Is Too Much Fruit Bad for Weight Loss?
Everyone knows that a good diet contains a healthy serving of fruit. In fact, there are signs in stores and restaurants that remind people to get five fruits and vegetables a day. Should you follow that advice if you are on a weight loss diet?

Most people will say yes, because fruit is a great substitution for desert. However, many people do not know that when you use fruit to help satisfy your sweet tooth you may be over indulging yourself. That is right. Too much fruit may be cost you to gain weight.

Fruits are a valuable food source because they contain fiber, minerals and vitamins. All of these important benefits make fruit a must have for any person’s daily diet. However, like the old saying says, “Too much of a good thing can be bad.” Fruit can be sabotaging your weight loss efforts.

How Does Fruit Make You Gain Weight?
High levels of fructose and carbohydrates are in fruit. These two things are great for moderate eating, but if you eat too much of it, you cannot lose weight. Fructose is a simple sugar that can spike your body’s insulin levels. When your insulin levels are high, your body cannot effectively burn off fat.

How is the Body Effected by High Levels of Insulin?
The liver processes fructose in your body. Fructose is also stored as fat in the body so that the body can use it for energy. When you are trying to lose weight, you have to be aware of your fructose level. Therefore, keep track of how much fruit you consume.

A research study by the Produce for Better Health Foundation have results that show that the average American eats about one cup of fruit per day. If you are not on a weight lose regime, this amount of fruit is okay. However, when obese or overweight people eat unlimited fruit, the fructose can interfere with their ability to lose weight.

What are other Sources of Fructose?
Natural fructose can be food in natural sweeteners such as honey and agave as well as fruit juice. Processed foods contain high levels of fructose. The most popular fructose is corn syrup. It is used to sweeten most processed foods. Make sure your diet eliminates all processed foods from your meals. This will eliminate a source of fructose and allows you to eat more fruit. Combining processed foods with an abundance of fruit can have a negative influence on weight loss.

Fructose can also be found in other juices, breakfast cereals, bread, yogurt and condiments. You can read your labels to discover what foods come with fructose. It will help you to avoid making a weight loss mistake.

How Do You Know if Fructose Consumption is the Cause of Weight Gain?
If you believe that you are consuming too much fructose and that weight gain may be a result of it, you should limit your daily intake and choose what fruits you want to eat. Darker fruits such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, black currants, blackberries, grapes, and cherries are the best options. They are more beneficial to your health. They produce antioxidants that can protect your body against cancer, improve your blood lips, decrease your chances of developing Parkinson’s disease, and lower your blood pressure. You should eat at least 3-4 servings of dark fruit a week no matter what.

Blueberries, cranberries and raspberries are the best choice in the dark fruit category, because they decrease the response of glucose and slow down the digestive system. If you add berries that are rich in polyphenols with high-glycemic foods, your body can produce a lower insulin response. That will counteract any spikes or crashes within your insulin levels.

How Should Fruit Play into a Weight Loss Diet?
If you are in the process of trying to lose weight, you should limit your fruit intake to around one or two servings a day. This will help keep your metabolism from slowing down and gives your body the energy it needs to burn off fat. If you want to eat fruit, try to eat berries and green apples as much as possible. Limit the amount of mangos and dried fruits to an occasional treat.