People are often scared to consume a large amount of fruits because of the sugars they contain. They are afraid that eating more fruits will cause them to gain unhealthy weight, cause diabetes, high blood sugar, and other similar health issues. This is not necessarily true. Our bodies actually need the glucose that fruit gives our bodies.
Despite what you have been told in the past, our bodies are built to consume mainly fruits! Our closest ancestors are apes and what do they eat? Fruits! Fruits provide the vitamins, minerals, energy, glucose that our bodies need. Our bodies and brains run off of glucose and we need it for our brains to function properly. Glucose is the primary energy source for our muscles to work as well, the other sources (proteins and fats) are only used for back up if the glucose runs out. The best way to get glucose into our bodies is from the natural sugar that comes from fruits. The sugar that comes from fruits is metabolized differently in our bodies than processed sugars, so don’t take this the wrong way and believe that eating more sugar is good.. Processed sugars are bad for our health and these types of sugars are the ones that cause the health issues that make people so hesitant to consume more fruits.
Consuming fruits is a great way to get in our carbohydrate intake for the day. Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred source of energy and fruits make a great pre-workout snack because they are metabolized quickly.
In addition, fruits provide our bodies with the essential vitamins and nutrients that it needs while helping prevent us from developing cancer and other chronic diseases. Here are some benefits that fruits provide:
Potassium – aids in calcium absorption which helps decrease loss of bone mass as one ages, reduces the risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke, and is necessary for your heart, kidneys, and organs to function.
Calcium – essential for healthy, strong bones, and teeth. Also needed for normal functioning of nerves, muscles, and some glands.
Folic Acid – helps form red blood cells, this is an essential nutrient for pregnant women. Many expecting mothers take folic acid supplements, but they can obtain folic acid by eating more fruits such as citrus fruits, oranges, bananas, grapefruit, papaya, grapes, cantaloupe, and strawberries.
Fiber – helps lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Also aids in digestion, therefore reducing the risk of colon cancer and promoting weight loss.
Phytochemicals – strengthen your immune system with their disease preventative and anti-bacterial properties, protects the body from developing cancer cells, reduces osteoporosis, and delays the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
Water – keeps you hydrated!
Not only do fruits provide us with essential nutrients and the fuel that we need, they are also great for fat loss. They are high in bulk, but low in calories so they will make consumers feel full with a minimal amount of calories. The high fiber content that fruits contain aids the digestive system – reducing bloating and increasing metabolism. The high water content in fruit also hydrates our cells. Dehydration can cause false hunger, so if we are dehydrated we are more likely consume unnecessary calories because we think we’re hungry when we are, in fact, just thirsty. The high water content in fruits will also reduce water rentention - which causes weight loss and reduces bloating.
Overall, fruits should be consumed on a daily basis for optimal health. They provide us the nutrients we need, reduce the risk of cancer and chronic disease, ensure our bodies and brains function properly, and can aid in weight loss.