The best time to eat fruit: scientific choices and taboos before and after meals

When is the best time to eat fruit?

Many people have a major misconception about when to eat fruit-treating it as a dessert after meals. This is incorrect. The organic acids in fruit can combine with minerals in other foods, affecting digestion and absorption. Furthermore, the pectin in fruit absorbs water and increases the moisture content of food in the stomach and intestines, so eating fruit immediately after meals can further burden the stomach. Experts point out that the correct time to eat fruit is about one hour before meals and two hours after meals. First, many components of fruit are water-soluble, so eating it before meals facilitates the absorption of essential nutrients. Second, fruit is a low-calorie food, with an average calorie content only one-quarter that of the same weight of pasta and about one-tenth that of the same weight of pork or other meats. Eating low-calorie foods first makes it easier to control total calorie intake for a meal. Finally, many fruits are easily oxidized and spoiled; eating fruit first shortens its stay in the stomach, reducing oxidation and spoilage and minimizing potential adverse effects on the body.

Eating fruit after meals aids digestion and absorption. The main sugar components of fruit are fructose and glucose, which can be absorbed directly into the small intestine without digestion or breakdown. Other foods containing starch and protein, such as rice, pasta, and meat, need to stay in the stomach for a while before digestion. If fruit is eaten immediately after a meal, the slowly digestible starch and protein can block the quickly digested fruit. All the food gets mixed together in the stomach, and the fruit, under the body's high temperature (36°C or 37°C), may ferment or even rot, leading to symptoms such as bloating and constipation, negatively impacting the digestive tract.

Eating fruit before meals can influence appetite and normal digestion and absorption, thus aiding in weight loss. Studies have shown that eating some fruit or drinking 1-2 cups of fruit juice 20-40 minutes before meals can smoothly and painlessly prevent obesity caused by overeating. This is because fruits and fruit juices are rich in fructose and glucose, which can be quickly absorbed by the body, satisfying the body's urgent "thirst" for blood oxygen. The dietary fiber in fruits can also create a feeling of fullness in the stomach. In addition, eating fruits before meals can significantly reduce the craving for fatty foods, thus indirectly preventing the adverse consequences of excessive fat accumulation in the body.

Fruits high in tannins, such as persimmons, pomegranates, lemons, grapes, sour grapefruits, and waxberries, should not be eaten with seafood rich in protein and minerals, such as squid, lobster, and algae. Tannins not only reduce the nutritional value of seafood protein but also easily combine with calcium and iron in seafood to form a substance that is difficult to digest. This substance can irritate the gastrointestinal tract, causing nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Therefore, it is advisable to wait 2-3 hours after consuming these seafood products before eating fruit.

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