Sugar in Fruit*

Do you ever worry about the natural sugar found in fresh fruit? Common sense should tell us that refined sugar is NOT the same as the sugar in fruit, but it’s still common to hear that you need to limit your sugar intake, and many experts throw fruit into that category.

Can you eat too much fruit?

In a Harvard health publication, fruit is declared to be beneficial in almost any amount. A small study even put that theory to the test, having subjects consume a whopping 20 servings of fruit each day! Despite the high fructose content of this high-fruit diet, subjects had no adverse effects on body weight, blood pressure, insulin, or lipid levels. Another study showed that a group eating 20 servings of fruit over a period of just 2 weeks significantly lowered LDL ("bad") cholesterol , and possibly reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease and colon cancer.

(Other studies have shown that added sugar (the refined kind) negatively affects cholesterol levels, with higher sugar consumption driving HDL ("good") cholesterol lower and triglicerides higher.)

Should diabetics limit fruit intake? In a study, diabetics were divided into two groups. The group who reduced their fruit consumption showed no difference in weight, waist circumference, or diabetes management when compared to the group who ate at least two or more pieces of fruit each day. The researchers ultimately concluded that fruit should not be restricted in patients with type 2 diabetes.

What about “sweet” fruits? In another study, my favorite sweetener– dates!– were put to the test on diabetic subjects. Dates are often considered to be a sweeter fruit higher in sugar, but this study concluded that dates do not result in a significant blood spike, and instead could have potential benefits when included in a healthy diet for diabetics.