Short answer: Yes.
Fruit is good for you.
It packs a variety of vitamins and minerals that help keep your body healthy.
Check out the infographic below to learn more about how fruit keeps your body healthy. Then keep reading to get the whole story.
Because there is a “but” coming. As usual.
From Visual.ly
Fruit does a lot to keep us healthy.
But.
But often times we are eating too much fruit.
Sure, half our plates should be fruits and vegetables, but too often we are guilty of turning that into just fruit. Don’t forget about vegetables and all the good they do our bodies.
Fruit is really high in sugar.
Yes, it is natural sugar.
Yes, it comes with fiber and a boatload of other nutrients.
It’s still a lot of sugar (although far healthier than any other kind), so instead of eating it with abandon, try eating it in moderation.
This is especially true if you are trying to lose weight.
Although fruit is far healthier than desserts and other high sugar foods, eating too much can cause a serious carbohydrate overload and make it harder to lose weight.
When we eat carbs our blood sugar goes up. When out blood sugar goes up, out bodies pump out insulin to bring it down again.
Some of that sugar goes into our cells and they use it for energy.
The excess sugar that is removed from the blood is sent into storage. It’s first stop is the liver where some is stored as glycogen (this is then used when blood sugar levels drop, and/or to feed the brain and central nervous system), next stop is the muscles.
But if you’re eating too many carbs, and the glycogen tanks are full, extra sugar gets stored as fat.
Bottom line: fruit is healthy and it is an important part of a healthy, balanced diet. Just don’t get too crazy! Limit fruit intake 1-2 servings of fruit a day.