Fruits are produced by plants because they allow seed dispersal. For this to happen efficiently, the fruit must be eaten by an animal. Animals are attracted to the fruits because of their sweet taste, a result of the concentrated sugars within most fruits. Animals, including humans, are adapted to eat fruits and in general there are no detrimental effects from a diet containing reasonable amounts of fruit. In fact, fruits provide health benefits to animals. Therefore eating fruits is recommended, but care must be taken not to over consume fruit. Processing the sugars into a drink, by removing the fibre from the fruit is a way to potentially cause overconsumption. Fruit juices are known to cause similar health problems to soft drinks, as both are concentrated forms of sugar. Fruit intake should therefore come from consumption of whole fruits, and these should be moderated in order to regulate sugar intake. Certain fruits, such as tomatoes, are low in sugar and so are less of a concern.
Fruit juices should be considered only where there is a requirement for concentrated sugars, for example following exercise to replenish glycogen stores. Fruits with lower sugar content, such as tomatoes, can be more liberally eaten without fear of weight gain.
Eat well, Stay Healthy, Protect Yourself
RdB
