Food myths are everywhere and always about the healthiest foods, like fruit. In this post I will disprove all the talk about fruit.

Lies and more lies.

As if there were few myths and gossip about fruit, two articles come to my hands in which they lie about it again. But we are talking about articles published in important and impactful newspapers, such as the ABC and El Norte de Castilla. And for that reason I have been forced to write this post.

The ABC states that ” taking an apple in the middle of the morning is a mistake if you want to watch your diet ” and the North of Castilla states that ” this is the only fruit that can be eaten in the afternoon “, referring to the green apple. In addition, the latter dares to affirm that (and I quote verbatim) “most nutritionists agree that you should not eat fruit in the afternoon, due to its high sugar content”, a  statement that is obviously false.

So to disprove everything that is explained in these two articles and at the same time the rest of the myths about fruit, I am going to explain why fruit is healthy, you can eat it whenever you want and also it does not make you fat, but everything On the contrary, it helps and favors weight loss.

The fruit is not fattening.

This is the most widespread and at the same time the most ridiculous myth about this food. They usually add, that you get fat after a certain time, normally it is in the afternoon from 17 or 18 hours. Fruit is a practically caloric food therefore it makes no sense to say that it makes you fat, even if it is 11 at night. The most caloric fruit is coconut, with 320 calories per 100 grams, but its consumption is quite low. The rest, barely exceed 150 kcal being the most common that they have between 20 and 70. So for a matter of calories it will not be.

Another justification they use to defend that fruit is fattening is its sugar content. And, although it is true that fruit has sugar, it is a natural sugar, a healthy sugar accompanied by the food matrix, so the body’s response is not the same as if we drank white sugar or sugary drinks. This is something that I cover in detail in the sugar course , in the nutrition academy of Eating with Maria.

The fruit has sugar naturally present, which when accompanied by the rest of its nutrients, among which is fiber, makes absorption slower and the body’s response adapts and responds without causing an insulin spike. In addition, by chewing the fruit, we help this digestion process to be activated and the body has more time to prepare and metabolize the nutrients. Same reasons why a fruit juice is not healthy, even if it is homemade. I talked about it in this post .

When to eat the fruit.

A few other myths are related to when to eat the fruit. If before or after lunch, if for dinner, if before or after training … It does not matter when . Be that as it may, the fruit is healthy and convenient. It brings benefits and improves our health. Any day at any time.

How much fruit is too much?

Then there are also those who greatly limit the amount of fruit, because of all these myths. This leads us to wonder how much fruit is too much. And like everything, it depends. It will depend on the rest of the diet, the needs you have, whether you have a basic pathology … But we can make a general recommendation in this regard: the more, the better as long as it does not displace the consumption of other foods of interest that we they provide other essential and necessary nutrients.

This means that if you usually eat fruit for dinner, you may have deficiencies and deficiencies in other nutrients such as proteins or fats, or perhaps not, it will depend on the rest of your diet. What this recommendation does make clear is that diets based on a single fruit (such as the pineapple diet that consists of only eating pineapple) are not healthy, balanced or recommended. Even if you eat a lot of fruit, it is healthy.

Fruit is healthy, it’s that easy.

To finish demystifying those hoaxes about fruit, I will tell you that fruit is not just sugar.

• The fruit contains vitamins and minerals.
• The fruit favors our microbiota.
• It contains a lot of fiber, helps our transit and prevents us from colon cancer.
• It is rich in phytochemicals, antioxidants and anti-inflammatories.
• It is satiating, so it helps control our appetite and anxiety.
• It is of low caloric density, so it is not fattening.
• Hydrates

In addition, a whole fruit is not the same as a smoothie, smoothie or juice, and of course they do not equal a serving of fruit . Neither do fruit yogurts or those processed with fruit.

Eat fruit.

You can eat fruit at night; before, after or during meals and dinners; alone or accompanied; if you train or else; if you want to lose weight or gain it; even if you have diabetes I or II; in spring, summer, fall and winter; daily; at any time and in any place. Eat fruit.