Home General Info & Awareness Fruit & Veg – Can Something Good Do You Harm?

Fruit & Veg – Can Something Good Do You Harm?

by InvisiblyMe

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I thought I’d do a little post on fruit – how exciting! – given the coverage it’s received in the news more recently. For years, we’ve been told to eat fruit and veg and to make sure we’re getting our 5 a day. It’s become a staple expression, but a new study suggests that we should be aiming for 10. That’s right, 10 portions of ‘healthy’ goodness.

The first thing I’d like to point out is that the study actually shows that even 2.5 portions can benefit health. The second thing is that you should take everything you’re told and all the junk you read with a pinch of salt. I’m a strong believer in individual differences and in balance : What works for some may not work for others, and that listening to your body and what you actually want is the best way to balance what you eat and indeed how you live.

What irks me is how this ‘advice’, in a similar way to the advice about increasing fibre intake, is so one sided. They don’t tell you that for many people high fibre comes a high cost and results in digestive misery. That nugget of information is often overlooked. The same can be said about your five or ten a day.

Most fruits and veggies are quite high in sugar, fructose, and it’s this that some people can struggle to absorb in the small intestine, especially in larger quantities. Malabsorption results in the fructose fermenting, which causes gas and this can result in a bloated tummy and abdominal pain. It’s also suggested that it can cause low mood because of its interference with serotonin.

An unlikely culprit that can cause many misery.

An unlikely culprit that can cause many misery.

If you eat fruit and veggies, especially those with higher fructose levels like pineapple, fruit juices and apples, and find digestive discomfort afterwards, it may be worth considering whether they are the culprit. This malabsorption issue is often noted with IBS sufferers but I think for many it’s one of those things that goes unnoticed because you wouldn’t have thought the good stuff could do you harm.

That’s not to say you can’t eat a balanced diet and still enjoy fruit and veg. If it does cause you problems, you can look for alternatives that have lower fructose levels; these contain more glucose, which aids fructose absorption, such as strawberries, kiwi, grapes and bananas. But take that ‘advice’ with a pinch of salt too because, like I said, everyone is different. I used to love grapes but they always hurt my tum so much after eating them. It’s a case of seeing what works for you and finding ways around what doesn’t so that you’re still getting some healthy nom noms.

Not eating 5, let alone 10, portions of fruit and veg can make you seem like a social outcast, like somehow you should be ashamed. I want to say that it’s not that black and white. The good stuff can be bad for some people, and what is deemed to be ‘good’ today by the media will probably be proved ‘bad’ tomorrow by another research study.

Know your body and listen to what it needs. You control what goes in to your mouth and it’s your choice. Balance, appreciation and awareness.

And stuff the clean eating, the faddy diets and the social media I’m-better-than-you gang!

Has anyone else found an issue with eating fruits and veggies?

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8 comments

Cheila March 23, 2017 - 1:45 pm

This post is perfect, as you know I’m changing my diet. Fruits and veggies are great, but people have different needs. My mother and I have stomach and intestinal issues, so we must be careful about some fruits and vegetables. I can’t tolerate a lemonade or raw peppers. My gastritis kills me with pain if I eat those. My mother is even worse as she cannot eat cabbage and kale, they make her gut go wild. I think you’re absolutely right. It depends on the person. I have an uncle who eats two big oranges for breakfast sometimes more, and has been doing so for the past 60 years. No issues there.

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Rosie March 23, 2017 - 6:21 pm

What you say is so true – this advice changes from one newspaper to the next, and from one day to the next! I follow a fairly balanced diet, and though I aim for 5 a day I’m flexible towards my eating habits. I know on some days I might eat more, and on others less, depending on my mood and plans etc. I find a lot of this so-called advice relies on shock tactics, so as you say it has to be taken with a pinch of salt.

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Lisa Ehrman March 23, 2017 - 6:40 pm

This is so true! I’m on a vegan diet (trial) to see if I get any help. After 1 month, I’ve lost 10 pounds and have more energy. But, you can’t say that would help any other chronic illness patient. We all do our best to learn and try what works for our individual bodies 🙂

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samanthamurdochblog March 23, 2017 - 10:23 pm

Yeah…I don’t really like fruit, I find it gives me acid indigestion…also, pineapples contain an enzyme that can break down soft tissues, like in your mouth-basically it’s eating you back…
Stick to salad. You know where you are with a tomato :)….(my son has just reminded me they are technically fruit too, but you see what I mean!!)

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Husna Favaz March 24, 2017 - 2:00 pm

I always think on starting a fruit diet but never succeed! Great post!

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mostlyacousticsteveSteve March 27, 2017 - 8:19 pm

Well said. I suffer from mild and sporadic IBS and can’t believe that the standard medical advice used to be to have lots of fibre – the last thing I needed!!

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lexydragonfly March 31, 2017 - 1:04 pm

I don’t eat fruits and veggies at this point. I’m still in a malnutritioned state so my (highly qualified) nutritionist is pushing protein at every meal and snack to change the direction of cell death. I take a multivitamin with minerals for now. She said I can if I want to but it is above and beyond what she has on my meal plan. Of course, if I mention to anyone in public that I don’t eat fruits and veggies, you can guess at the response. I will someday of course but right now I’m just trying to pull my head out of the water so to speak.

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Mark Lanesbury April 10, 2017 - 10:50 pm

Great advice young lady…in finding your own balance 😀

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