Is Fruit Making You Pack on the Pounds?

Fruit is loaded with health benefits, but is all the sugar content making it hard for you to lose weight?

Fruit has been looped into an unhealthy food category where several dietary sources claim the high contents of unnecessary sugar. And it makes sense to think that fructose found in fruit and high-fructose corn syrup are the same thing, but they’re not.

Fruit is jam-packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and flavonoids. It is relatively low in calories, and tons of fruits have been found to help with inflammation, longevity, and even weight loss. So where is the disconnect with putting all the blame on fruit?

Foods high in sugar, or even foods that convert to sugar (i.e. processed and refined carbohydrates), raise blood sugar and produce insulin. When blood sugar rises quickly and frequently, the body begins to increase insulin levels and the cells within the body begin to ignore it. This creates insulin resistance leading to chronic illnesses, like heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. So, is fruit really the underlying problem making us fat?

Whole plant foods contain all the vital nutrients we need in order to thrive and live a healthy life. When you extract components of the whole food, that’s where the problems occur. You will not find high-fructose corn syrup just lying around out in nature, but you will find fructose within wholesome fruits just about anywhere you go.

Fructose is the sugar naturally found within a fruit. It’s surrounded with fiber and water, and it comes with an enormous helping of benefitical nutrients. You’d have to eat an awful lot of pears to equal the amount of fructose found in just one can of soda sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup.

Don’t be afraid to eat fruit – there are thousands of people choosing cheesecake and brownies when you could be choosing nature’s candies instead. So eat fruits in their most natural, wholesome form. Enjoy a slice of mango with coconut whipped cream for dessert, load up on the berries and bananas in your morning smoothies, and choose fruit whenever you have the option. You have a ‘sweet tooth’ for a reason.

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Erica Reichstein

Founder at Vegan Erica

Erica has been living a plant-based lifestyle for over eight years. She strives to help people achieve happier, healthier lifestyles through nutrient-dense, plant-based foods. She’s also a strong advocate for animal rights and the environment. She spends her free time crafting delicious recipes that are easy to make and reap the benefits of health. Erica also hosts The Plant Powered Podcast on iTunes!