Is it really true that eating fruit is like gold in the morning and silver in the afternoon? It's that time of year again for fruit to hit the market. Today, I'm here to share the best times to eat fruit. Let's take a look…
1: You can't eat fruit before meals, as it affects digestion and absorption.
The truth: Eating fruit half an hour before a meal can increase satiety without affecting the digestion and absorption of food. Fruit is rich in sugars, which can be rapidly converted into glucose and absorbed by the body. As blood sugar rises, it quickly reduces the brain's response to low blood sugar. Furthermore, the coarse fiber in fruit gives the stomach a "full" feeling, thereby reducing a strong appetite. This means we need less high-fat and high-protein food from our meals, preventing us from "binge eating".
2: You can't eat fruit after meals, as it will ferment and rot in the stomach.
The truth: The best time to eat fruit is one hour after a meal. Eating fruit immediately after a meal, the slowly digested starches, proteins, and fats can interfere with the faster-digesting fruit, potentially leading to symptoms like bloating. This is especially true for people with sensitive stomachs; it's recommended to wait one hour after a meal to eat fruit.
3: You can't eat fruit on an empty stomach, as it will cause stomach pain.
The truth: This depends on the individual. People with excessive stomach acid or poor digestion should not eat fruit on an empty stomach. If you have a strong digestive system and normal stomach acid secretion, eating fruit on an empty stomach is perfectly fine. However, if your digestion is poor, you secrete too much stomach acid, or have gastrointestinal diseases, avoid eating fruit on an empty stomach. Especially for highly acidic fruits like hawthorn and bayberries, which can make an already "acidic" stomach even worse.
4: Fruit is like gold in the morning, silver in the afternoon, and scrap iron at night.
The truth: The absorption of nutrients from fruit has nothing to do with the time. The body's ability to digest and absorb fruit mainly depends on the secretion of digestive juices and gastrointestinal motility, not the time of day. Whether it's morning or night, as long as your gastrointestinal function is normal, there is no difference in absorbing fruit. The editor used to believe this statement too!
7:30 am Breakfast Time
Apples, pears, grapes. After a night's rest, our digestive system is still at a low point, while the body's nutrients have been depleted and are in urgent need of replenishment. Fruits that are easy to digest and absorb, not too acidic and not too astringent, are the top choice. It's recommended to make a fruit salad to make breakfast more varied.
10:00 am Work Snack Time
Peaches, lychees, jujubes. Around 10 am is when the spleen and stomach function is at its peak for the day. It's a good time to eat some fruits that strengthen the spleen, especially for those with a weaker spleen and stomach, as absorption is more beneficial at this time.
13:00 pm 1 Hour After Lunch
Pineapple, kiwi, papaya, hawthorn. After a big lunch, if you want to cut through the grease and aid digestion, these fruits rich in proteases can help you quickly digest the feast in your stomach,减轻 your gastrointestinal burden.
15:00 pm Before an Important Meeting
Bananas, oranges. At this time, what you need most is to relax. The potassium in bananas can help you de-stress quickly, and you'll perform better. Oranges can help you store up plenty of vitamin C. The greater the pressure you face, the more vitamin C your body consumes, making you more prone to fatigue, anxiety, and tension.
20:00 pm Overtime Time
Blueberries, strawberries, grapes. When staring at a computer screen, the eyes get the most tired. Fruits rich in anthocyanins are your perfect overtime companions. They can reduce eye fatigue and make your eyes brighter and more spirited.