We know fruit is a high-fibre food, full of juicy goodness. The American Heart Association recommends we eat 4 to 5 servings of fruit every day and the American Cancer Society's nutrition guidelines for cancer prevention advocate including fruits (and vegetables) with every meal and for snacks.

This is sound advice, as research shows that when you don't eat fruit the body can go through some unhealthy changes. Some of the side effects are summarised below.

Weight gain

One danger with cutting out an entire food group like fruit, is replacing it with something less healthy. We may turn to unhealthy high fat, high sugar snacks or processed foods snacks instead. Also, fruit is rich in fibre and has a high-water content too, which helps you feel full and can stop you from overeating.

An unhealthy gut

The gut is full of microorganisms that affect our digestive health and immune system. Without the fibre and plant-based micronutrients we get from eating fruit, the microorganisms in the gut can become imbalanced.

Scientists believe the disruption of this, plays a role in many diseases, including allergies, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and obesity.

One study found that women who ate two apples a day, increased the amount of good bacteria in their intestines in just two weeks.

Cancer

Evidence suggests that including fruits and vegetables in the diet reduces the risk of cancer. Berries contain anthocyanin, which has demonstrated an inhibitory effect, in colon cancer. Cruciferous vegetables have also shown to have a preventive effect against cancer and a study published in the Journal of Food and Drug Analysis found that the polyphenol phloretin, present in apples inhibits the growth of breast cancer cells.

Premature skin ageing

Not eating fruit means you're not getting the antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that are essential to skin health. Berries and citrus fruits in particular, are loaded with vitamin C, which helps with collagen which is a protein that gives the skin structure and plumpness.

Cardiovascular problems

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables reduces the risk of cardiovascular problems. The risk of heart disease among individuals taking more than five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, is estimated to be reduced by 20%, in comparison to those who eat fewer than three servings per day.

Eye heath

Green leafy vegetables and fruits contain carotenoids, which increase the eye’s visual performance and help prevent age-related eye diseases. These carotenoids have protective benefits to help against cataract formation and it also helps in preventing ageing-related eye diseases such as macular degeneration.

Depression

Many studies have found links between eating fruit and vegetables and depression, which have confirmed that depression is less likely in people who consume a variety of fruit and vegetables.

Source: https://www.news-medical.net https://www.eatthis.com