Eating fruit after meals has become a habit for Chinese people in their dietary consumption, yet it is unexpected that it can be harmful to health. These opinions coincide with the findings in our research.
It's more beneficial for nutrient absorption to eat fruit before meals
In terms of when to eat fruit, there is currently a significant misconception among Chinese people. Treating fruit as a dessert after meals, the organic acids in it can combine with minerals from other foods, affecting the body's digestion and absorption; the pectin in fruit has the effect of absorbing water and increasing the moisture content of food in the gastrointestinal tract, therefore eating fruit after meals can also increase the burden on the stomach.
The correct time to eat fruit is about one hour before meals and two hours after meals (with the exception of fruits like persimmons that are not suitable to be eaten before meals). Eating fruit before meals has many benefits. Firstly, many components in fruit are water-soluble, and eating them before meals is beneficial for the absorption of essential nutrients by the body. Secondly, fruit is a low-calorie food, with an average calorie content of only 1/4 of that of staple foods of the same weight and about 1/10 of that of meat like pork. Eating low-calorie foods first makes it easier to control the total calorie intake of a meal. Thirdly, many fruits themselves are easily oxidized and spoiled. Eating fruit first can shorten its stay time in the stomach, reduce its degree of oxidation and spoilage, and reduce the potential adverse effects on the body.
In addition, we should also note not to eat fruit right before going to bed at night, otherwise a full stomach will affect your sleep. Never think that eating fruit is a trivial matter; only by eliminating these misconceptions can we develop truly healthy living habits.
Fruit is not a snack
In the diet of Chinese residents, fruit is generally considered a "snack" and "dessert". Many people, especially adult men, commonly treat fruit as a "snack" and eat it infrequently; others treat fruit as a "dessert", believing it is the culprit of obesity and diabetes and avoid it. Such concepts affect their correct understanding of the health value of fruit, reduce their enthusiasm for consuming fruit, and lead to an insufficient intake of fruit in their diet.
The results of the 2002 China Diet and Health Survey showed that in the diet of Chinese urban and rural residents, the average daily consumption of fruit per person was 45.7g. This figure is not only far less than the over 300g in developed countries, but also far below the 100g~200g recommended in the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents". Even for urban residents, the fruit intake was only slightly higher than that of rural residents, at 69.3g. It should be eaten daily
Fruit is not an optional snack; on the contrary, it plays a significant role in our health and disease prevention. Therefore, the correct approach is to "eat it daily" and to consume it in the amount recommended in the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents", which is the basic amount to ensure health.
Fruit contains very rich nutrients, mainly sugars, vitamins, and minerals, as well as bioactive substances beneficial to human health, such as carotenoids, bioflavonoids, anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins, organic acids, etc. The vitamins in fruit are mainly vitamin C, carotene, and some B vitamins, which are the main source of vitamins in people's diet. A large number of scientific studies have shown that regular fruit consumption can significantly reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as tumors; fruit contains many antioxidant components that can delay the aging process of cells; a large amount of vitamins can maintain the normal differentiation of cells.
Although fruit and vegetables have many similarities in nutritional value, because fruit does not require cooking, eating it raw can avoid the loss of nutrients during cooking, maximizing its nutritional effect. Therefore, the nutritional effect of fruit cannot be replaced by other foods.