Is it okay to eat fruits on an empty stomach in the morning? Food nutrition experts believe that whether one can eat fruits on an empty stomach depends on the individual and the type of fruit. If you have excess stomach acid, it is best not to eat oranges on an empty stomach.
The popular saying "you shouldn't eat fruits on an empty stomach in the morning" is mainly based on the following reasons:
First, the stomach is highly acidic on an empty stomach. Eating fruits rich in organic acids can be irritating to the stomach. At the same time, fruits contain a large amount of tannins, which can easily form stones when combined with stomach acid.
Second, fruits are relatively high in sugar, and eating them on an empty stomach can easily lead to acid production and cause hiccups.
Is this really the case? Fan Zhihong, an associate professor at the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering at China Agricultural University, states that for people with excess stomach acid, eating highly acidic fruits like oranges on an empty stomach can indeed be harmful. Fruits with excessive tannins might cause discomfort when eaten on an empty stomach by reacting with the mucus in the stomach. However, this is not the case for other fruits. In fact, as fruits today are becoming sweeter and less acidic, this concern is gradually losing its basis.
As for the idea that the high sugar content in fruits can easily lead to acid production and hiccups when eaten on an empty stomach, Fan Zhihong directly states that this concept is untenable. She believes that sugar is not digested in the stomach at all, but in the small intestine. If one cannot eat something simply because it is high in sugar, then one couldn't even eat chocolate, cookies, or fruit candy before meals, as they are even higher in sugar.