healthy person. If you're diabetic you'll have to watch sugar, including sugar from fruit...as ultimately, sugar is sugar and your body does not in anyway differentiate sugar from things like fruit from other sources...it's all sugar to the body.
I at one time had pre-diabetic numbers...my Dr. never told me to specifically watch sugar or carbs, he only mentioned that I would benefit from losing weight and particularly I would benefit from regular exercise.
As potassium goes, bananas aren't quite the potassium powerhouse that some people seem to think...they aren't bad, but they certainly aren't the best source of potassium out there food wise. I'd also wonder if you have a condition which inhibits potassium absorption or something that you could get a prescription or supplement, particularly if your bloodwork shows deficiency. In that kind of situation I'd think a prescribed supplement would be far more efficient than trying to bump up your numbers with food...just something to maybe talk with your Dr. about.
Keep in mind that most of us are just internet randos...many of us have had great success in losing weight, getting fit, and keeping weight off...but most of us aren't medical professionals and giving advice that pertains to medical issues outside of simply losing some weight isn't particularly kosher.4 -
@cwolfman13 It's the numbering that's used here in the UK for a HbA1c test. Under 42mmol/mol is normal, 43-48 is pre-diabetic and anything above 48 is diabetic.
@kara1365, I'm assuming you're trying to lose weight AND lower your blood sugar number, although it's feasible that you're logging your food just to track your sugar intake.
I didn't find the Diabetes UK website particularly helpful and the diabetic nurse at my GP's surgery was worse than useless, but if you look for the Contact Us info on the Diabetes UK website and send them an email with your specific question, someone will reply.
You may feel differently or be advised differently, and I may well be completely wrong on this point, but I don't worry about my sugar numbers when I'm tracking in MFP. I'm purely tracking carbs (which turn in to sugars). Once Diabetes UK confirmed that it's just 130g a day and that's not a figure for a 2000 cals a day diet, I aim to eat under that number per day. I was originally thinking I had to pro-rata the number, but I don't. I believe that in the US they suggest trying to keep below 150g carbs a day.
When I was losing weight (I reached my target weight last March), the only thing that mattered was whether I was on target for my calories and not exceeding 130g of carbs a day. I got my numbers down from 60 in early 2018, to 38 in December 2020. I can't say whether it was because of the carbs restriction or because I lost almost 3 stone, but it was probably a combination of the two.
Calories are all that matters for weight loss. Weight loss can definitely help with reducing blood sugar numbers, if you are overweight. Reducing carbs can also help lower your blood sugar.
Three years after being diagnosed as diabetic, I finally got sent a booklet that would have been really useful to have read back in 2018; this says to continue eating fruit, but as part of a balanced diet.3 -
@cwolfman13 @Strudders67 thanks both for the fast responses
im not so worried about the weight to be honest, although a few kilos could come off, more interested in the sugars.
A number of years ago i had surgery which removed 50% of my pancreas. It was this surgery that limited my ability to hold potassium and was advised at the time by the specialists to use bananas as they were the simplest answer to the problem, rather than taking medications.
Now with the higher prediabetic number, i decided it would use MyFitnessPal to track my foods and see where i could do better. This is a precursor while i am waiting to see a specialist (to see if the pancreas is still creating insulin correctly).
I saw this thread relating to sugars and thought i would see if there was anything more that this wonderful group had to offer in regards to sugars vs fruit sugar.
I appreciate both your answers and will definitely have a look at the carbs. Thank you
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@cwolfman13 @Strudders67 thanks both for the fast responses im not so worried about the weight to be honest, although a few kilos could come off, more interested in the sugars.
A number of years ago i had surgery which removed 50% of my pancreas. It was this surgery that limited my ability to hold potassium and was advised at the time by the specialists to use bananas as they were the simplest answer to the problem, rather than taking medications.
Now with the higher prediabetic number, i decided it would use MyFitnessPal to track my foods and see where i could do better. This is a precursor while i am waiting to see a specialist (to see if the pancreas is still creating insulin correctly).
I saw this thread relating to sugars and thought i would see if there was anything more that this wonderful group had to offer in regards to sugars vs fruit sugar.
I appreciate both your answers and will definitely have a look at the carbs. Thank you
Have you looked at other potassium foods, too, I hope? I'm with Wolfman on this one: Bananas are not the best source, especially if trying to limit sugars (other foods have more potassium, and especially more potassium per calorie). Some foods with good potassium levels also have a fair amount of sugars/carbs (like sweet potatoes, watermelon, etc.), but others have fewer sugars and at least "slower" carbs (spinach, chard, white beans, black beans, white potatoes, more).1 -
Yes, I believe a cup of broccoli has more potassium than a banana. I rarely eat bananas (just not my favorite fruit, although they are okay), and typically get plenty of potassium even eating kind of low carb, mostly through veg (beans are also good, as Ann says, and if you like coffee, it has some).
That aside, you can include bananas in a diet aimed at lowering blood sugar. I think the issue is less about sugar (btw, fruit do not have a different kind of sugar, they have fructose (which is half of the sugar in sucrose) but also sucrose and glucose), but carbs and how much and what they are paired with. Usually the advise to people who are pre-D (other than losing weight if you have weight to lose) is to limit carbs per meal and pair them with fiber (bananas have fiber, but not as much as some other fruits) and protein. So maybe have half a banana on some plain greek yogurt with some nuts or seeds and then the other half with a different meal, something like that, if you enjoy the banana.
The banana might not be an issue at all, though -- many people with blood sugar issues find it's pretty individual which carb sources cause spikes and which do not. Fruit typically is not considered something one should limit or avoid when pre-D, but also that assumes that you don't have a super fruit heavy diet (on the whole increasing fruit to the US recommendations tends to be related to positive outcomes, from what I've read, but that's because many people likely eat little fruit). Same with veg, of course.1 -
Most fruit is too high in sugar to be a healthy option. Berries are a good alternative.0
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CardinalComb wrote: »Most fruit is too high in sugar to be a healthy option. Berries are a good alternative.
Fruit is a perfectly healthy option...too high in sugar is relative and subjective and individual. Fruit is a nutritious whole food...the vast majority of people don't have any issue eating fruit. I hardly think fruit is at the root cause of the obesity epidemic.5 -
My mom needs extra potassium and is not a big fruit eater. She drinks the little cans of low sodium V8 for a boost.1
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CardinalComb wrote: »Most fruit is too high in sugar to be a healthy option. Berries are a good alternative.
Unless you have a special health condition that requires you to limit sugar, there's no reason not to enjoy an apple or orange if you want one.3 -
CardinalComb wrote: »Most fruit is too high in sugar to be a healthy option. Berries are a good alternative.
If diabetic? Maybe, but what spikes blood sugar can be very individual.
If insulin resistant or other relevant health condition? Similar.
Pursuing a low-carb diet because it helps control appetite? Sure, skip fruit other than berries if you wish.
Otherwise? No reason to limit fruit as long as including it doesn't prevent a person getting enough protein, fats, and veggie servings within reasonable calories. (I'd say the same about added sugar, personally.)
Fruit has not only fiber, but lots of nice essential and beneficial micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, other useful phytochemicals such as antioxidants). Any non-poisonous fruit is healthful, as part of an overall nutritious, calorie-appropriate diet, unless health conditions cause need to limit.4
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