This interesting and controversial question is answered by Dr. Laura Jeffers (Laura Jeffers), a nutritionist at the Cleveland Clinic, a specialist in celiac disease, intolerance to fructose and metabolic diseases.

As a nutritionist, I very often make nutrition plans for my patients.

Many people want to become vegan or vegetarian.

Some want their diet to contain many proteins and a minimum of carbohydrates. From time to time I am asked about the benefits and risks of fruitarianism.

Fructorian diet is one of the most stringent and potentially dangerous diets. The risk of depletion of nutrient stocks in Fructorians is very high, so I do not recommend such a diet. But if you are interested in knowing what's wrong and what's good about fruitarianism, let's discuss.

What does it mean to be a fruitarian?.

Being a fruitarian is not necessarily just fruit. Fructorian diet suggests that the diet will consist of raw fruits not more than 75%. Personally, I advise patients to take raw fruits not more than 50% of their diet to avoid a significant imbalance in nutrients.

How to go on a fruitarian diet?.

If you for any reasons decided on the Fruitarian diet, then go to it should be slow. At the first stage, you must enter into your diet a wide variety of fruits, without giving up conventional products. Do everything gradually.

When you completely switch to the Fructarian diet, with each meal you should get nuts, seeds and vegetables to provide the body's required amount of proteins and fatty acids. They will also help you avoid the sharp peaks in sugar levels that are possible with the use of some fruits.

Remember that a healthy diet should include three meals with fruit every day. Good sources of valuable fatty acids for you will be fruits such as avocados, bananas and coconuts.

The benefits of the fruitarian diet.

Fruits are literally filled with various vitamins and antioxidants, including ascorbic acid and beta-carotene, and some scientific studies show that fruits can reduce the risk of cancer and many severe chronic diseases. Becoming a fruitarian, in some cases you can lose weight, but I do not consider this a real benefit.

Risks of the Fruitarian diet.

A diet based mainly on fruits is associated with many serious problems, primarily because of the lack of certain vitamins and minerals.

Weight gain.

Yes, despite what was said above, the newly converted Fruitorians sometimes not only do not fold, but even gain extra pounds. Fruits, especially such as bananas, are rich in carbohydrates, so consuming high-calorie fruit in large portions can cause an unexpected effect.

Diabetes.

For patients with diabetes or prediabetes, a fruitarian diet can be simply dangerous. Fruits contain a large number of simple sugars, so they can adversely affect glucose control. Also, a fruit diet is undesirable for people with severe kidney and pancreas diseases.

Tooth loss.

The high content of fruits in the diet is a high risk of tooth loss. For example, apples have the same destructive effect on tooth enamel as sweets or sweet soda. Many tasty and healthy fruits, especially oranges, are rich in acids that can eat away tooth enamel.

Deficiency of nutrients.

I am well aware that fruitarians often suffer from a deficiency of vitamin B12, calcium, vitamin D, iodine and omega-3 fatty acids. It can lead to anemia, weakness, drowsiness, suppression of immune system functions, memory impairment, emotional lability, etc.. Low calcium is associated with osteoporosis and risk of bone fractures.

Nutritional supplements that could fill this deficit are often made from animal products that are not welcomed in the strict practice of fruit production. This only aggravates the situation and makes hypovitaminosis even more common among the Fructorians.

Depletion of the body.

If an unfamiliar fruitarian diet for a long time does not meet the needs of the body, if you do not get enough protein, fats, vitamins, then the body weakens, metabolism slows down, vital functions are violated. If at first you burn for the sake of obtaining energy stores of fat in the body, then there will be no fat and the body will start using its own tissues as fuel.

Talk to your doctor!.

Before moving on to the Fruitarian diet, I strongly recommend that everyone consult their physician. He will tell you how best to do this and probably prescribe you a vitamin-mineral complex and other nutritional supplements to prevent a shortage of vital nutrients. If the doctor says that the state of your health does not allow you to switch to fruit production, then better listen to the advice of a specialist and do not take risks.

medbe. en.