A nutritionist warns of the dangers of excessive fruit consumption
The risks of the fruit diet – what is this?
Forget about any blueberry, apple, cherry or any other fruit diet! Eating a lot of fruit can contribute to weight loss, but it is associated with developing nutritional deficiencies. When you rely on them alone, it can lead to diabetes, muscle loss, and even weight gain. This is what nutritionist Keith Patton claims in an interview with Express.
Fruit calories are thought to be beneficial, but they accumulate possible adverse health effects. This is because choosing only one food group in the menu increases the risk of nutrient, vitamin and mineral deficiency in the body. To be healthy, the human body needs 40 types of food, each with its own contribution, and when the diet is not balanced, nutritional deficiencies occur.
When eating mostly fruit, according to the specialist, the levels of vitamin B 12, vitamin D, calcium, iodine and Omega-3 fatty acids decrease. This leads to weakened bones, osteoporosis, anemia, fatigue and immune system dysfunction, Patton says.
The accumulation of natural sugar with excessive fruit consumption, in turn, leads to an abundance of carbohydrates that contribute to weight gain, but also damage the mechanisms for balancing blood sugar levels. This creates prerequisites for the appearance of pre-diabetic conditions and type 2 diabetes, American doctors from the Cleveland Clinic warn. They also add that a fruit-based diet can be dangerous for people with kidney and pancreas problems.
Fruits are undoubtedly useful, but scientists are of the opinion that this is so only when they are part of a balanced diet and consumed in the right proportions. The recommended measure is up to five servings of fruit and vegetables daily, for example: fruit for breakfast, vegetable salad at lunch, fruit salad in the afternoon, fruit before dinner, a meal with vegetables.
