Short Answer:
Yes, fruits are Paleo!
Fruits and Their Benefits
Fruits have been part of our ancestor’s diet way back thousands of years ago. They have been available everywhere. We all know that eating fruits and vegetables can make our body healthy. Even doctors recommend eating fresh fruits on a daily basis.
Fruits are healthy and nutritious and they are great sources of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, water and phytonutrients. These nutrients offer countless of health benefits to the body. Fiber for instance can slow down the digestion of sugar. Some phytonutrients in fruits can improve vascular function, insulin sensitivity and lowered risk of cardiovascular problems.
Eating fruits can reduce the risk of many diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart diseases and stroke. Berries like strawberries, raspberries and blueberries are rich in Vitamin C and antioxidants which can help prevent the diseases mentioned.
Fruits can also help a person lose weight. Consuming an apple, peach, or pear for example is already fulfilling that you will automatically eat less of other foods, hence, reduced caloric intake.
How About Fructose? Is it Not Bad?
Fructose or fruit sugar is a simple carbohydrate that makes up sucrose (table sugar) together with glucose and is the primary sugar in fruit.
Fructose is metabolized differently by the body. Liver is the only organ of the body that metabolizes fructose and therefore it cannot be used for energy by the body and is easily stored as fat.
While fructose can later on result to problems with the liver, this is only true when consumed in excess. And this does not apply to fruits because fruits are not just solid fructose. They contain lots of fiber and other nutrients too. Plus, it is very hard to consume lots of fruits to reach the harmful levels of fructose.
The Verdict..
Fresh fruits are definitely Paleo! They are healthy and nutritious and offer a variety of health benefits. Though some fruits are high in sugar, it doesn’t mean you cannot incorporate them into your dietary meal once in a while. For people who are trying to lose weight or insulin resistant, fruits are to be consumed in limited amounts especially those fruits that are high in sugar. Fruits are not bad at all when consumed in reasonable amounts.
What Experts Say About Fruits.. Is It Paleo?
“I don’t think there’s any basis for avoiding whole fruit simply because it contains fructose. As I’ve shown in this article, there’s nothing uniquely fattening or toxic about fructose when it isn’t consumed in excess. And since whole fruit contains fiber and other nutrients, it’s difficult to eat a lot of fruit without simultaneously reducing intake of other foods.” – Chris Kresser
“My point, after all that potentially scary stuff about fructose, is that just because fructose might have some issues doesn’t mean we need to condemn fruit.” – Mark Sisson
All you ever wanted to know about Fruits and Paleo
The Paleo Diet. Fruits and Sugars
http://thepaleodiet.com/fruits-and-sugars/
The Paleo Diet. What to Eat on the Paleo Diet
http://thepaleodiet.com/what-to-eat-on-the-paleo-diet/
Mark’s Daily Apple. Dear Mark: Best Fruit Choices
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/best-fruit-choices/#axzz3aq9tu5xQ
Chris Kresser. Ask Chris: Is Fructose Really That Bad?
http://chriskresser.com/ask-chris-is-fructose-really-that-bad/
Paleo Leap. Is Modern Fruit Really Healthy
http://paleoleap.com/modern-fruit-really-healthy/
Paleo Plan. Fruit and the Paleo Diet
http://www.paleoplan.com/2011/12-27/fruit-paleo-diet/
Everyday Paleo. The Skinny on Fruit
http://everydaypaleo.com/the-skinny-on-fruit/
Mark’s Daily Apple. The Best Low-Carb Fruits (and the Worst)
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/best-and-worst-fruits/#axzz3aq9tu5xQ
Paleo Leap. 10 Reasons Why Fructose is Bad
http://paleoleap.com/10-reasons-why-fructose-is-bad/
Authority Nutrition. Is Fruit Good or Bad For Your Health? The Sweet Truth
http://authoritynutrition.com/is-fruit-good-or-bad-for-your-health/
Did we miss anything?
Comment below and let us know what you think. Do you agree with our conclusion?
photo credit: colours of the summer