Too much of a good thing
Eating a certain amount of fruit is good for the health but how much is too much?
Those keen on cultivating good health believe fruit to be an essential part of the daily diet and a healthy alternative to junk food and carbohydrate- laden main meals. There can be no arguments about the innumerable benefits of eating fruit. But like everything good, eating too much fruit can be unhealthy so if you eat more than a few portions of daily fruit then you need to think about the fact that this may not be good for you after all. 'Make no mistake, fruit is extremely beneficial for the health and everyone should make the effort to include it in their diet. However, too much of anything is bad for the health and this applies to fruit as well,' says dietician Geetika Ahluwalia, Delhi Heart and Lung Institute.
Fruit is packed with antioxidants, fibres and vitamins which protect against disease.
But it does not contain the macronutrients required for a healthy body and anyone who cuts out food groups like carbs and proteins from their meals and replaces them with fruit may end up with nutritional deficiencies. 'All the food groups are important. If you go overboard on one kind of food - even that as terrific as fruit - you'll miss out on the valuable properties of other healthy foods,' says Jyoti Arora, dietician, Fortis La Femme. Excessive amounts of fruit may lead to problems like tooth decay and weight gain.
EASY TO GORGE
DIFFERENT people are inclined to overeat different foods: Those who eat too much fruit are conscious of their weight and health. Five pieces of fresh fruit is the daily recommended amount for a person. If you are a healthy weight, exceeding this amount slightly is fine. However, if you are overweight and suffer from high cholesterol or diabetes, it may be necessary to cut back on your fruit intake.
The amount of fruit you eat could explain why, despite your healthy lifestyle, you are not being able to lose weight and are piling on the pounds instead.
'The main problem with eating fruit is that it is packed with the natural fruit sugar fructose which stops us from feeling full,' says Geetika. When we eat something sugary, the body releases the hormone insulin, which signals to our brain that we have had enough to eat. Fructose does not trigger this insulin response and thus the brain does not receive any signals indicating fullness. This explains why we can gorge on fruit almost endlessly without realising how much we have eaten.
LEADS TO WEIGHT GAIN
EATING large amounts of fruit can actually cause weight gain instead of weight loss, contrary to popular opinion. 'The sugar in fruit can cause insulin levels to rise in the body which results in a sluggish metabolism and consequent weight gain,' says Geetika.
Diabetics should also be mindful of the amount of fruit they eat as fructose can raise blood glucose levels. Fructose also raises triglyceride levels ( linked to heart disease) so those with high cholesterol levels should eat fruit cautiously. Chewing fruit releases sugar in the mouth, which may result in tooth decay.
Fruit juices and smoothies are even worse for the teeth as the process of juicing breaks down the fruit, thereby releasing more sugar into the mouth.
Acidic citric fruits can attack, soften and slowly erode the dental enamel.
Though the enamel hardens after 30 minutes, if you brush your teeth immediately after drinking orange juice or eating a banana then you risk brushing away a bit of the softened enamel as well. Dried fruit like raisins and prunes - another favourite of the weight conscious can be harmful for the teeth too.
'Little bits can stick to the teeth resulting in dental cavities,' says dentist Dr Anupam Choudhary.
CAUSES IMBALANCE
THOSE who eat a diet predominant in fruit should be careful. Apart from ingesting large amounts of pure sugar, they are also risking nutritional deficiencies.
'Fruit does not contain enough essential vitamins, nor does it contain protein and other essential nutrients,' says Jyoti. This lack can result in wasted muscles, chronic fatigue, weak nails, thinning hair and skin problems. A diet consisting mainly of fruit lacks macronutrients that are essential for the body’s development. 'A fruitonly diet might help you lose weight at first but is similar to other crash diets which harm the health and reduce the metabolic rate, causing nutritional deficiencies too,' says Geetika. Apart from sugar, fruit like bananas and mangoes contain potassium and too much may result in a potassium- sodium electrolyte imbalance in the body, causing giddiness and fainting.
High levels of potassium in the body may damage the kidneys, impacting the renal function of the body. Excessive intake of fruit also increases the water content in the body which results in bloating and swelling.
'Those who need to restrict their fluid intake for medical reasons should be especially wary of eating too much fruit,' says Geetika.
TOO MUCH FRUCTOSE
THOSE who don’t eat fruit are actually ingesting fructose from other sources. Fructose is found in its pure form in fruit, fruit juices and jam and is also used to sweeten junk food and soft drinks, and may be more harmful than other forms of sugar. It is often added to aerated drinks, yoghurt and cereal in the form of fructose- glucose syrup. A recent study at the Colorado University found that people who ate more than 74 gms of fructose a day increased their risk of developing high blood pressure by up to 87 percent. This is the equivalent of 10 apples and 30 oranges, says the study. However, three smoothies could easily top this figure as one fruit smoothie contains around 23 gms of fructose.
It is also interesting to note that the fructose content in bananas and some other fruit like strawberry increase as they ripen.
Research done by scientists at the University of California has also shown that a fruit sugar diet encourages the development of intra abdominal fat which wraps around internal organs and encourages the development of a pot belly.
The secret to eating the right amount of fruit is to combine it with vegetables. 'Those who are overweight or suffer from heart conditions and diabetes should limit their fruit intake to one portion combined with four portions of vegetables,' says Jyoti. Fruit should always be a part of a healthy diet, eaten in moderation.
Any food in excess can be harmful for health, even foods that are good for you. Fresh fruit contains relatively low levels of fructose and when eaten in moderation, has health benefits that far outnumber the risks.
If you are an eager fruitarian and live on oranges and apples, don’t be surprised if you find yourself turning a light shade of yellow or orange. In rare cases vitamin A and carotene in fruit can cause temporary pigmentation.
