Fruits are not snacks
In the diet of Chinese residents, fruits are generally considered as "snacks" and "desserts". Many people, especially adult men, commonly regard fruits as "snacks" and eat them infrequently. Others see fruits as "desserts", believing they are the root cause of obesity and diabetes, and thus avoid them. Such misconceptions affect their correct understanding of the health value of fruits, reduce their motivation to consume them, and lead to an insufficient intake of fruit in their diet.
Should be eaten daily
Fruits are not optional snacks; on the contrary, they play a significant role in our health and disease prevention. Therefore, the correct approach is to eat them "daily", and in the amounts recommended by the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents", which is the basic quantity for ensuring health.
Fruits contain very rich nutrients, mainly carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals, as well as bioactive substances beneficial to human health, such as carotenoids, bioflavonoids, anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins, and organic acids. The vitamins in fruits are mainly vitamin C, carotene, and some B vitamins, which are the main source of vitamins in people's diets. Numerous scientific studies have shown that regular fruit consumption can significantly reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer; fruits contain many antioxidant components that can delay the aging process of cells; a large amount of vitamins can maintain the normal differentiation of cells.
Although fruits and vegetables have many similarities in nutritional value, because fruits do not require cooking, eating them raw avoids the loss of nutrients during cooking, maximizing their nutritional effect. Therefore, the nutritional role of fruits cannot be replaced by other foods.
Eating before meals is beneficial for nutrient absorption
In terms of when to eat fruit, there is a major misconception among Chinese people. Treating fruit as a dessert after a meal, the organic acids in it can combine with minerals in other foods, affecting the body's digestion and absorption; the pectin in fruits can absorb water and increase the moisture of food in the gastrointestinal tract, so eating fruit after a meal will also add to the burden on the stomach.
In addition, we should also note that we should not eat fruit right before going to bed at night, otherwise a full stomach will affect your sleep. Don't ever think that eating fruit is a trivial matter; only by eliminating these misconceptions can we develop truly healthy lifestyle habits.