Everyone knows added sugar is bad for you. But fruit was supposed to be our friend. Could the naturally occurring sugars in fruit be just as bad as table sugar?
Even before I became a vegan, I absolutely loved fruit. I never met a fruit I didn’t like, and if it were socially acceptable to eat a half a watermelon in one seating, I would. But I’m beginning to wonder whether my fruit intake is too high. Most fruit are relatively low in calories, and have various vitamins and antioxidants that keep your body running smoothly. But all fruit have large amounts of naturally occurring sugars called fructose, which basically acts like sucrose for all intents and purposes. Excess fructose consumption has been linked to obesity and insulin resistance (which is one reason why High Fructose Corn Syrup is so dangerous).
Ideally, we should not be exceeding 100 g of sugar a day, so budget your fruit sugar consumption into that number. The trick is to choose fruits that are low in calories and sugar. One mango, for instance, has 200 calories and whopping 46 g of sugar! Eating 2 mangoes would max you out, before you even consider other carbs like bread and pasta. And one pomegrantate equals 233 calories and 39 g of sugar!! Here are some better choices:
A medium banana has 100 calories and 15 g of sugar.
A cup of blueberries has 85 calories and 15 grams of sugar.
A cup of watermelon has only 46 calories and 9 g of sugar.
Photo: 123rf.com
