Fruits are a gift of nature

Without much work on our part, we can partake of such delicious items as apples, pears, oranges, tangerines, bananas, kiwis, mangos, and various types of berries. Trees and bushes do the work of providing these to us, and yet, some diet gurus think we should avoid eating them! They say that fruit contains too much sugar.

Fruits, indeed, do contain sugar

However, it is mostly in the form of fructose, which must be converted into glucose. Because most fruit also contains fiber, digestion and conversion of the fructose to glucose is slower than, say "high fructose" syrup or fruit juices which do not contain fiber. And, because it breaks down slower, it does not cause as large a spike in blood sugar levels.

In fact, most fruits are ranked moderate or low on the glycemic index, a ranking tool of how quickly food is converted to glucose--the lower the number, the slower the conversion rate, the better for your health.

So, please, enjoy your fruit!

And in the meantime, you will also be benefitting from their natural vitamins and minerals, and antioxidant properties. What are these, you ask?

Free Radicals and Antioxidants

As your body works, it uses oxygen. Oxygen atoms generally clump together in groups of 2, which is why oxygen is symbolized as O2. Oxygen atoms also group with carbon to form carbon dioxide, or CO2. During metabolism, the 02 molecules are used up and CO2 is created (you learned this in basic biology..inhale oxygen, exhale carbon dioxide). However, some oxygen atoms are not bonded and become what is termed "free radicals", in other words unbound single atoms of oxygen. And guess what? Oxygen, so vital as O2, is harmful in that single state of O! They damage our internal cells and play a role in aging. Researchers feel they may contribute, at least in part, to the development of degenerative diseases such as cancer, arthritis, heart disease, atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and the like.

Enter antioxidants. These are substances that can bind with the oxygen atoms to render them harmless. A diet high in antioxidants may help prevent some of these degenerative changes because the free radicals are no longer roaming in your blood stream creating havoc. And fruits ARE the bastion of antioxidants!

So, yes, eat your fruit!