9 Effects Happen When You Eat Only Fruits Daily
Eating fruit can help some people lose weight. It is also helpful in protecting your body from diseases and ailments. Not to mention, it’s tasty enough to consume and not as hard to swallow as a salad. But some people choose to eat only fruit.
Fruits, as they are commonly called, eat only fruit (and some nuts). While this may sound extreme, there are several famous celebrities who have opted for this diet. an all-fruit diet, is it a wise choice?
You lose Vitamin D
According to the Mayo Clinic, vitamin D is found naturally in “fortified milk, fortified grains, and fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, and sardines.” These items are prohibited on a fruit-only diet. Without vitamin D, we cannot properly absorb calcium and magnesium, two crucial nutrients for bone health. Vitamin D is essential for strong bones, something we have to carry throughout life. Also, without vitamin D, it is more difficult for bones to heal from an injury.
Vitamin D is also important for strong cellular health.
It has anti-inflammatory properties and helps boost your immune system. In other words, your body needs vitamin D to stay healthy. Although vitamin D supplements exist, these supplements often contain additives that the fruitarian diet prohibits. You can absorb vitamin D through the skin, but as our bodies age, it becomes more difficult. If you choose to eat only fruit, you risk depriving your body of a valuable nutrient.
You could push your body into starvation mode
Without protein and fat, your body may decide it’s starving. This can cause critical systems to shut down when you go into survival mode. According to dietitian Kate Patton, “The fruitarian diet carries a major risk of malnutrition.” The restrictive nature of limiting your body to only fruit prevents this from being a balanced diet. Even if you add a few nuts or seeds, you will rarely feel full and your body will sense that something is wrong.
The starvation mode will not trigger if you skip a meal or two. But a persistent lack of nutrients sets off alarm bells in your body. When your body is fighting starvation, you may feel lethargic, depressed, constipated, cold, or even lose your hair. The best way to avoid this? Eat a balanced diet. Fruit alone is not enough food for the body.
You will upset your digestion
Fruits contain excellent prebiotics which are important for digestion. According to the Mayo Clinic, prebiotics are like fertilizer for the gut — they help healthy bacteria grow. There are nearly 1000 different types of bacteria in your gut that help with digestion.
This bacteria lines your gut and helps you digest your food properly. Gut bacteria are responsible for good health, mood, and brain function. Prebiotics play an important role in maintaining the proper functioning of bacteria in the gut. And fruits with a higher content of complex carbohydrates provide valuable prebiotics for your body.
But without other important nutrients, your body cannot fully absorb prebiotics.
Absorption is key, as your body will not fully utilize a nutrient if it is not absorbed properly. It will only pass through the system as waste. In addition, the extra fiber and the water you take with excessive quantities of fruit can stop the delicate digestive system. You can try intestinal complaints, so you cannot adequately absorb nutrients.
You’ll develop cravings
When the “do not eat” list is long and restrictive, it becomes more difficult to stick to your diet and you start craving all those “forbidden foods”. Much like putting a candy bar on your desk and then being told you can’t have it, trying to keep up with all the “no’s” to a fruit diet can seem like an unwinnable game. And either you’ll give in and potentially binge on unhealthy foods, or you’ll become so regimented that your body feels like it’s starving.
When your body lacks nutrients, you will feel like you crave foods that contain certain nutrients that you need. It’s no fun battling cravings every day, but committing to battling cravings for just about any food other than fruit seems like a recipe for disaster. It can actually lead to eating disorders and subsequent health problems associated with these disorders.
Your hair and nails may break
Speaking of absorption, prebiotics isn’t the only nutrient you miss out on if you only eat fruit. B vitamins – calcium, iron, zinc, and omega fatty acids – are not found in fruit. These nutrients play an important role in hair and nail health. If you only eat fruit, you may lose your hair, or your hair may not grow very well. It can also be brittle and break easily.
The same goes for your nails. Vitamin B, zinc, and iron are essential for nail health. A lack of some vitamins can make your hair and nails very brittle. Your skin will also feel thin and less elastic. Without vitamins B and C or omega fatty acids, collagen production will decrease, leaving skin less plump and youthful. Vitamin B can also help reduce skin inflammation and acne.
Fruit is good for your skin, absolutely, but only in balanced doses with other nutrients, your body needs to keep you healthy and feeling young.
Your body will weaken
There is very little protein in fruit. Although fruity diets usually allow for some nuts and seeds, they aren’t enough protein for a healthy adult body. And if you exercise or are physically active while following this diet, your body needs even more protein to recover and build muscle properly. Protein is best found in animal products such as dairy, meat, poultry, eggs, and fish.
When your body doesn’t have enough protein, you can develop bloating, a weak immune system, and physical weakness. Protein contributes to the reduction of fluids in the body. Without it, you will likely experience bloating in your stomach and extremities. Additionally, proteins provide valuable antibodies that help fight infections and diseases. Without it, your immune system will weaken.
Lack of protein means that muscles also weaken, which can contribute to injury or less productive exercise. And the weaker you feel, the less likely you are to engage in healthy cardiovascular exercise.
You can damage your pancreas
The real threat to your pancreas is any restrictive diet that doesn’t balance your nutrition. It has also been suggested that restrictive diets can cause damage to the pancreas. Fruit is not the real culprit. Deprivation and imbalance do the most damage, so nutritional balance may be the best solution.
You could gain weight
Although it may seem like just fruit is an effective way to lose weight, fruit is packed with natural sugars. Sugar is still sugar to the body, even in its most natural state, and would be processed and stored as sugar.
Too much sugar can lead to weight gain in some people. This is because your body needs to produce insulin to process sugar of any kind. Over time, you may develop insulin resistance. Eventually, your body won’t be able to break down sugar and start storing it as fat. This will be especially noticeable in the abdominal area.
The weight you gain isn’t muscle weight either, as your muscles are likely to weaken due to a lack of protein. It’s tempting to think that avoiding fat is the answer to weight loss, but some studies show that it’s not the fat that makes you fat. It is actually the added sugars and complex carbohydrates (such as fruit) that we often binge on when we avoid “fatty” foods.
You might develop cavities
The acids in many fruits can contribute to excessive tooth decay. Citrus fruits such as oranges, limes, lemons, and grapefruits are all highly acidic. (Grapes are too!) This acid can break down tooth enamel and contribute to tooth decay. Also, if you choose to consume your fruit in juice form, the acid will be more concentrated, which will accelerate spoilage.
Dentists suggest balancing acidic fruits with less acidic ones such as cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew, and bananas. If your tooth enamel begins to erode due to excess acid, you will experience increased sensitivity, and discoloration, your teeth may look weak or transparent, and they may even break. Sour fruits can also contribute to mouth ulcers. (L-lysine is a useful supplement to take when consuming highly acidic fruits, as it helps reduce the impact of acid on the mouth. However, it does not help protect tooth enamel.)
Balance is best
Fruit is not bad for you, nor is it dangerous if you consume it in moderation. It can be the pinnacle of a healthy diet and can give you vital fiber and vitamins. But doctors and nutritionists agree that a healthy balance of fruits, vegetables, proteins, and fats will fuel your body and keep it healthy. If you really like the fruity way, dieticians recommend the pescetarian diet form, which also allows you to include fish and vegetables in your diet.
As a result, you lack the essential ingredients in a stricter fruity diet. Also, the best diet (besides being well-balanced) is the one you can maintain. Stick to a diet that isn’t too restrictive, allows your body to be nourished, and allows you to enjoy a few favorite foods occasionally.
Food is a source of life for all humans and we should celebrate our ability to choose from a wide range of foods and flavors to nourish our bodies.
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“Your diet is a bank account. Good food choices are good investments.”
– Bethenny Frankel
