# Why do some people say fruits are bad?



## jesse977 (Feb 29, 2008)

I noticed a lot of people say fruit is bad. I eat tons of bananas and apples as snacks. Why on earth do some people say this?


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## Shadowcam (Feb 29, 2008)

anything is excess is bad, I think alot of people say fruit is bad because of its sugar content but in moderation I cant see a problem with it but its a individual thing. I think 1 or 2 fruit a day is good.


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## PappaD (Feb 29, 2008)

I was told that the frutose cannot be converted by the liver and the excess stores as fat. Or something like that! I am no MD so if that's not right please educate us all!!!


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## tucker01 (Feb 29, 2008)

Fruit is good.  PERIOD.

People like to re-invent the wheel with dieting.  Low-carb this, Low fat this, High protein this.  Everyone needs some gimmick or fad to be following.  Make healthy wholesome, balanced meal choices and things are good.

Life doesn't need to be that difficult.


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## tucker01 (Feb 29, 2008)

Fructose is used to replenish Glycogen stores in the liver.


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## Elson (Feb 29, 2008)

1-2 fruits a day is not enough especially for those lifting...check you food guide... you need more than average


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## Hoglander (Feb 29, 2008)

5 a Day


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## Nigeepoo (Mar 1, 2008)

> Why do some people say fruits are bad?


Because they don't know the difference between fruits and refined fructose powder? 

Fruits don't *just* contain fructose anyway, if you take a look at *Search Results for Fruits and Fruit Juices*


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## P-funk (Mar 1, 2008)

because they are stupid.


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## FitnessRubber (Mar 1, 2008)

because misinformation makes the world go round


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## Arnold (Mar 1, 2008)

if you're cutting you do have to be careful, fruit does contain sugar and some fruits are worse than others.


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## tomuchgear (Mar 1, 2008)

i like to stick with grapefruit and bannanas. any one whos says the are bad well they are dumb. look up a nutritional guide for fruit find out what you are taking in with the fruit, and there ya go.


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## sensamilia (Mar 1, 2008)

Fruit isnt realy bad, its just not that helpful in building muscle, so it beter to replace them with other carbs.


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## tomuchgear (Mar 1, 2008)

good point but it can be a great source of fiber.


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## Merkaba (Mar 1, 2008)

HEY....

since we're here I was just about to post when do you guys eat your fruit?  I would figure mid day would be best??  My concern was on the whole liver/glycogen/muslce restoration blah blah aspect of it.  I am talking about a fat loss(for my girl) and cutting phase for me.  anyways


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## NordicNacho (Mar 1, 2008)

because they own stock in mickey D's


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## Biggly (Mar 1, 2008)

Fructose, also found in honey, does not raise blood sugar levels in the way that other carbs do. As such you don't get such an insulin spike, which is good in one sense but the only reason we avoid insulin spikes is because it leads to fat storage. However fructose goes straight to the liver and if that's full straight into fat storage anyway, so the lack of insulin is irrelevant.

Insulin is actually a good thing shortly after working out, as it drives the nutrients into your muscles, both feeding them for recovery and helping them grow. So really it's about the timing of insulin - most of the time you wan't it low and steady, hence slow-burning carbs. After a workout you want it high, hence hi-carb post-workout shakes etc.

Fructose does nothing for this cycling of insulin, beyond the fact that having a full liver is helpful. 

In essence the only thing you really need that you can get from fructose is a full liver - that's it, any more and it's just fat storage. As such fruit is handy to top up the liver and reduce hunger pangs if you're cutting on low calories or very low carbs but it does jack shit for blood-sugar related _energy_ levels, it does jack shit for improving workouts, it does jack shit for boosting insulin post-workout, it does jack shit for improving pumps, it basically does jack shit once you have a full liver.

FRUIT on the other hand has many goodies, nutrients such as vitamins and fiber, so real fruit is not too bad. You just don't need much at all and should avoid eating it when you're already stuffed. Vegetables are generally the better choice, as long as you have a reasonable variety of them.

The best time for fruit is early morning, as your liver is likely to be low, after that it's not so good. Some mass-gain poweders have some fructose to shut the liver up so that insulin is boosted to the max, but as such powders usually have more than enough carbs anyway it's a waste of space and more fattening than helpful.

The biggest problem with fructose and why peeps like me rail against it comes down to government subsidies. To protect north American corn growers real sugar, from sugar cane, is highly taxed as an import, while fructose corn syrup is subsidized with tax money and cheap as chips. As such virtually all processed foods are very high in fructose, WAY more than you'll ever need and a major reason people get so damn fat on processed food.

If you're eating clean, ie not eating processed crap, then some fruit in the morning, or any time you wish to take the edge of hunger pangs, is helpful.

For the average sized guy one large fruit such as an orange or pear is all you need. If you're 300lbs eat two. That's presuming you're eating some other carbs, you certainly shouldn't rely on fruit as your main carb source.

Never underestimate the need for fiber though, if you're on a calorie-restricted diet you'll find your weight stays the same and your belly bulges, as what little you eat can get stuck! So plenty of fiber and water - and fruit can help with that.

One fruit I like is papaya, I can starve myself silly for 2 days and a slice of papaya will still give me the shits, which may be more info than you wanted?


B.


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## Shadowcam (Mar 2, 2008)

Elson said:


> 1-2 fruits a day is not enough especially for those lifting...check you food guide... you need more than average



my food guide says 2 serves of fruit a day. Personally if I eat much more than that it upsets my stomach and get bad gas, like I said its a individual thing. Some fruits are high in sugar and acidic but they are full of vitimins.


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## Biggly (Mar 2, 2008)

Only 2? Most food guides suggest something like 5 servings of fruit, 10 servings of vegetables, not _too _many cakes and muffins and don't go near that protein stuff, it's _bad for you_! 20 grams of protein is plenty, or your pancreas will fall off.




B.


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## Shadowcam (Mar 2, 2008)

Biggly said:


> Only 2? Most food guides suggest something like 5 servings of fruit, 10 servings of vegetables, not _too _many cakes and muffins and don't go near that protein stuff, it's _bad for you_! 20 grams of protein is plenty, or your pancreas will fall off.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of vegies on the foodchart where I come from and lots of complex carbs and low protein but who makes this up, everyones got a different opinion. Obviously it depends on the individuals goals, for the average person following the food guide is a sensible plan but for someone like myself who competes in bodybuilding competition or for someone just trying to loose bodyfat then adjustments need to be made.


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