There are controversies about what is better: taking care of our health or our figure; fruit before or after a meal?

Dr. Ana González-Román Ferrer. Graduated in Human Nutrition and Dietetics, gives us the key and the arguments by which to demystify if one hour is better or another, both have their beneficial effects on the body.

Take fruit as a starter for meals:

If taken before a meal, it produces satiety due to its fiber contribution, avoiding excessive intake later. The order in which food is eaten does not matter if the number of calories is the same.

Some recommend eating it before meals to avoid possible digestive difficulties resulting from the fermentation of sugars. They also point out that the fruit has certain acidic substances that stimulate stomach secretions which would facilitate digestion.

It’s a myth that if fruit is taken after meals, it ferments in the stomach. The fruit does not ferment in the stomach, regardless of whether it is taken before or after eating. The stomach is not a department divided into different heights, so the fact that the fruit is taken at the end of the meal does not mean that it remains in the upper part of the stomach and will ferment.

Take the fruit after meals, as dessert:

Traditionally it is eaten as a dessert, we can continue with this habit within the context of a balanced diet (remember that balance is not achieved in a single meal but throughout the days, approximately 2 weeks.)

The digestive system is efficient enough and its capacity for vitamin use is very high, not too many vitamins sensitive to the acidic environment are lost.

Eating fruit as a dessert avoids the ingestion of other types of foods (sweets, etc.) that have higher caloric value and fat content. It is also good as a dessert because the acids they contain help to clean the mouth.

Take the fruit between the main meals:

As a snack or mid-morning to make the most of its vitamin qualities. Being alone in the stomach, the fruit will remain less time in contact with strong acids and therefore the vitamin loss will be less.

The final conclusion of the study is that, if your problem is weight-excess, fruit, provides the same calories regardless of when you take it.

If you eliminate it from the main meals, do not replace it with another dessert and take it mid-morning and as a snack. Any other option is also valid as long as you do not eliminate it from your diet.

If there is no health problem, you can take it whenever you want, whatever you have as a habit, or whatever seems most pleasant without prejudice.

In short, fruit intake is not harmful at any time, it depends on the needs of each person

Source:

Ana González-Román Ferrer. Graduated in Human Nutrition and Dietetics. University of Barcelona (abcdietas.com)