Can You Eat Too Much Fruit? Useful Information at a Glance

Too much fruit: influence on the body

When people talk about whether fruit can be unhealthy, it’s about the fructose it contains. Fructose is a monosaccharide, i.e. simple sugar, and belongs to the carbohydrates. Unlike glucose, it does not increase the blood sugar level and is broken down in the liver, which is why excess sugar can occur there. This in turn leads to fat accumulation, diabetes, strokes, and heart attacks.

• Obesity – Obesity can only happen if you eat too much fruit over a long period of time. However, fructose stimulates the feeling of hunger in the brain or it does not fill us up. Fructose can also cause obesity as a result.
• Heart Attack and Stroke – The concentration of uric acid in the blood rises shortly after the ingestion of fructose. This increases blood pressure and promotes inflammation in the vascular system, which in turn can lead to heart attacks and strokes, as well as gout.
• Indigestion – Nowadays, many people suffer from fructose malabsorption. This is caused by a disruption in transport in the intestine. The fructose ends up in the lower parts of the intestine because it is not properly absorbed into the bloodstream. It is fermented by the intestinal bacteria, which then leads to flatulence and abdominal pain.

Fruit isn’t bad

Fructose is one of the carbohydrates and is, therefore, an energy supplier and therefore good for the body. Problems can only arise if you eat a lot of fruit over a long period of time.

• You only gain weight when you take in more calories than you burn, and that goes for fruit too, so it’s not exactly a fattening food. However, many finished products, sweets, and soft drinks contain fructose, which can quickly lead to a fructose excess.
• Fruit contains many vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals that are important for the human body’s metabolism and digestion. However, fat and proteins are hardly contained in fruit.
• In order not to eat too much and not too little fruit, you should stick to the “5 a day” rule. Three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit are recommended here to cover the vitamin balance. A serving equals a handful or 125g.
• If you have fructose intolerance or if you have diabetes, you should pay attention to how much fruit or fructose you eat and also pay attention to the hidden sugars, such as corn syrup, in the food.