Bananas are having a boom. Research reported yesterday by Kantar Worldwide found the quantity of bananas sold in the UK jumped by 70 million last year — a rise that has been attributed to a trend for banana-based, fruit-packed smoothies on TikTok. But fruit fanaticism has its drawbacks — fruit is full of sugar. The fitness coach Joe Wicks has just completed “a week without fruit” as part of a “circuit breaker” to cure his sugar addiction, because, he said “complete abstinence” from all forms of sugar was the only solution.
So how much fruit should we be eating? Do the benefits outweigh the sugary drawbacks? “Giving up fruit altogether is definitely not a good idea,” Laura Southern, a nutritionist and the founder of London Food Therapy, says. “It’s an essential source of fibre — for some people their main source — and nutrients such as vitamins and antioxidants. That said, it can be really high in sugar, which can cause inflammation, diabetes, blood sugar spikes and cravings.”
The type of fruit we eat, the amount we consume and the way we prepare it make all the difference, Southern says.
Joe Wicks has just cut out all fruit for a week to crack his sugar addiction
DAVID CUMMINGS
Bananas — swap out smoothies for a whole one
18.1g sugar per 100g (27.2g per banana)
It is one of the highest-sugar fruits, but bananas are also a great source of potassium, with each one containing about 422mg, “which helps muscles and heart health,” Southern says. A 2021 study in the journal Nutrients found people who consumed more than 3000mg potassium a day had a 25 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Bananas are also rich in magnesium — one banana provides about 8 per cent of your daily requirements of the mineral, shown to improve moods and sleep.
“They provide a great burst of quick energy before a workout but if you’re watching your weight I’d limit to two or three a week,” says Southern, who advises against smoothies: “Even blending at home breaks down the fibre of the fruit so your body extracts the sugar quicker, leading to blood sugar spikes.” She advises buying less-ripe bananas. “They are lower in sugar and a particularly good source of prebiotic fibre.”
Apple — eat Granny Smiths for the fibre
11.6g per 100g (15.4g per apple)
Apples contain 2.4g of fibre per apple, including a type called pectin “that is important for healthy gut microbes and lowering cholesterol”, Southern says. The fibre in apples has also been shown to increase satiety and linked with potentially lower BMI.
You should eat an apple with the skin on because that’s where most of the fibre is located. Apples are rich in antioxidants — research in 2021 found polyphenols, or plant compounds, they contain could stop cancerous cells from multiplying. “They are also a good source of quercetin, a natural antihistamine that can reduce symptoms of hay fever and itchy skin,” Southern says. Sugar content in apples vary — Granny Smiths, at 11.8g per 100g (16g per apple) — are a better bet than a Pink Lady at around 19g per apple. Stewed apples have been shown to calm the gut lining, reducing inflammation, she adds.
Pineapple is good to eat after a meal
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Pineapples — can help ease digestion
10.1g per 100g (8.3g per slice)
An enzyme called bromelain in pineapple makes it feel stringent on the tongue. However, “Bromelain helps break down food so pineapple is good to eat after a meal to ease digestion,” Southern says. Studies have found bromelain may also reduce inflammation and could help symptoms of arthritis — research in the Pakistan Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences found supplements containing bromelain to be as effective as regular painkillers in alleviating osteoarthritis in the lower back. “One small pineapple between a family of four is probably a reasonable serving size,” Southern says.
Mango — eat with the skin on and avoid snacking on it dried
10.4g per 100g (46g per mango)
Yes they’re delicious, but mangos are also high in sugar “so try and limit to a quarter per day or chop it up and freeze,” Southern says. She eats hers with the skin on, “which adds fibre to slow the release of sugar into the blood.” Research from the University of Queensland found the skin from Irwin and Nam Doc Mai mangos contained high levels of compounds called phytochemicals that inhibit the development of human fat cells. Like most orange and yellow fruits, mango is high in the antioxidant beta carotene, “which our bodies convert to vitamin A and is essential for a strong immune system and good eye health — many of us are deficient,” Southern says. Beware dried mango — the sugar content is more concentrated. “It often sticks to teeth, causing fillings. Dentists hate it.”
Blueberries release sugars slowly into the blood
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Blueberries — have a handful a day for memory
9.1g sugar per 100g (5.6g per handful)
A much-trumpeted superfood, and for good reason, Southern says: “They’re one of the richest fruits in anthocyanins — an antioxidant in the flavonoid family known to reduce oxidative stress which leads to ageing and help protect against cognitive decline.” A 2023 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found consuming the equivalent of one cup of blueberries in powder form daily could improve memory in older adults. Southern says they are a low GI (glycemic index) food, “Which means they release sugars slowly into the blood. This is likely because they have a high fibre content (2.4g per 100g).” That said, scoffing a punnet at your desk every morning under the guise of healthy eating will still strain your waistband.
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Nectarines — eat whole rather than juicing
9.8g per 100g (13.7g per nectarine)
Nectarines are rich in antioxidants such as beta carotene and lutein, and the riper you buy them the better. “A deeper yellow colour means more antioxidants,” Southern says. Eating whole fruit is always better than drinking juice, she adds: “Even juicing it at home you’re only getting the vitamins and not the fibre. The vitamin content in shop bought juice is likely to have been degraded or it could be made from concentrate.”
Oranges — good for vitamin C but avoid juice
8.2g per 100g (8g per orange)
One of the highest fruits in vitamin C, a single orange contains 92 per cent of your daily allowance, with the vitamin “essential for everything from immune function to collagen production,” Southern says. “We can’t absorb iron without it, which can lead to fatigue.” Orange juice should not be seen as a viable alternative, she says: “Yes you’re getting a big hit of vitamin C but with no fibre to slow the absorption of sugar, you’re also getting blood sugar spikes.” Like apples, oranges contain 86.8 per cent water, “and getting a source of plant liquid is helpful for overall health, especially in summer,” she adds.
Kiwis are high in vitamin C
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Kiwis — can reduce blood pressure
6g sugar per 100g (5.6g per kiwi)
The green fruit contain polyphenols such as caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid that have anti-inflammatory effects, while an eight-week study in the journal Blood Pressure found kiwi to be a particularly helpful fruit in reducing the risk of heart disease, with participants who ate three kiwis a day ending up with lower blood pressure than those who ate one apple a day. Southern says it also has “a great laxative effect because of its digestive enzymes”. Kiwi contain about 47mg of vitamin C per fruit — over the 40mg NHS daily adult guidelines. Southern says: “I eat them with skin on to increase the fibre content.”
Strawberries — help to improve heart health
6.1g sugar per 100g (6.5g per bowl of 20 small strawberries)
With a relatively low GI, 91 per cent water, and filled with more than 25 anthocyanins — or flavonoids — associated with improved heart health, reduced inflammation and risk of type 2 diabetes, strawberries temporarily overtook bananas to become Britain’s most popular fruit in 2020, according to The Grocer magazine. The most abundant anthocyanin is pelargonidin, linked to improved cognition and a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Strawberries also contain the antioxidants ellagitannins and ellagic acid, which have been linked to a reduced risk of colon cancer.