Are YOU a ‘fruit-phobe’?

Doctors debunk myth that too much whole fruit is bad for you because it’s ‘high in sugar’ - but they warn you SHOULD stay away from concentrated juices.

· Fruit has been maligned by many who argue that the sugar content cancels out its nutritional value, but doctors say it’s a myth.

· Apples, blueberries, bananas, oranges, and dozens of other fruits are nutrient-dense and low in calories, with a wide range of benefits from reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and some cancers.

· While many people discount fruit - sometimes known as ‘nature’s candy’ - as too high in sugar to be healthy, nutrition experts insist that the type of sugar the body takes in makes a big difference.

· It’s nearly impossible to take in too much fructose, the sugar in fruit, and it has the least impact on your blood sugar, making it safe for diabetics.

· Sucrose, meanwhile, is made up of the simple sugars glucose and fructose and is commonly called ‘table sugar’. It can be found naturally, but it is commonly added to sweets and other processed foods in quantities that health officials say are driving up the obesity and diabetes epidemics in the US.

· Candies and other sweets are full of sugars, namely sucrose, a so-called disaccharide that is formed when glucose and fructose react together to form a single molecule.

· The simple sugar can elevate your blood sugar levels in the minutes and hours following its consumption.

· Repeated spikes in your blood sugar can, over time, cause problems with your kidneys, nerves, eyes, and heart.

· Fructose, meanwhile, needs to be converted into glucose by the liver before it can be used by the body.

· This means it doesn’t cause a massive spike in blood sugar, at least at levels found in fruit.

· Fruit is also packed with fiber which delays digestion. This delay will not only help you feel full, but it will also not spike blood sugar levels as quickly as if you had consumed the fruit in juice form.

· That is not the only benefit of fiber. A 2009 study from scientists in Quebec suggested that fiber helps regulate ghrelin, a hormone that signals appetite, which could help people lose weight over the long term.