Introduction:
The fruitarian diet is considered mainly as a subset of the vegan diet, which involves consuming only fruits. It is well-known that fruits offer numerous health benefits, including high antioxidant content, rich concentration of vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, phytonutrients, fiber, and more. Many individuals adopt a fruitarian diet for weight loss. However, it is important to note that such a restrictive diet can lead to systemic imbalance or deprive individuals of essential nutrients found in other dietary sources.
Why Is the Fruitarian Diet Restrictive?
It is surprising to know this fact that fruits are the most wholesome, hydrating, and nutrient-rich treats for satisfying a sweet tooth. They provide a much-needed flavor and zest in daily life. However, consuming large proportions of fruit in the diet indirectly indicates depriving oneself of good fats and proteins from other food groups, which can lead to nutrient imbalance. According to the United States Department of Agriculture's 2020 to 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, nutrition experts recommend consuming a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products, and protein every day to maintain a healthy metabolism sustained by a balanced diet.
The fruitarian diet supposedly appears as it sounds, the true fruitarian diet excludes many important dietary nutrients that come from plant-based proteins, dairy, legumes, and veggies. This exclusion can be detrimental to systemic health in the long term.
What Are the Possible Health Risks Associated With a Fruitarian Diet?
Many individuals tend to adopt an "all fruitarian" diet to lose weight, but nutrition experts do not recommend it because it mainly consists of consuming mostly fruit. While some fruits are nutrient-rich and may promote weight loss or provide hydration, the drawbacks of this diet make it highly discouraged by most health experts and current nutrition research. On a fruitarian diet, raw fruit typically makes up approximately 50 % to 75 % of the consumed foods, making it one of the most restrictive eating patterns. This diet not only poses a high risk of malnourishment but also puts individuals who practice it, whether for health, religious, moral, or ethical reasons, at an increased risk for type 2 diabetes, binge eating, nutrient deficiencies, dental caries, and periodontal diseases.
The drawbacks of the fruitarian diet are associated with the increased risk of nutrient deficiencies and the development of systemic health complications in a short period. This is due to the body's inability to obtain the ideal amounts of healthy protein and fat. The restrictive nature of this diet often leads to malnourishment, resulting in weight loss, which is neither a healthy nor an acceptable method of losing weight. Ideally, weight loss should be advised by registered nutritionists or dieticians only. Another disadvantage of this diet is the sweet flavor and high content of natural sugars such as fructose and glucose. This can lead to tooth demineralization, making the tooth enamel more prone to decay, fractures, and caries.
Most fruits are typically low in fat and rich in water content. This means that on a fruitarian diet, one needs to consume a significant quantity of fruit to gain a relatively small number of calories. Additionally, one would need to consume large volumes of food to meet the daily calorie requirements, otherwise, it may not result in satiety or a feeling of fullness. While fruits may definitely be nutrient-dense, but they are incapable of supplying all the nutrients needed in a balanced diet.
What Foods Are Enlisted in a Fruitarian Diet?
The individuals who consume an all fruitarian diet typically limit themselves to the following listed foods, or the diet revolves around these seven fruit groups according to nutrition literature:
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Vegetable Fruits: Peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash.
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Acid Fruits: Citrus fruits (lemons, oranges), pineapples, and so on.
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Subacid Fruits: Figs, sweet cherries, raspberries.
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Sweet-Based Fruits: Melon family fruits, bananas, grapes.
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Oily Fruits: Avocados, coconuts, olives
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Nuts: Cashews, almonds, pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts, and so on.
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Seeds: Sunflower, pumpkin, squash, and so on.
In this diet, it can be noticed that fruits also include foods that may not be commonly considered or thought of as fruits, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, avocados, squashes, olives, and others. However, botanically, these listed foods are still considered fruits. Even though nuts and seeds are technically derived from the part of the fruits in plants, making them part of the fruitarian diet, they alone cannot provide the daily recommended value of fat or protein intake for children or adults. Hence, the fruitarian diet has a significant disadvantage in this aspect.
What Are the Findings of Nutrition Research Analysis Regarding the Systemic Impact?
Many fruitarians, however, tend to consume vegetables like leafy greens as they are necessary for the proper digestion of fruit-based food. In addition, fruitarians can also consume coconut water, fresh fruit juices, and water. Coffee is permitted on a fruitarian diet based on individual preference. A true fruitarian is not allowed to consume any animal protein. For example, proteins derived from foods like eggs, poultry, pork, and beef are not options for fruitarians. Similarly, the diet becomes even more restricted as dairy products, just like animal protein, are not permitted for fruitarians. This means that nutrient-rich milk, yogurt, cheese, or any other animal dairy products are not allowed in this diet. Instead, true fruitarians choose to drink almond milk, cashew milk, or coconut milk as substitutes for the regular cow's or goat's milk consumed worldwide. Although almond milk is nutrient-rich, individuals on a fruitarian diet may be more prone to developing food allergies due to the lack of consumption of any dairy products at all.
A true fruitarian diet also excludes beans, legumes (chickpeas, lentils, peas), soybeans, peanuts, and so on. Eating only fruits or drinking fruit juices while avoiding fresh vegetables, dairy, animal protein, or plant-based protein can result not only in food cravings and constant hunger but also in binge eating of fruits in individuals who follow an all fruitarian diet. This can lead to an imbalance or disruption in insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake by the body's cells, predisposing individuals to a high risk of type 2 diabetes. Research also indicates an increased and definite risk of diabetic ketoacidosis for diabetic individuals following a complete fruitarian diet. Nutrition research also sheds light on the potential development of kidney disorders, pancreatic issues, and disordered eating interfering with normal metabolism in individuals consuming only fruits.
Conclusion:
Following a strict fruitarian diet does not adhere to the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) guidelines for a balanced diet and is more harmful or disruptive to the metabolic functions of the body. It is always ideal to have a conversation with a doctor, registered dietitian, or nutritionist before including even more fruits in a diet. A health professional can help design a plan that suits one's systemic health status ideally. A healthy balanced diet always comprises an ideal incorporation of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
