From the time we were young, fruits and vegetables were touted as a necessity in a healthy diet. Fruits provide a large number of essential nutrients, such as vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber, and folic acid. They are also low in fat and sodium, which can protect you from various health problems such as gastrointestinal upset, heart disease, stroke, and cancer.
But average lifestyles aside, there are cases – for example, eating only fruit or a "fruitist" diet – and fruit becomes the star of people's diets. This is when you run the risk of consuming too much fructose, which can lead to weight gain and other problems such as diabetes and tooth decay. Your over-reliance on fruit can also negatively affect your muscles. As New York nutritionist Shapiro explains, the main concern is a lack of other essential macronutrients in your diet, such as protein, which is essential for muscle mass and muscle strength. Fruits are heroes in many ways, but they don't have enough protein levels on their own to promote optimal muscle health. But not all *** who eat too much fruit are negative.
Eating one fruit a day also helps your muscles.
According to a 2020 study published in the Journal of Nutrition by the University of East Anglia (UEA), vitamin C levels in fruits and vegetables can improve skeletal muscle mass as we age.
The study employed 13,000 people between the ages of 42-82 to study their skeletal muscle mass, vitamin C intake, and blood vitamin C concentrations. "We looked at a large sample of elderly Norfolk residents and found that those with the highest levels of vitamin C in their diet or blood had the highest quality of estimates for skeletal muscle compared to those with the lowest amounts," said Hai Huo of the UEA Norwich School of Medicine, as reported. "Researchers believe that including fruit in the daily diet can avoid age-related muscle loss, sarcopenia, and weakness.
The role of vitamin C in muscle recovery after exercise has also been reported to be important. When it comes to protecting our muscles as we age, the team at UEA believes that vitamin C protects muscle cells and tissues from the harmful effects of free radicals. What does this mean for fruit consumption?How much should you eat for overall health, including optimal muscle health
Include fruit as part of a regular balanced diet.
The key is not to let the pendulum swing too far – eat too little or no fruit when you only eat it each day. One and a half cups of fruit per day as part of a nutritionally balanced diet is the recommended amount for adults. Even with the results of the vitamin C trial, the researchers reportedly did not recommend a "large dose", but instead added a fruit and some vegetables to the daily intake. Try to choose fruits that are particularly high in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, papaya, and guava.
If you're working out and looking to find a protein supplement to recover and build muscle, fruit can also play a role here. Guava, avocados, kiwifruit, apricots, and blackberries are some of the fruits that contain a lot of protein that can be added to your diet to mix. Try to eat them all and avoid juicing the fruit (as then you will lose nutrients and risk overeating it). Dried fruits are also a concern for nutritionists because of their higher sugar content.
At the end of the day, the fruit is rich in nutrients. Relying too much on them can be detrimental to your health, but choosing to add them wisely to your daily diet can be beneficial for your muscles.