Find The Best Way To Get Your Fruit Boost

Fruit, it’s got a mixed rep of late – on the one hand celebrated as a health food, on the other marred by the outcry about the high sugar in juice. So what’s the best way to get your fruit boost? We investigate…

- Jessica Powell

With sugar having been demonised, you may have relegated fruit to the bin. After all, it packs the sweet stuff, so should be avoided, right? Actually, no.

‘The sugars we’re encouraged to cut down on are ‘free sugars’ – concentrated forms of sugar added to foods during cooking, manufacturing or before consumption, including honey and syrups. Adults are advised to consume no more than 30g of these a day,’ notes Michelle McGuinness of the British Dietetic Association. Eating too many ‘free sugars’ is linked to weight gain and, in turn, increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

‘By contrast, whole fruit is low in calories because the intrinsic sugars in whole fruit are less concentrated as it also contains water and fibre. That fibre also means it takes time to digest, meaning a slower sugar uptake,’ explains Michelle. So you don’t get that sudden peak and dip in blood sugar levels and energy that you get when you chow down on, say, a Mars bar.

And don’t forget what else fruit is packing. ‘It contains vitamins, minerals and fibre, and many studies conclude whole fruit intake is associated with lower risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes,’ adds Michelle.

What About Juice?