Can eating fruit be bad for you?

We usually think of fruit as a healthy food. But could it also have some negative effects?

Do the preparation task first. Then watch the video and do the exercises. You can also read the transcript.

Preparation

Transcript

Let's compare an apple to a can of full-sugar fizzy drink. Typically, a regular-sized soft drink contains about seven to eight teaspoons of sugar. This apple contains four teaspoons of sugar. So, have two apples and you've taken in as much sugar as you had in this can.

That sugar comes mainly in two forms. One is glucose, your body’s preferred source of energy, which goes straight into your bloodstream. The other is fructose, which is taken to your liver, and if not needed, is turned into fat. These are chemically identical to the sugars you get in junk food. So, if you're not careful, they can cause you the same problems.

Sugar is sugar. And you're going to gain weight if you eat too much of it, wherever it comes from. So how can you get all the health benefits of fruit without overdosing on sugar? Well, the first thing is to choose your fruits carefully. Gram for gram, bananas, cherries, pomegranates, mangoes, grapes and figs all contain more than watermelon, raspberries, kiwi fruit and fresh cranberries. The riper the fruit, the more sugar it contains, so try not to leave it lying around for too long.

You should eat most of your fruit whole. And no more than one glass of juice or smoothie, as digesting the fruit releases the sugar more slowly and avoids overloading your system with one big hit.

Finally, don't neglect veg. There is no vitamin or mineral in fruit that you can't get from veg, in return for only a fraction of the sugar.

Task 1

Exercise

Task 2

Exercise

Discussion

Were you surprised by any of the information in the video?

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Worksheet58.89 KB

Language level

B2 - Upper intermediate

C1 - Advanced

C2 - Proficiency

Topics

food and drink

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I was surprised by the information that sugar in fruit has chemically identical effects on our bodies. Thank you for the video!

One of the most surprising information in the video, is about while riper the fruit, the more sugar it contains.
I had ignored until today why the reason I prefer to eat no riper fruits, I am thinking it was been to today a fact instinctive.
Mily

Yes, it really surprised me because I thought that junk food had more dangerous sugar levels for our bodies than fruit, but when the doctor said that both fruit sugar and junk food sugar were chemically identical, I was left in shock.

Actually I used to know a lot of the informations that video gave to me. Anyway, I think that a lot of people don't know some of that things, thinking fruit is the best way to loose weight for example.

really I was surprice, when they compare a can of full sugar whit two aples, and the recomendation the only to drink in whole day a one glass of juice or smoothie, but I am agree whit the last part, where they say no forget get vegetables, and the vitaminics there contain.

La verdad que nunca me imagine que una fruta tuviera mas azúcar de lo que pensara y que se tenga que comer en un gran bocado grande, quede muy sorprendida! y con lo de que mientras mas madura este mas azúcar tiene ! Woow Yo como fruta diariamente para evitar no engordar, pero me e dado un gran impacto con esta información, muchas gracias.

I thought fruits are very healthy as they carry lots of nutritious components and good quality sugar. However, today, I am astounded to learn the harsh reality of riped banana, and an apple contains half as much sugar as a can of fizzy drink.

Anything in excess is bad, but there are some that can be worse than others, and in this case, frutose is worst than glucose when consumed in excess, because the fructose is metabolized in the liver.

I don't agree with this opinion certainly. Fruit is good for health but eating too much isn't good. If you eating too much, you will face digestive problems before gain weight. I have never seen anybody to gain weight because of fruit. In other hand, fruit contain less kalo than starch or meat. Eating fruit will help you decrease to use starch and meat in meal.

i really don't suspected about exeded in fruits were unhealth.