<p>Looks like NIH is saying its even higher BMI’s that are considered normal. I was just trying to say that 10-20% body fat is not considered very harmful…atleast not for obesity reasons. My guesses were probably geared a little more toward athletic individuals.</p>
<p>“‘Natural’ sugars in an apple are not different than the processed sugars.”</p>
<p>So, in essence, you’re saying that if you take out all of the natural sugar in an apple, and replace it by taking the equal amount (approx 13g?) of table sugar…its the same thing? Table sugar posseses little to none of the monosacharides (or simple sugars) that natural sugar gives you. Processed sugar isn’t good for you in the long run either, creating chemical inbalances in some/most people. Ever notice that you don’t get sugar high off of eating a whole bunch of fruit? But you do after eating a whole bunch of candy or soda?</p>
<p>I did error. I should have said 10-20% excess body fat, not 10-20% total body fat.</p>
<p>Sorry about the sugar myths. Glucose is glucose - it makes no difference which food it comes from. The same is true of fructose. It makes no difference whether the fructose comes from a fresh fruit, old stale fruit, or high fructose corn syrup. You can indeed get a sugar high from eating fruit. The difference is not the sugar, but the amount. The apple is mostly water and cellulose. An apple contains a relatively small amount of sugar compared with the amounts we consume from sodas and candy.</p>
<p>I also agree. Processing often means that fiber is removed and micronutrients and vitamins can be lost. My point is to be careful about fruits. Sugar fortified beverages are very harmful. 100% fruit drinks are not much better and are largely sugar. These are the same sugars found in processed foods and these are not somehow better because they came from fruit. Fresh fruit is better because of the fiber content and possibly higher content of vitamins and micronutrients. Even so fresh fruits (especially apple and grape) are high in sugars and should be only a minor part of the diet.</p>
<p>Sorry if I misinterpreted your first statement about fruits, but I definitely wasn’t arguing against you that fruit drinks are bad for you. Many of them have upward of 40g of sugar per serving, and I tend to stay away from them.</p>
<p>I would think that one would have to eat a good bit of apples or grapes in order for them to become harmful. I like to use them as fillers in a diet…a handful of grapes to snack on over a half hour, or an apple on my way home from work.</p>
<p>I’m skeptical of both these statements. I have never heard of anyone suggesting that we stay away from apples. In fact, it’s one of the few fruits that doctors actually suggest for people who suffer from ulcerative colitis or other IBD, mainly because it contains pectin. It’s also a great source of potassium.</p>
<p>I’m not a nutritionist, but I have got to believe that our bodies process sugar from fruit very differently than the way we do from processed/refined sugars. Fruits also contain nutrients, unlike refined sugars. And if people believe that sugar and HFCS are addictive, well that’s another added bonus-- fruits certainly aren’t-- although maybe they should be.</p>
<p>I think the main problem with fruit juice is that it’s so concentrated. People who use juice to quench their thirst are almost certainly drinking way too much of it. Juice glasses are small for a reason and really 1/2 cup is the most anyone who is watching their weight or their blood sugar should drink. I rarely drink juice because I like to save my calories for food that fills me up and so I try to drink only water, diet tea, coffee and milk (which does have calories but is also much more filling than juice). I do eat several servings of fruit a day (grapes, apples, bananas, cantalope, all types of berries) and at least 5-7 servings of vegetables (different colors).</p>
<p>It is easy to drink 12 oz of apple juice. I have no idea how many apples it would take to make that much juice, but I am sure it is quite a few.</p>
<p>America’s sweet tooth is insatiable. We have plenty of apples but apparently not enough to keep up with the demand. In addition to all the apple juice we produce, we also import 3 times that amount - mainly from China.</p>
<p>Yeah, I’m really not a fan of apple juice at all. The nutritional value per calorie is just not good and it’s too easy to gulp it down like water. If I were raising little kids all over again, I’d not serve juice to them. Just water and milk, maybe an occasional citrus juice just for variety.</p>
<p>I’m not a fan of fruit juice either. But my kids do drink them in moderation.
No sodas in my house, we only have them around 4th of July.
Besides what’s the fun of biting into a vitamin? I think biting a fresh fruit is much more satisfying experience.</p>
<p>“100% fruit drinks are not much better and are largely sugar. These are the same sugars found in processed foods and these are not somehow better because they came from fruit.”</p>
<p>Yep. My diabetic friend was instructed that juice is better for treating insulin attacks than almost anything else; her doctor compared gulping apple juice to a “glucose IV.” I love juice – it is always tough for me to think of it as an occasional treat instead of a staple.</p>