Fruit! Nature’s Candy, A Healthy and Sweet Treat
I love to say that fruit is “nature’s candy.” Sweet, delicious, and packed with essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants, eating fruit as a snack is one of the healthiest habits you can adopt. In one study researchers followed over 400,000 participants for seven years and concluded that a higher daily intake of fruit can decrease the risk of dying from heart disease by 27 percent and a stroke by 40 percent. More recently a meta-analysis of nutritional studies found that diets high in whole fruits like apples, blueberries, and grapefruits are associated with a decreased risk in type-2 diabetes.
With type-2 diabetes at an all time high, there is a lot of discussion about blood sugar in the health space. Unfortunately, a lack of understanding about how the sugar contained in fruit is different from the sugar contained in cookies or soda has led some people to believe that fruit is bad for you! This is one of my least favorite health myths, especially because a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control showed that only 1 in 10 Americans are eating enough fruit each day.
Understanding The Glycemic Index and Blood Sugar
Understanding what blood sugar is and how it affects our health is the first step in understanding how the sugar in fruit is different from processed sugar. Blood sugar is simply a measure of the amount of free glucose (a type of sugar) in your blood. Glucose is essential for your body cells to make energy and also for proper brain function. When you eat, food is broken down into glucose and your pancreas balances blood glucose levels by releasing insulin to help cells convert glucose to energy. Conversely when there is not enough glucose in the bloodstream glucagon is released to increase glucose in the blood. In general, when there is too much sugar in your body (also called blood sugar spikes) it can be stored as fat leading to weight gain, as well as potentially damaging the kidneys, eyes, nerves, and blood vessels. In type-2 diabetes the pancreas has lost its ability to effectively control blood sugar in the body.
Fruit and Sugar: Understanding the Balance
One common misconception about fruit consumption is that its natural sugar content can cause unhealthy blood sugar spikes. Unlike added sugars found in processed foods, the sugars in fruit come with fiber, vitamins, and minerals, all of which mitigate the potential negative effects on blood sugar levels. The fiber in fruit slows down digestion, leading to a gradual release of sugar into the bloodstream and preventing spikes in blood sugar. Fiber also can help with managing weight, avoiding heart disease, and boosting gut health.
The Glycemic Index and Fruits
If you are diabetic or pre-diabetic and concerned about blood sugar spikes, it is important to understand the glycemic index. The glycemic index (GI) is a system that measures how quickly foods raise blood sugar levels. Foods are scored on a scale from 0 to 100. Foods with a high GI (70 and above) cause a rapid increase in blood sugar, while those with a low GI (55 and below) lead to a slower, more gradual rise. Fruits generally have a low to moderate GI, making them a great option for maintaining stable blood sugar levels. While apples, berries, and oranges typically have a low GI, there are a few fruits like watermelon and ripe bananas that have a higher GI. Sugary snacks like donuts, cookies, and cakes always have a high GI. To learn more, check out this Glycemic Index Chart Here.
Fruit juices and dried fruits can also spike blood sugar. In fruit juices the fiber has been removed in the process of turning them into juice, while dried fruits have added sugars to make them taste better - both of these can increase blood sugar spikes.
What are the Best Fruits to Eat?
Maybe you’ve heard the phrase “Eat the rainbow for good health”. Fun fact: the different colors of fruits and vegetables not only make them beautiful, but they also indicate which vitamins and nutrients the fruits contain. For example, red fruits like cherries and raspberries tend to be high in antioxidants which can prevent diseases like cancer. Yellow fruits tend to contain high levels of vitamin A and C which can help with immunity and eye health, and blue and purple fruits like blueberries, blackberries, and plums contain anthocyanins which have been shown to prevent inflammation, protect against heart disease, and even control blood sugar levels. Eating a rainbow of different colored fruits is best because each color has unique health benefits.
Fruits are an integral part of a healthy diet offering protection against diseases, boosting gut health, and helping to maintain a healthy weight. Summer is the perfect time to up your fruit intake. Check out one of my favorite fun fruit recipes, Fruit Kebabs, Here!
Sources:
Halvorsen RE, Elvestad M, Molin M, Aune D. Fruit and vegetable consumption and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. BMJ Nutr Prev Health. 2021 Jul 2;4(2):519-531. doi: 10.1136/bmjnph-2020-000218. PMID: 35028521; PMCID: PMC8718861.
Muraki I, Imamura F, Manson JE, Hu FB, Willett WC, van Dam RM, Sun Q. Fruit consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: results from three prospective longitudinal cohort studies. BMJ. 2013 Aug 28;347:f5001. doi: 10.1136/bmj.f5001. Erratum in: BMJ. 2013;347:f6935. PMID: 23990623; PMCID: PMC3978819.
Du H, Li L, Bennett D, et al. Fresh fruit consumption, blood pressure and cardiovascular disease risk: a prospective cohort study of 0.5 million adults in the China Kadoorie Biobank. Report presented at: European Society of Cardiology Congress 2014; September 1, 2014: Barcelona, Spain.
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7101a1.htm?s_cid=mm7101a1_w
