Fruit Fear
In my 30s, I tried the South Beach Diet. Fruit is prohibited in ‘phase 1’ of the diet. I’m not an expert on the South Beach Diet and perhaps it’s changed over the years, but I recall it being a high-fat, high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. Whether it was because of this experience or other diet recommendations I heard about in the popular press, I limited my fruit consumption for several years.
My results on the South Beach Diet? I lost weight initially, but it returned. The food variety felt restrictive, and the diet didn’t give me energy or make me feel healthier.
Today, fruit is at the top of my list of foods I enjoy most.
So, what are we missing when we’re not consuming fruit regularly? Here are some of the benefits of my favorite fruits:
Bananas
1 banana provides:
3 grams of fiber. Fiber helps to improve digestion and plays an important role in disease prevention.
10% of the RDA for vitamin C. Vitamin C is an antioxidant. Antioxidants fight free radicals in the body and are also involved in mechanisms that repair DNA and maintain the health of cells. Vitamin C helps our bodies produce collagen, which supports our immune system, the health of our cells, and the body’s ability to heal from injuries.
20% of the RDA for vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 has been shown to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It helps make DNA, hemoglobin, and neurotransmitters. It may prevent and treat anemia, improve mood, promote brain health, protect the heart, reduce the chance of cancer, and lower the risk of eye disease [source]. If you are supplementing B6, be aware that there is an upper limit of 100 mg per day. It’s unlikely that you would have to be concerned about exceeding a healthy intake of vitamin B6 from food alone. I’m getting about 3-7 mg of B6 daily from my diet, per Cronometer.
10% of the RDA for potassium.
10% of the RDA for magnesium. Magnesium can improve blood pressure, and blood sugar levels, and maintain bone, muscle, and nerve function.
Unripe (or green) bananas provide resistant starch, which acts as a prebiotic that promotes the growth of good bacteria in our colons. If you’re not used to eating foods with resistant starch, gradually increase your consumption, so your digestive system can get used to it. If you regularly eat bananas before they have brown spots, your body is likely already accustomed to resistant starch.
Blueberries
1 cup of blueberries provides:
Thousands of antioxidants [source]. Wild blueberries can provide even more antioxidants than cultivated blueberries.
4 grams of fiber. Soluble fiber can lead to a reduced risk of heart disease due to its role in cholesterol reduction.
24% of the RDA of vitamin C, 36% of vitamin K, and 25% of manganese.
Blueberries contain polyphenols which have been shown to support both blood sugar [source] and blood pressure management [source].
Antioxidants can be harmed by heating, so eat blueberries raw!
Blueberries are on the Dirty Dozen, which is a list of fruits and vegetables containing the highest levels of pesticides from non-organic (I can’t call it conventional) farming, so do your best to choose organic. Read more about ‘conventional’ vs. organic farming here.
Watermelon
1 cup of diced watermelon provides:
15% of the RDA for vitamin C.
11% of the RDA for vitamin A, which supports the health of our corneas and helps repair skin cells.
10 mg of calcium, 15 mg of magnesium, and 170 mg of potassium.
Bioactive compounds in watermelon have numerous health benefits and may help decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes [source].
Watermelon has more lycopene than any other fruit or vegetable. Lycopene is an antioxidant that may help protect cells from damage.
Watermelon is the highest source of the amino acid citrulline. Citrulline provides nitric oxide, which helps relax blood vessels.
Seeds rich in magnesium and folate. Support the farmers growing seeded watermelons and eat the seeds!
Hydration. Watermelon is 92% water.
1 cup of watermelon has 46 calories, so if you’re still hungry after eating a large quantity of watermelon, don’t be surprised!
Oranges
1 small orange provides:
1 gram of protein.
2 grams of fiber.
4% of the RDA for potassium. According to NIH, dietary studies consistently show that most Americans don’t meet the RDA for potassium. Studies have shown that low levels of potassium may be related to hypertension and stroke, kidney stones, bone health, and type 2 diabetes. People with normal kidney function have no upper limit for potassium [source].
85% of the RDA for vitamin C, 5% of the RDA for vitamin B6, 3% of the RDA for calcium, and 2% of the RDA for magnesium.
Apples
1 medium apple provides:
4 grams of fiber.
14% of the RDA for vitamin C, and 5% of the RDA for potassium.
5% of the RDA for vitamin B6.
Notes
The health benefits of antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and minerals in fruit outweigh any concerns with naturally occurring fruit sugar [source].
For those who are concerned about blood sugar levels, try pairing fruit with protein, such as tofu, tempeh, edamame, or nuts.
Fruit digests quickly compared to many other types of food, so I prefer to eat all or most of my fruit by itself and in the morning. I also simply enjoy fruit so much that I’d rather it not ‘get lost’ when combined with other foods. Do what works for you.
Shortly after moving to NYC, in one of many experiments with diet, I increased my fruit intake dramatically — to the point of comments from colleagues at work in disbelief at how much fruit I ate for breakfast.
One of the initial outcomes of this change was several weeks of worse-than-normal breakouts on my face, followed by my acne nearly, but not entirely, disappearing. My skin eventually stopped breaking out completely when I switched from a pescetarian to a plant-based diet a couple of years later.
Did fruit improve my skin? I can’t say for sure, but fruit provides a significant boost in hydration and antioxidants, which have well-researched benefits in the overall functioning of the body. Importantly, there was no nutritional downside to making these changes, as long as the rest of my diet contained a variety of whole plant foods.
For those who have suffered from acne as long as I did, you’ll understand why it’s been so impactful to no longer live with breakouts. Not only does my skin look healthier, but I now spend a fraction of the time caring for it. In my teenage years, I was prescribed antibiotics for my skin and later Accutane. The dermatologists I saw did not suggest a diet change. I was told my pores were to blame. For many of us who’ve had ‘bad skin,’ acne is not a topical issue as much as an emotional issue. That is a story for another time.
How do you feel about eating fruit? Let me know in the comments below!
Additional source links:
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169097/nutrients
Related reading:
1) Bioactive compounds in foods: their role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer: “‘Bioactive compounds’ are extranutritional constituents that typically occur in small quantities in foods. They are being intensively studied to evaluate their effects on health. The impetus sparking this scientific inquiry was the result of many epidemiologic studies that have shown protective effects of plant-based diets on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer.”
2) Bioactive foods and ingredients for health: “Compounds that are being pursued may increase gut microbial diversity, improve endothelial function, improve cognitive function, reduce bone loss, and so forth.”
Thanks for reading!
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