Plant-based diets have surged in popularity in recent years. From the purported health benefits to the environmental impact, there are lots of reasons people are choosing to cut back on meat. But just how healthy is the alternative, and are there still potential issues to avoid?
A diet that is high in fruit and vegetables is also likely to be high in sugar (https://www.bluezones.com/2022/02/are-you-reducing-your-sugar-intake-or-cutting-carbs-a-doctor-explains-why-you-should-keep-fruit-on-the-menu/#). Now, the natural sugar in fruit isn’t the same as the refined stuff we find in the cookies and sweetened drinks we buy in the store, but surely we’ve all been told that avoiding sugar is one of the most important things you can do to ensure a healthy diet, right?
Well, like with many aspects of nutrition, it’s actually more complicated. There are times that we need to be particularly careful with our sugar intake, such as if we’re at a high risk of diabetes. There are other times when the body needs sugar. In fact, even if you cut all sugar out of your diet, your body might try to convert other types of nutrients, like protein, into glucose.
Low-carb diets that try to cut out sugar often lead to other health problems because you’re not consuming the proper balance of nutrients. And you definitely don’t want to cut out fruit and vegetables, which are full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Even with conditions like diabetes, there’s still value to eating plenty of fruit.
Sugar consumption also has an effect on your tastebuds. The more you eat refined sugar, the more sweetness you need in your food just to appreciate that flavor. Cutting back on cookies and soda may help you enjoy the natural sweetness in fruit more. You’ll be able to refine your palate so things taste better even without all that extra sugar inside.
In fact, this is part of the reason people enjoy sweet flavors. The human body knows that fruit is one of the most essential types of food in its diet. Enjoying the sweetness of fruit means you’re more likely to eat it. When you start craving something sweet, it might just be your body telling you that you need fruit.
Nutritional science is complicated. Even health professionals don’t always get it right, so expecting you to make the best choices is asking a lot. Just remember: you like sugar for a reason.
