Low Fructose Diets and Fruit - you can have both

It seems the more research is done into nutrition the murkier the waters become and the harder it is to known which foods are the better choices. With much of the current research being done into sugars and fructose, fruit has been put well and truly into the spotlight. There was a time when we suggested you eat 2-3 pieces a day of any fruit. We talked about vitamins and minerals, phytonutrients, bioflavonoids. We chimed on about pigments and antioxidants. We explained fruit is better than processed foods. The reality is that these factors still hold true. Fruit still contains all these things, and all these things are still incredibly good for you. What exactly is the problem then? The problem now however is that we know that fructose, the sugar present in fruit (and processed foods as it’s found in table sugar) is responsible for a range of negative effects on our health.

Research suggests that diets high in fructose lead to insulin resistance, elevated LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides and obesity, all factors for metabolic syndrome. With regards to obesity,  there is evidence to suggest that fructose may not trigger the hormones necessary to tell the brain you are full after eating, therefore contributing to over-eating. Obesity and high LDL and triglycerides are also indicators of cardiovascular risk. High fructose intake has also been linked to non-alcoholic-fatty liver disease, which in some circles is referred to as fructose-induced fatty liver. Overall, research has also shown that fructose has a negative effect on the aging process, meaning that those with high fructose intakes do not age as well. Oh my!

It’s important to note that many foods contain fructose. Table sugar is half glucose half fructose, all processed foods contains fructose, as does anything with high-fructose corn syrup (obviously). Even vegetables contain small amounts of fructose. If you’re worried about it, and there is good evidence to suggest you should be, I would recommend you cut the processed food first. This is nothing new. The processed food has to be the first thing to go.

What do we do though when we’ve already cut out processed foods but are worried about our intake of fruit? Do we eat the fruit for all the nutrients and health benefits, ignoring the negative effects of fructose? Or do we not eat the fruit, ignoring these wonderfully delicious nutritional powerhouses? I would suggest you do neither. The good news is you can have your fruit and eat it too. Some fruits contain higher amounts of fructose than others.

The following fruits have less than 5 grams of fructose per 100grams, the majority of them have less than 3grams fructose per 100gm fruit. Its suggested you should restrict your fructose intake to less than 25 grams daily, so provided you’ve eliminated processed foods, you can comfortably consume 2 serves of fruit each day and enjoy their many wonderful health benefits.

• Apricots      
• Banana    
• Blackberries  
• Blueberries
• Rockmelon
• Cherries
• Kiwifruit
• Pear
• Figs
• Pomegranate
• Watermelon
• Grapefruit
• Guava
• Mango
• Orange
• Papaya
• Peach
• Pineapple
• Plum
• Strawberries

Chris