As the temperature gradually warms up, the delicious "fruit season" is approaching. When eating fruits, one should follow the principle of "fresh, seasonal, varied, and in moderation". To fully reap the health benefits of fruits, it's essential to avoid the following 8 misconceptions:
1. Eating whenever you feel like it.
Fruits contain relatively high levels of organic acids and tannins, and some also contain highly active proteases. Eating them at the wrong time can irritate and harm the stomach. Fu Jinru, director of the Tianjin Nutrition Society, says: "For example, bananas are high in magnesium. Eating too many on an empty stomach can disrupt the magnesium-to-calcium ratio in the blood, which may have an inhibitory effect on the cardiovascular system. Generally, most fruits are suitable for consumption about 1-2 hours before a meal."
2. There's no harm in eating too much.
The daily fruit intake should be around 200 grams. Most fruits are high in dietary fiber, and eating too much can cause stomach pain and bloating. Furthermore, elderly people with weak and cold digestive systems should not eat too many citrus fruits. Those with poor digestion or constipation should eat fewer persimmons. Some people may have allergic reactions to pineapple, so it's better for those with gastrointestinal diseases or coagulation disorders to avoid it. Bananas are high in sugar and potassium, so people with high blood sugar or kidney insufficiency should eat them in moderation.
3. Fruits can replace vegetables.
Although the nutritional content of fruits and vegetables is similar, fruits cannot replace vegetables. For instance, the vitamin C content in cabbage and spinach is about 10 times higher than that in apples, peaches, and pears. However, to meet the recommended daily intake of vitamin C from humans, one would need to eat 5 kilograms of Fuji apples.
4. Fruits have the highest vitamin content.
Vitamins are a large family with many members. While fruits may be rich in certain components, they also have their "shortcomings"; for example, fruits do not contain fat-soluble vitamins, and the vitamin C content in most fruits is limited.
5. Eating fruits as meals is good for beauty and skincare.
Fruits contain relatively low amounts of protein, fat, calcium, iron, and other nutrients. Replacing meals with fruits long-term will inevitably lead to insufficient intake of protein, lipids, etc., causing malnutrition and anemia.
6. Eating more fruits can help with weight loss.
Although fruits have lower calories than rice per unit weight, their good taste makes it easy to overeat, and before you know it, your sugar intake can exceed the limit. This not only fails to aid in weight loss but can even have the opposite effect.
7. Peeling fruit is necessary to prevent pesticides.
The fruit peel and the flesh just beneath it are often the most nutritious parts, so it's a pity to throw them away. In fact, there's no need to worry excessively about pesticide residues on the peel. China has explicitly banned the use of highly toxic pesticides on fruits and vegetables that are eaten directly. Moreover, most fruits are eaten several days or even months after being picked, by which time the pesticides have mostly decomposed. Cai Donglian suggests that you can rinse fruits repeatedly before eating or soak them in rice washing water for a while to remove surface residues.
8. Imported fruits are more nutritious.
"Imported fruits" have high transportation, packaging, and storage costs, and their selling price is also high. To make them look good, these fruits may be treated with preservatives or waxed to maintain a bright and beautiful appearance, but their nutritional content gradually degrades during transport. Therefore, it's best to eat local and seasonal fruits.