This entry was posted 13 years, 10 months ago.
May 20, 2009
We all love fruits, those healthy natural deposits of vitamins, water, nutrients and other useful elements. I personally love oranges and cherries the most, and I can gladly eat 3-4 pounds of apples a day. In many cultures, it is traditional to eat fresh fruits for a dessert after meals. However, not many people are aware about the fact that eating fruits at the end of lunches or dinners can be quite harmful. Specialists suggest being careful on this point and following some easy rules, which can help us to rip maximum benefits from eating fruit.
1. Do not eat fruits after meals. It usually takes about 20 minutes for fruits to digest and move to the small intestine where further absorption of the nutrients occurs. However, when we eat fruits after other meals, especially the ones with a high content of proteins or starch which usually take much longer to digest, the fruits get blocked in our stomach and start fermenting or even getting rotten. In such case, no positive nutritional effects will be received. Instead, the meals will not be digested completely, the fruits will get broken right in our stomach and our digestive system will be affected and upset.
2. Do not eat fruits together with other meals. The same effect will take place in the stomach, when the fruits are mixed with other meals. Toxic effects of rotten fruits in your stomach can cause great discomfort and even serious diseases. For example, eating kiwis, cherries or berries together with meat, potatoes or other foods containing lots of proteins, starch and fats, can cause various problems with digestion, colitis, diarrhea, and even pains in liver.
3. Make a habit of eating fruits on an empty stomach. This habit will bring more good to your health. Your stomach and digestive system will not have to use additional mechanisms to balance the process of digestion. It is also very good to eat fruits after doing physical exercises or any sort of outdoor activities.
The best time for eating fruits:
- in the morning, 20-30 minutes before having breakfast;
- in the afternoon, 3-4 hours after lunch
- before the bedtime, 3-4 hours after having dinner.
Author Info: Hi! My name is Carla and I am a 5th year medical student at HYMS. I am interested in alternative medicine and I have done months researching the topic of herbal medicine. Besides, I like interviewing people and learning more about their experiences with one or another type of herbal treatments. I am willing to contribute to this site with my knowledge, and I would be happy to help you out to the best of my ability with any specific questions or problems related to alternative medicine.
November 12th, 2009 at 8:46 pm
I consume beetroot & carrot juices (seperately) frequently. Can you please tell me what time of the day would be best for consumption of juice (esp because the juices are very sweet; i don’t add honey/sugar)?
November 19th, 2009 at 11:24 am
the information provided here is very pointed to health problems .anyone can take benefits to improve his health in a short time. the information is selective and educative.
January 22nd, 2010 at 7:31 pm
This is good overall info. This kind of natural health and alternative approach could bring down health care cost and we wouldn’t have to bankrupt the nation.
February 21st, 2011 at 9:30 am
hello Carla,
Nice article. Good work. Thanks for sharing your research experience.
I have one small confusion in my mind. I read somewhere that banana and Mango are exceptions and we can have them with food. Is that true? I would appreciate if you can clarify this.
June 23rd, 2011 at 7:09 am
Excellent info……
I to follow these rules…and feeling better…
I’d like someone to educate my family about this…