Can Fruit Make You Fat?

If you look at most physique athletes’ diets (like figure competitor Gina Aliotti, whose meal plan I outlined in my July 14 post), fruit rarely makes the list, especially those on the fast track to fat loss. The real enemy, however, here isn’t fruit, but fructose.

"If you have a lot of fructose in your diet, it only has one place to go: your liver. If your liver glycogen levels are full, which is the case all times of the day except before you eat breakfast, then that fructose is turned into fat," Cassandra Forsythe explains on FigureAthlete.com. “Since your liver doesn't want to store this new fat, it ships it to other parts of your body; places you don't want it, like your belly and butt."

So if you are trying to lose those last pesky pounds and reduce your levels of body fat, should you ban fruit from the menu? Not completely, but you can make some wiser choices when striving for five.

"Fruit is beneficial for you because it's the best natural source of antioxidants that help you fight free-radicals, a major cause of aging and muscle damage. It's also an important source of fiber," said Forsythe. "Your best bet is to choose fruits that are low in fructose, and only eat the higher fructose fruits in the morning, when your liver glycogen levels are low."

Forsythe suggests avoiding these fruit (outside of an occasional breakfast): Apples, bananas, cherries (1 Cup), grapes (1 Cup), mango, melon (2 wedges), oranges, pears, pineapple (2 rings), and watermelon (1 large slice).

These fruits, however, contain less than 4 grams of fructose per serving and can be eaten with less restriction: Apricots, blackberries (1/2 cup), figs, grapefruit (1/2 medium), papaya, peaches, plums, raspberries (1/2 cup), and strawberries (1/2 cup).

If you are consuming a lot of fruit throughout the day, consider replacing them with vegetables. Every fruit has a vegetable counterpart that is just as healthy--if not more. For more info, check out Forsythe's The Low Fructose Diet.