Fruit Helps Weight Loss: Myth Or Reality?

Information on the benefits of fruit is often confusing and unreliable. For example, slimming diets based on a single fruit, such as the pineapple diet, are known.

Eating a healthy diet and exercising are essential habits for losing weight. The power supply must be adequate and complete, recommended by a professional tailored to the patient. You don’t have to go hungry, but know healthy foods and include them in the dishes that you bring to the table. Today, in particular, we try to answer a very common question: does fruit help you lose weight? 

Fruits and vegetables are indispensable foods, because they bring numerous benefits to the body thanks to the content of essential vitamins and antioxidants; they are also natural, low-calorie products without harmful sugars. Therefore, they help to keep fit and healthy.

When our diet is based on quality foods and healthy lifestyle habits, the body almost automatically keeps itself in shape. Yet we often hear that fruit helps you lose weight, some varieties more than others, but is that really the case? If so, what are they?

The “miraculous” diets

Largely thanks to the internet, today we know of many diets and products available on the market that promise to make us lose weight overnight. Most of these diets, however, not only do not offer the guaranteed results, but can even be harmful to your health. Be very careful.

It is easy to have access to confusing and untrustworthy information. For example, it is widely believed that only certain fruits should be eaten. As a result, the variety of foods available is severely limited. Diets of this type can cause a strong nutritional imbalance  whose effects are considerable over time.

As the dietician and nutritionist Rocio Praxedes, from the Obesity Department of the Quirónsalud Hospital in Valencia (Spain) explains, “fruit contains carbohydrates, a high fiber content, is very rich in vitamins and minerals and even contains fats and proteins, in any case not enough to meet our energy needs “.

Before starting any diet, it is recommended that you consult your doctor or other healthcare professional. Specifically, a nutritionist or dietician can recommend a healthy meal plan and guide you on how to lose weight without any health risk.

Does eating fruit help you lose weight?

Pràxades explains that some fruits have a higher caloric intake than others. For this reason, demonizing some fruits, and excluding them from the diet, is a serious mistake.

This is the case of the banana, which contains more calories than the apple. In reality, if we eat a ration of about 150 grams it makes no difference, because these are negligible differences. What really matters is to bring variety and benefits to your diet, regardless of the differences in calories. Fruit, in general, is a healthy food; on the other hand, processed foods, such as pastries or fried foods, must be eliminated.

Furthermore, any fruit offers vitamins, minerals, fiber and other substances that are healthy for the body. The ideal, in fact, would be to consume at least three portions a day. Below we present the main characteristics of some fruits.

Watermelon

It is a large fruit with a high water and fiber content. Instead, it has few calories and is satiating, so it curbs the appetite. 1 cup of watermelon offers 12 mg of vitamin C, equal to 20% of the daily requirement.

On the other hand, as explained in an article published in Nutrition Journal , this fruit contains an amino acid called citrulline, which can increase nitric oxide levels in the body.

Its consumption therefore dilates blood vessels and lower blood pressure. This effect is very important, especially for overweight and obese individuals, who are more at risk of suffering from heart disease.

Lemon

This fruit offers a significant amount of protein, carbohydrates and fiber, as well as potassium, folic acid, vitamin C and vitamin A.

Apple

The fibers contained in apples promote the elimination of toxins and metals from the body. These can help fight stress, cellular aging and memory loss.

The apple offers vitamins such as biotin, folic acid, beta-carotene and vitamin C. These components keep the digestive system healthy and allow cells to work properly.

So… does fruit help you lose weight?

A lifestyle that is based on healthy habits and proper nutrition, which includes fruit and vegetables, helps you lose weight, but also prevent cardiovascular and degenerative diseases. Finally, it improves blood pressure and lowers cholesterol and triglyceride levels.