Is sugar in fruits healthier than processed sugar?

stephet92
stephet92 Posts: 8
edited November 10 in Food and Nutrition
I know that this is a kinda dumb question. I started eating more friut since I began working out. Every day that I eat any fruit I end up going over my sugar. My chiropractor told me to eliminate as much sugar as possible, I am workign on in but when I eat fruit I go over. I am just trying to see if that is ok since it is a natural sugar or if it is just as bad if not worse than the sugar that has been processed.

Replies

  • tricia19444
    tricia19444 Posts: 74
    I have cut out ALL added sugars, even the ones with the sneaky names. But for fruit I allow myself to have what I want, as long as for every fruit serving a day, I have a vegetable serving. And that doesn't mean lettuce which has no nutritional value. Things like spaghetti squash, jicama, spinach, broccoli, etc.
    I believe that no one has gotten fat from overeating on watermelon, oranges, or whatever your fruit of choice is.
  • bchmura
    bchmura Posts: 18
    Yeah, I think there is a world of difference between the natural sugars in an orange, and a packet of sugar, or splenda, or whatever.

    Your body needs sugar to run your brain. Refined sugars are being found to cause all sorts of things - I have yet to see a study that blames fruit consumption for something.

    White flours are a good thing to avoid also. I have a long list, but if you cut those two out, you will feel better.
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
    #1 tip: don't listen to a chiropractor for nutrition advice

    To be honest, I wouldn't even bother listening to one for musculoskeletal advice either. :wink:

    To be a bit more helpful, sugar in most fruits is often accompanied by lots of fiber which slows down the absorption into the bloodstream and creates less of a blood glucose spike... so yes, fruits are better for you than processed snacks that have the same amount of sugar.
  • DonnaRe2012
    DonnaRe2012 Posts: 298 Member
    I'm sure he ment processed sugar.
  • junyr
    junyr Posts: 416 Member
    I have cut out ALL added sugars, even the ones with the sneaky names. But for fruit I allow myself to have what I want, as long as for every fruit serving a day, I have a vegetable serving. And that doesn't mean lettuce which has no nutritional value. Things like spaghetti squash, jicama, spinach, broccoli, etc.
    I believe that no one has gotten fat from overeating on watermelon, oranges, or whatever your fruit of choice is.

    Romaine lettuce daily nutritonal values... It' has plenty of nutrition.


    Nutrients in Romaine Lettuce
    2.00 cups (94.00 grams)
    Nutrient%Daily Value

    vitamin A 163.7%

    vitamin K 120.4%

    vitamin C 37.6%

    folate 31.9 %

    dietary fiber 7.8%

    molybdenum 7.5%

    manganese 7.5%

    potassium 6.6%

    iron 5%

    vitamin B1 (thiamin) 4.6%

    omega 3 fatty acids 4.5%

    vitamin B2 (riboflavin) 3.5%

    vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) 3.5%

    magnesium 3.2%

    tryptophan 3.1%

    calcium 3.1%

    phosphorus 2.8%

    copper 2.5%

    Calories (15) 0%
  • Mnata
    Mnata Posts: 35 Member
    All sugars are made up of a combination of two simple sugars, whether they are in fruit or processed sugar (which comes from beets or grasses anyway). As others have said, though, fruit comes with other nutrients and fiber and water, unlike candy bars which pretty much are sugar with little/nothing else to them. That means the fruit will keep you full longer, and shouldn't spike your blood sugar badly.
  • WickedGarden
    WickedGarden Posts: 944 Member
    #1 tip: don't listen to a chiropractor for nutrition advice

    To be honest, I wouldn't even bother listening to one for musculoskeletal advice either. :wink:


    would you say 'don't listen to Jack LaLanne'? He was a very well respected chiropractor. RIP Mr. LaLanne.
    Most 'good' chiropractors are also licensed Naturopathic Doctors or heavily educated in nutrition. I also have had personal experiences with a chiropractor that would make me trust him more than a medical doctor. (medical doctors push drugs, my chiro pushed exercises and nutrition, I did much better with exercises and nutrition)


    and to OP, yes, sugars that occur naturally in foods are better than refined or processed sugars. The easier it is for your body to break down and process food, the better it is for you. Most processed sugars are so heavily processed, our bodies don't really recognize it as 'sugar' and doesn't know what to do.

    this article is amazing: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/09/ramen-digestion_n_1263825.html

    In other words, the body can process 'clean' foods, with processed foods, it just doesn't know what to do.
  • kunibob
    kunibob Posts: 608 Member
    If you have a problem with blood sugar (like diabetes), you may have to keep an eye on fruit sugars. If it's a focus on health instead, then as others have mentioned, the fibre counterbalances the sugar. Plus, fruit comes with so many nutrients AND can satisfy sweet cravings for a relatively low number of calories.
  • heatherlh83
    heatherlh83 Posts: 76 Member
    [/quote]
    Most 'good' chiropractors are also licensed Naturopathic Doctors or heavily educated in nutrition. I also have had personal experiences with a chiropractor that would make me trust him more than a medical doctor. (medical doctors push drugs, my chiro pushed exercises and nutrition, I did much better with exercises and nutrition)

    [/quote]

    This. And to answer the OP's question- yes.
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    I have cut out ALL added sugars, even the ones with the sneaky names. But for fruit I allow myself to have what I want, as long as for every fruit serving a day, I have a vegetable serving. And that doesn't mean lettuce which has no nutritional value. Things like spaghetti squash, jicama, spinach, broccoli, etc.
    I believe that no one has gotten fat from overeating on watermelon, oranges, or whatever your fruit of choice is.

    HOW THE HELL does lettuce have no nutritional value??
  • scienceteacherAK
    scienceteacherAK Posts: 94 Member
    Hmm...

    All sugars are not made up of 2 simple sugars. There are monosaccharides and disaccharides that give us that sweet taste.

    Monosaccharide examples: glucose, fructose, galactose
    Disaccharide examples: sucrose (table sugar), lactose, maltose

    All of the above are found in nature. Fruits contain a high amount of fructose which actually tastes the sweetest of all sugars.

    High Fructose Corn Syrup, for example is made up of fructose and glucose, but they are not bonded together, thus it is not "sucrose".

    All of that said, fructose does have the lowest GI of all sugars...

    I say, enjoy your fruit. =)
  • gazz777
    gazz777 Posts: 722
    noted for later reference
  • HeaderAutumn
    HeaderAutumn Posts: 119 Member
    I have the same problem. What I have read is even through fruit you don't want to get to much sugar. So now my fruit is more berries and apples and less bananas and mangos. Eat the fruits with higher fiber so it keeps you fuller longer
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