IS EATING FRUIT GOOD FOR YOU?

There is much current debate about how healthy eating fruit actually is. Fructose in fruit is a sugar, and most western diets are not exactly short of sugar.

Perhaps more significant than the amount of fruit we eat is how we eat it. Some detox and quick-fix diets talk up the power of juicing. However, our digestive systems are designed to work in a certain way, and the first part of the digestive tract is not the stomach but the mouth. Amylase in saliva is released as food is held in the mouth and chewed. Guzzling juice bypasses this stage and leads to a sudden big hit to the digestive organs, which can be overwhelmed and struggle to process what has been consumed. Ultimately, this can lead to bloating, gas, and weakened digestive function.

Fruit eaten after a meal might sound like a healthy option, but this can actually lead to fermentation in the intestines as the fruit is literally trapped behind what you have already eaten.

Generally speaking, those people with good general health and constitutionally strong digestions will do better with fruit consumption. People who are overweight or have digestive issues will frequently find it more problematic. For such people, consumption of a mixture of different coloured vegetables is a far healthier choice.

As a general rule, it is better to eat fruit in the morning or the early part of the day; to avoid eating it with meat or heavy, rich foods; and to go for the actual fruit rather than a juice.