The War on Fructose: Does Fruit Make You Fat?

Fruit. One of the healthiest, most delicious, and most naturally occurring foods on the planet. We eat it to satiate our hunger, our thirst, and our taste buds, all at the same time. Man (and woman) have been eating fruit for millennia, or even longer, for all we know.

Fruit is good for you.

 Fruit does not make you fat. Do you know anyone who has gotten fat from eating too much ripe, fresh, whole fruit? Do you really believe that America’s obesity epidemic is caused by eating too much fruit? It’s the obsession with processed sugar and junk food that has caused the epidemic. I would challenge you to gain any weight by eating only fruit all day long. It just won’t happen.

When you look at the food consumption on the average American diet, you will see a sad dearth of fruit (among other things), and yet we have a large and growing epidemic of diseases that are a result of the Standard American Diet (SAD) and still find time to blame fruit for “causing sugar spikes” and tossing it aside as high carb and therefore “bad for you.”

Fruit is not bad for you. Kill that thought now! The sugar in fruit is not the same sugar as in doughnuts, cookies, cakes, and candy. There is no argument that the refined sugars in those types of foods are bad for you. Really bad for you. Those are definitely in the bad carbohydrate category. Fruit is not in the same category. But if you have been eating a diet high in sugar and poor in nutrition, then adding fruit on top of that is not a good idea.

With healthy smoothies, you will begin your return to healthy eating, and your body will be cleansing and healing from the effects of poor nutrition. If that’s you, then you may want to consider greener smoothies lower in sugar (look for the right recipe tags to identify these) and as you build up your health, then you can easily add fruit to your smoothies and to the rest of your diet as whole foods on their own.

 The naturally occurring sugar in fruit is known as fructose, but that’s not the only thing found in fruit. Fruit also contains fiber, which helps slow down the breakdown of said sugar into your bloodstream, as opposed to all the junk food, which instantly gets into your bloodstream. It is critical to eat your fruits and use at least some fruit as a foundation in your smoothies. Fruit has a relatively low glycemic index, and you would have to consume enormous amounts of it to be of any potential harm. A sixteen- or twenty-ounce smoothie per day containing some fruit will not be able to do that kind of harm! Also, adding leafy vegetables, nuts, and seeds to your smoothie balances out the overall sugar.

But here’s the thing. Fruit also contains lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, including Vitamin C, potassium, and, of course, the aforementioned fiber that counterbalances any potential harm you could possibly get from its natural sugars. Fruit makes your skin glow, aids with both weight-loss and digestion, and is one of the staples of a healthy, raw-friendly diet.

 Please note that if you are diabetic or have diabetic tendencies or any other metabolic diseases, I highly recommend you discuss this with your doctor.

All the same, I respect that you may not wish to have much or any fruit in your smoothie, so I have included several recipes that provide low-carb options with little to no fruit added. Check for the smart recipe tag “Low Fruit” to locate these recipes.