Intake of only fruits and nothing else can be detrimental
Picture for representational purpose only.
Hyderabad: In a bid to get under the skin of the character, actor Ashton Kutcher adopted an only-fruit diet that Steve Jobs followed. Shooting for a biopic of Steve Jobs, Kutcher wanted to do what the real-life character did — become a fruitarian. But before the shooting commenced, the actor was hospitalised for two days, on account of severe pain in the pancreas; thanks to the only-fruit diet.
Isn’t an only-fruit diet healthy? No, say experts. Fruits are healthy, but surviving only on fruits isn’t a healthy trend. Fruits are rich in vitamins and minerals and play an important role in completing a balanced diet, but surviving only on fruits increases fructose, which is simple sugars in our body which then increases the insulin levels.
'Excess fruits Affect Body'
Fruits are loaded with healthy antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. But eating it in excess can cause problems as it contains simple sugars (fructose) which metabolise to fat in the liver and are linked to negative metabolic and endocrine effects. The pancreas has two types of glands — endocrine and exocrine. Exocrine produces enzymes to break down fats and proteins. But when the body doesn’t get fats and proteins, then the functioning of this gland is affected. Similarly, endocrine glands make hormones like insulin that regulate blood sugar and if the diet has a large amount of fructose then this gland is working overtime.
Eating very large amounts of fruits, or nothing but fruit, causes an imbalance in the pancreas — insulin levels rise and there is also leptin resistance in the body. Senior nutritionist of Care Hospitals, A. Ushashree, explains, “Research has shown that the pancreatic tumour cells use fructose to divide and proliferate the cancer cells in the body. In general, we recommend limiting total fructose consumption to 25 grams per day. For those who are obese, suffering from cardiovascular diseases and cancer, the fructose levels are cut down to 15 grams or even less per day.”
Fructose is available not only in fruits, but also in vegetables; hence those who are suffering from these disorders must check on the quantity that they consume every day. Ushashree adds, “Many believe that fruit is natural, so it is healthy, but fail to understand that if consumed in excess, that too affects the body.”
'Eat fruits the right way'
Three hundred grams of fruits every day is good for health. But they must be eaten at the right time. Eat fruits on empty stomach, as it plays a major role in supplying energy to the stomach for weight loss. Or eat fruits before meals and then keep a gap of 30 minutes before eating other foods. This is because the fruits are consumed directly by the intestines and it ends up purifying the remaining food in it.
M. Gayathri, dietician, Apollo Hospitals, says, “Extreme diets, which are based on carbohydrates, sugars and fibre damage the body. Eating too much of fruit or just juices add to the sugar levels in the body. Also, gaps between meals and fruits is very important. If the fruits are not eaten before food, then three hours after meals is ideal to consume them. Do not consume acidic fruits like lemons, oranges, water melons and grape fruit in the evening as it might create trouble with the digestion. Juice packs are also not advised as they contain high levels of artificial sugars.”
‘Only-fruit diet leads to malnutrition’
Proteins are the building blocks of the body and are required for enzymatic reaction for metabolism. Fruits contain only vitamins and minerals and some also contain fibres. If a person is on an only-fruit diet, he/she deprives the body of protein and fat, which are also equally required for the growth of the body.
Dr D. Nageshwar Reddy, Chairman of Asian Institute of Gastroenterology, says, “An only-fruit diet leads to starvation and malnutrition. The body does not get all the required nutrients and the immunity of the person becomes weak. Fruits are a very important component of a balanced diet because it exerts antioxidant actions and cleans the body of metabolic waste. Fruits are necessary, but must be taken with other components of our diet.”
Uric acid is also marked for susceptibility to damage caused by eating excess of fruits. To assess the fructose damage, it must be understood that the higher the uric acid, more sensitive is the effects of fructose. Despite the high intake of fruits, some people are able to process fructose more efficiently than others. Dr Reddy explains, “It not only affects the pancreas and kidneys. Our entire body can be damaged by a fruitarian diet.”
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