Myths claiming there’s a best or worst time to eat fruit are unfounded. Eating fruit is a delicious and healthy way to add nutrients to your body, regardless of the time of day you consume it.
A lot of misinformation about nutrition circulates on the internet. One common topic is the best time to eat fruit.
There are claims about when and how you should consume fruit, as well as who should avoid it altogether.
Here are the top 5 myths about the best time to eat fruit, along with the facts.
Eating fruit on an empty stomach is one of the most prevalent myths regarding when to eat fruit.
The myth claims that eating fruit with meals slows digestion and causes food to sit in your stomach and ferment or rot.
It also claims that eating fruit with meals causes gas or discomfort.
While the fiber in fruit can slow the release of food from your stomach, the rest of these claims are false.
Fruit can cause your stomach to empty more slowly, but it does not cause food to sit in your stomach indefinitely.
A 2014 study found that participants who consumed gelled pectin, a type of fiber in fruit, had a slower stomach emptying rate of around 82 minutes, compared with around 70 minutes in those who did not eat pectin.
While this change in speed is notable, it’s by no means slowing digestion down enough to cause food to spoil in the stomach.
No evidence supports the idea that eating fruit on an empty stomach is particularly beneficial or reduces the risk of gas or discomfort.
Some people claim that you need to eat fruit on an empty stomach to gain all of its nutritional benefits.
According to this myth, if you eat fruit right before or after a meal, the nutrients will somehow be lost.
However, this is not true.
When you eat a meal, your body
Also, the small intestine is designed to absorb as many nutrients as possible. It’s around 20 feet (6 meters) in length, with over 320 square feet (30 square meters) of absorptive area.
This huge absorptive area means that getting the nutrients from fruit and the rest of your meal is easy work for your digestive system, regardless of whether you eat fruit on an empty stomach or with a meal.
The idea behind eating fruit 1 to 2 hours before or after meals in people with diabetes is that people with diabetes often have digestive problems, and eating fruit separately from meals somehow improves digestion.
However, no scientific evidence suggests that eating fruit on its own improves digestion.
The only difference it might make is that the carbs and sugar contained in fruit may enter the bloodstream faster, which is exactly what people with diabetes look to avoid.
Rather than eating fruit separately, try pairing it with a meal or a snack. Eating fruit alongside a food high in protein, fiber, or fat can cause your stomach to release food into the small intestine more slowly.
The benefit of this for someone with diabetes is that they absorb a smaller amount of sugar at a time, which may lead to a smaller rise in blood sugar levels overall.
For example,
The type of fruit you eat is also important. For people with diabetes, look for fruits with a low glycemic index, which will raise your blood sugar more slowly.
Eating fruit on an empty stomach may quickly increase your blood sugar. Pairing fruit with a meal or snack may help prevent this, which can benefit people with diabetes.
There’s no evidence to suggest that the best time of day to eat fruit is in the morning.
Some online sources claim that eating a food that’s high in sugar, such as fruit, raises your blood sugar levels and “wakes up” your digestive system.
In fact, any carb-containing food will temporarily increase your blood sugar while your body absorbs glucose, regardless of the time of day.
However, apart from providing your body with energy and other nutrients, this has no special benefit.
There is no need to “wake up” your digestive system, as it’s always prepared to jump into action the moment that food touches your tongue, no matter what time it is.
There is no evidence behind the idea that you should eat fruit in the morning. Fruit is healthy no matter what time it is.
Some people claim that you shouldn’t eat fruit after 2:00 p.m. It’s possible that this rule originated as part of the “17-Day Diet.”
The idea is that eating fruit (or any carbs) after 2 p.m. raises your blood sugar, which your body does not have time to stabilize before bed, leading to weight gain.
However, there’s no evidence to suggest that fruit will cause high blood sugar specifically in the afternoon.
Any carb-containing food will raise your blood sugar as the body breaks it down into glucose. However, there’s no evidence that your blood sugar will be raised more after 2 p.m. than at any other time of the day.
Any time of the day is a great time to eat fruit. There’s no evidence that you should avoid fruit in the afternoon or around meals.
Fruits are healthy, nutritious foods that you can eat throughout the day.
That said, there are a few instances when the timing of your fruit intake might make a difference.
If you have type 2 diabetes
Eating fruit with other foods can make a difference for people with diabetes.
Pairing fruit with other food or a meal that’s high in protein, fat, or fiber may cause the sugar from fruit to enter the small intestine
This could result in a smaller rise in blood sugar, compared with eating fruit alone.
If you have gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes is when a person develops diabetes during pregnancy.
Similarly to those with type 2 diabetes, eating fruit with a meal can be a good choice.
However, if you have trouble managing your blood sugar, it may help to avoid eating large amounts of fruit and other carbs in the morning. It may be better to consume smaller, frequent meals throughout the day when managing gestational diabetes.
There is some suggestion that those with gestational diabetes may experience a higher increase in blood sugar after breakfast compared with later in the day. However, more studies are necessary.
Myths claiming there’s a best or worst time to eat fruit are unfounded. This means that you do not need to eat fruit on an empty stomach or only first thing in the morning. You can also eat fruit after 2:00 p.m., with meals, or as a snack.
Regardless of the time of day, eating fruit is a delicious and healthy way to get plenty of nutrients for your body.