Fruit usually gets a bad rap when it comes to weight loss plans. That’s because many diets advise cutting back on sugar, and so, these sweet whole foods get the boot in favor of fats and proteins. However, studies show that fruit can actually support healthy weight loss, rather than prevent it. Scroll down below to know why eating fruit is helpful in losing weight.
In a 2016 study entitled, Paradoxical Effects of Fruit on Obesity, researchers found that despite the ample amounts of simple sugars present in fruit – which can induce obesity – eating fruit can actually have anti-obesity effects.
Their research identified six probable reasons for fruit’s anti-obesity properties:
- Fruit can reduce the amount of calories you consume, thanks to their water and fiber content.
- Fruits slow digestion, reducing hunger and increasing feelings of satiety.
- Vitamins and minerals in fruit can have a positive impact on fat mass reduction.
- Fruit phytochemicals act like football players, intercepting physiological processes, helping them to move in the opposite direction – toward weight loss rather than weight gain.
- Fruits positively impact the gut microbiome, by raising levels of lean-type bacteria, but lowering obese-type bacteria.
- Finally, researchers admit that there are many undiscovered mechanisms within fruit that probably contribute to their anti-obesity properties.
Other studies confirm the weight loss properties of fruit. This research found that those adults who increased fruit consumption experienced greater weight loss, compared to those who didn’t consume fruit.
And this 24-year study, which observed over 130,000 American adults, found that increasing fruit consumption, particularly high-fiber fruits, such as apples, pars, blueberries and oranges, is beneficial in long-term weight management plans.
If you’re trying to lose weight, consider adding, rather than removing, fruit from your diet.
