Is too Much Fruit Bad for you?
There are mixed messages about whether fruit is good or bad for us, as although fruit is nutritious it also contains natural sugars. So let’s get to the bottom of this common question!
How Much Fruit is Recommended?
Some countries differentiate between the daily recommended intake of fruit and vegetables. For example, the Australian guide to healthy eating recommends at least 2 portions of fruit per day and at least 5 portions of vegetables per day.
Whereas in the UK the recommendation is at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables each day and in the US the recommendation is 2 cups of fruit a day.
A portion of fruit is:
80g of fresh, canned or frozen fruit – this is roughly a small handful or the size of your palm i.e. 2 small fruits (like nectarines or kiwis), 1 medium fruit like an apple or pear, a large slice of pineapple or melon.
30g of dried fruit – this is roughly a heaped tablespoon.
A large majority of people in Australia don’t meet the recommended fruit and vegetable intake. Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show only 7.5% of us meet our recommended serves of veggies each day and only 50% of us meet our recommended serves of fruit!
Nutritional Benefits of Fruit
The exact nutritional composition varies between different types of fruit, but in general fruit provide a variety of important nutrients such as:
Fibre: Most people don’t eat enough fibre, but this is vital for digestive health and consuming enough fibre is linked with a lower risk of diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer.
Vitamin C: Fruit is a great source of vitamin C. This nutrient is an antioxidant that plays an important role in our immune system, maintaining healthy tissues, wound healing and it also boosts iron absorption from plant-based foods.
Potassium: This mineral is found in a variety of fruit. Potassium is needed for maintaining fluid balance as well as muscle contraction, nerve, heart and kidney function.
Beta-carotene: This form of vitamin A is found in mango, apricot, rockmelon and papaya. Beta-carotene is converted by the body into the active form of vitamin A which is called retinol. Vitamin A plays an important role in night vision, fertility, immunity, skin and membrane health.
Folate: Folate is involved in cell division, the creation of DNA and red blood cells, and the neural tube development of a foetus. This nutrient is found in oranges, papaya, rockmelon and bananas.
Vitamin E: This vitamin is found in kiwi, mango and tomato. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that also plays an important role in our immune system, eye and skin health, blood clotting and blood vessel function.
Polyphenols: These compounds act as antioxidants to help to balance free radical levels and inflammation in the body. Polyphenols are found in a variety of fruit, but berries are a particularly good source.
Certain dried fruit also provide other minerals. For example dried figs are high in calcium and dried apricots, dried figs and raisins are a good source of iron.
Regular fruit consumption has been associated with a lower risk of heart disease, cancer and early death. More research is needed into the impact of individual types of fruit on health, but as outlined above we get different nutrients from different types of fruit so consuming a good variety of fruit currently seems to be the most important factor. Consuming a variety of plants is also great for gut health and microbiome diversity.
Of course, we can’t get all of the nutrients that our body needs from fruit alone. So filling up on a lot of fruit at the expense of consuming an overall balanced diet isn’t a good idea.
But What About the Sugar Content?
Although fruit contains natural sugars, the amounts are much lower than processed sweet foods like cakes, chocolate and lollies.
The Australian government recommends, “Adults and children should reduce their intake of sugar to less than 10% of their total daily energy intake. On average, this equals about 12 teaspoons (50 grams) of sugar per day for an adult. This includes all added sugars, as well as the naturally-occurring sugars in honey, fruit juices, syrups and fruit juice concentrates.” (1)
“Added sugars is the name given to sugars that are added to a food by the person or manufacturer preparing it. Sugars are added by manufacturers for many reasons — including to make food taste sweeter, extend its shelf life or improve its appearance.” (1)
But this advice to limit sugar intake doesn’t apply to the sugar we get in whole fruit, as this type of sugar is naturally bound within the cellular structure of the fruit which makes it act differently in our body than added sugars. As well as providing a host of important nutrients, the sugars in fruit don’t hit our bloodstream as quickly as sugary drinks or sweets.
Dried fruit is a more concentrated source of natural sugars than fresh fruit because of the amount of water that has been removed. So a portion of dried fruit is 30g, in comparison with 80g for fresh fruit. It’s advised to consume dried fruit at meal times in order to reduce the risk of tooth decay due to its stickiness and sugar content.
One of the common arguments for eating less fruit is because it contains a sugar found called fructose. Although a high intake of fructose has been linked with liver damage and metabolic issues like heart disease, most studies have used high-fructose corn syrup which is very different and much more concentrated than consuming fructose from fruit. And as outlined above, consuming fruit is actually linked with improved health, including a lower risk of heart disease.
Summary
Although fruit contains natural sugars, this is bound within the structure of fruit so it hits our bloodstream more slowly than sugary food and drinks.
Dried fruit is a more concentrated source of natural sugars, so the recommended portion size is smaller than fresh fruit.
So there is no need to fear or avoid fruit. In fact, it’s an extremely healthy food, and many people would benefit from adding more fruit to their diet. As with any food, there’s a balance to be struck as filling up on too much fruit can push out other nutritious foods, but having a few portions per day is great as part of a balanced diet.
(1) https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/sugar#:~:text=Adults%20and%20children%20should%20reduce,per%20day%20for%20an%20adult.
