THE RIGHT QUESTION – Sugar content, vitamins, fiber… Are some fruits better than others for keeping the body functioning properly?
They sit on every table, and even more so in the summer. For breakfast, dessert, snack, pie… fruits offer a wide range of consumption possibilities. But are they all the same? Are some people’s nutritional inputs more important than others?
Beware of sugar!
All fruits are good for health and are necessary for the proper functioning of our body, says nutritionist Claire Aubrey Murray. “They are rich in minerals (magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, iron) as well as vitamins,” he explains, “and they all contain fiber.” However, one thing to watch out for is their sugar content. “On average, 100 grams of fruit (the size of a fist) contains 12 grams of sugar, but this value varies more or less strongly depending on the fruit.” The sweetest (less than 5 grams of sugar per 100 grams of fruit) are strawberries and rhubarb. Apricots, black currants, passion fruit, kiwi, melon and even oranges are considered moderately sweet (5 to 9.9 grams per 100 grams). Finally, the sweetest are cherries (12.7 g), figs (14.3 g), bananas (14.8 g), black grapes (15.6 g).
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The amount of sugar in the fruit is important, because fructose may be natural, but it remains a simple carbohydrate. The consequences? “It will be absorbed quickly into the bloodstream and only provide energy for a very short time, unlike complex carbohydrates, which take longer to be absorbed and provide energy for a longer period of time,” explains Claire Aubrey Murray. Obviously, if we consume too much sugar, insulin, which is responsible for lowering blood sugar (blood sugar levels), will be overwhelmed and will not be able to bring it back to its normal level and will store the excess. After all, excess exposes us to “the development of certain diseases, such as diabetes, which is characterized by chronic hyperglycemia, that is, a constant excess of sugar in the blood.”
Vitamin C
Their vitamin content can also vary depending on the fruit. Vitamin C, for example, is a valuable anti-fatigue and antioxidant, with significant amounts in kiwi (80 milligrams per 100 grams). Strawberries follow closely at 60 mg, while pears only have 5 and bananas 12. That being said, it doesn’t make sense to ignore some in favor of others. “The main thing is to eat a varied diet,” recalls the nutritionist. And respect the recommended daily servings, i.e. 3 to 4 servings of fruit per day.
Source: Le Figaro
