Wrong facts about what time it is best to eat fruits - part 3

Welcome once again, thank you for joining the last two posts on this topic and I hope you learnt greatly from it. This is the concluding part of the topic and it's the last one point remaining.

Enjoy!

5.  You Shouldn't Eat Fruit After 2:00 in the Afternoon

Interestingly, myth number five directly contradicts myth number 4, claiming that you should avoid fruit after 2 p.m.

It seems that this rule originated as part of the "17-Day Diet."

The theory 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 is no reason to fear that fruit will cause high blood sugar in the afternoon.

As mentioned previously, any carb-containing food will raise your blood sugar as the glucose is being absorbed. But there is no evidence that your blood sugar will be raised more after 2 p.m. than any other time of day.

And although your carb tolerance may fluctuate throughout the day, these changes are minor and do not change your overall metabolic rate.

There's also no reason to fear that eating fruit in the afternoon will cause weight gain.

Your body does not simply switch from burning calories to storing them as fat when you go to sleep. Your metabolic rate does tend to decrease as you fall asleep, but you still burn plenty of calories to keep your body running.

Many different factors determine whether calories are burned for energy or stored as fat, but avoiding fruit after a certain time of day isn't one of them.

There is also no evidence that avoiding fruit in the afternoon affects weight.

But there is overwhelming evidence that people who eat lots of fruits and vegetables throughout the day tend to weigh less and are less likely to gain weight.

For example, one review of 17 studies found that the people who had the highest intakes of fruit had up to a 17% decrease in the risk of obesity.

When it comes to weight loss, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is one of the best things you can do. It's a great way to get the nutrients you need, all while filling up on healthy, low-calorie foods.

Furthermore, if you're avoiding fruit in the afternoon and before bed, you're eliminating a healthy, whole-food option for a snack or dessert.

BOTTOM LINE:Eliminating fruit after 2 p.m. has no benefits and doesn’t affect your weight. Eating fruit is a good idea at any time of the day.

So Is There a Best Time to Eat Fruit?

The truth is that any time of the day is a great time to eat fruit.

There is no evidence that you should avoid fruit in the afternoon or around meals.

Fruits are healthy, nutritious and weight loss friendly foods that can be eaten throughout the day.

That being said, there are a few instances when the timing of your fruit intake might make a difference.

If you want to lose weight

Due to the fiber in fruit, eating it may help you feel full for longer. This could cause you to eat fewer calories and may even help you lose weight.

However, eating fruit with or right before a meal may increase this effect. It could cause you to eat less of another, higher-calorie food on your plate.

If You Have Type 2 Diabetes

As mentioned before, eating fruit with another food can make a difference for someone with diabetes.

Pairing fruit with another food or meal that's high in protein, fat or fiber may cause the sugar from fruit to enter the small intestine more slowly.

This could result in a smaller rise in blood sugar, compared to eating fruit alone.

If You Have Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is when a woman develops diabetes during pregnancy. For these women, the change in hormones during pregnancy causes a carb intolerance.

Like for those with type 2 diabetes, eating fruit with a meal is probably a good choice.

However, if you have trouble controlling your blood sugar, avoiding fruit in the morning may help.

This is when pregnancy hormones are the highest, and studies have shown that this is often when carb intolerance is most severe in gestational diabetes.

BOTTOM LINE:For most people, eating fruit at any time of the day is great. However, timing may matter for diabetics or people who want to lose weight.