Fruit has a lot of sugar.  We know that sugar, in general, is bad for us.  But fruit seems pretty healthy? It’s confusing – should we eat fruit?

Fruit contains antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, phytonutrients and fiber. All these things are super good things for you. But what about the sugar? It turns out that studies suggest that how you get your sugar matters.  Sugar from fruit turns out not to be harmful. Research suggests that fructose (sugar) from whole foods, such as fruit, actually benefit blood sugar control and metabolism.

Here’s a study that really takes things to extreme:  seventeen people ate 20 servings a day of fruit! Despite the extraordinarily high fructose content of this diet (about 200 grams per day, or the amount in 8 cans of soda), the researchers reported no adverse effects (and possible benefit actually) for body weight, blood pressure, insulin, and lipid levels after three to six months. In a related study that also had the subjects eat 20 servings a day of fruit found no adverse effects on weight, blood pressure, or triglycerides and a 38 point drop in bad cholesterol.

In fact, a number of studies have found that fresh fruit consumption is negatively correlated with diabetes even though fruit has high sugar content.

So – when it comes to fruit – eat up.