Is it bad to eat fruits after a meal?
In France, it is commons to end a meal with a fruit. Also in different part of the world:
I grew up having traditional Chinese dinners cooked by my grandmother most nights. Her large dining table usually seated an assortment of extended family, and my grandmother always presided at the head of the table. After everybody finished dinner, we all knew what was coming: fruit.
Fruit has long been the traditional ending to Chinese meals, even in restaurants, where servers bring out orange wedges to close the meal. It’s a nod to the fact that the main savory portion of the meal is over, but to be honest, dessert isn’t a strong point in Chinese cuisine, and most restaurants don’t even serve any besides fruit.
In Defense of Fruit for Dessert
I am looking for a medical research or any serious document about this question: "Is it bad to eat fruits after a meal?"
I searched online and I found some answers, but since nutrition is often rigged by new age pseudo-science and I am a neophyte is this subject.
First an article from healthxchange.sg: Should Fruit Be Eaten Before or After Meals?
This article starts with:
Should fruits be eaten before or after meals, and other nutrition FAQs answered by the Department of Upper GI & Bariatric Surgery at Singapore General Hospital.
Well. Lets continue. Who are we reading exactly:
Dr Shanker Pasupathy, Visiting Consultant, ?Department of Upper GI & Bariatric Surgery, Singapore General Hospital (SGH), a member of the SingHealth? group, answers these and other food- and mealtime-related questions, debunking popular nutrition myths and presenting the facts.
Seems legit. What are we learning for our question?
Myth 1: Fruit should be eaten on an empty stomach, if it is eaten with other foods it can cause fermentation and rot in the stomach, affecting digestion
Fact: Fruit can be eaten at any time and it can be eaten along with other foods. The body produces digestive enzymes for protein, fat, and carbohydrates which help it digest mixed meals. Besides, since the stomach has a high concentration of hydrochloric acid, bacteria is killed before it is able to reproduce so fermentation cannot take place in the stomach.
[emphasis added]
Lets move to another article from food.ndtv.com: Should You Eat Fruits Before Or After A Meal?
This article starts with:
With all the recognised health benefits of eating fruits, why do people suggest one shouldn't eat fruits at certain time?
What are we learning for our question?
Macrobiotic Coach and Nutritionist, Shilpa Arora ND agrees, "Fruits are a meal in itself. They should never be combined with main meals. The sugar in fruits gets fermented if they are digested with heavy proteins that usually take time in digestive processes." Dr. Zamurrud Patel, Consultant Dietitian, Global Hospitals Mumbai suggests, "Eating fruits right after a meal is not a great idea, as it may not be digested properly. The nutrients may not be absorbed properly either. You need to leave a gap of at least 30 minutes between a meal and a fruit snack."
[emphasis added]
So we should not eat fruits during or just after a meal. The article add another quote:
According to Dr. Patel, "Fruits should be eaten in the morning after a glass of water. If you eat fruits on empty stomach, it will play a major role in detoxifying your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities. Ideally, fruits should be best eaten first thing in the morning, between breakfast and lunch and in the evening as snacks.
And concludes later on:
Fruits are definitely the healthiest foods; however, it is good to ensure their intake at the right time.
Another article from the Time of India: The right way to eat fruits
Who are we talking with
Nutritionist, Naini Setalvad tells us what the right way to eat fruits is.
We can read almost the same text than in the previous article:
The best time to eat fruits is first thing in the morning after a glass of water. Eating fruits right after a meal is not a great idea, as it may not be digested properly. The nutrients may not be absorbed properly either.
Lets add one more source, When Is the Best Time to Have Fruits? by md-health.com:
Fruits are recommended to be eaten on an empty stomach in the morming or in between meals because at this time digestion happens fairly quick and also different types of enzymes are used by the body to digest the fruit. Fruits contain simple sugars, which need time to be completely absorbed by the body. When fruits are eaten in between meals or on empty stomach, all the nutrients, the fiber and simple sugars are processed well in the body. This ensures that you have benefitted optimally from the consumption of the fruit.
Bear in mind eating fruit right after a meal is not a good idea. The ideal time gap should be at least 30 minutes after the meal. If a person suffers from diabetes or digestive ailments like acidity, they should eat fruits 2 hours after a meal or 1 hour before the meal. Sometimes diabetics is associated with digestive problems and hence this is recommended.
[emphasis added]
They also add:
Another best time to eat fruits is pre or post workout. You can eat fruits before or immediately after a workout session. The sugars in fruits will be used by the body for getting immediate energy before workout and will help in refilling the emptied energy stores in the body after workout.
So here am I. Is there any medical research or any serious document which is not from a blog posting Personal Health, Diet & Fitness stories? Should I stop eating fruit just after a meal? Is it better than nothing or am I spoiling most of the fruits benefits?
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