TYLER TOLMAN BLOG
Myth Buster | The Truth About Fructose
Myth Buster | The Truth About Fructose
Today I’m going to be talking about the dangers of fructose… and then I’m going to go and enjoy a nice, beautiful plate of fresh fruit!
Mango, by the way, is full of fructose. So are apples. Dragonfruit, papaya and banana also make up my daily tray of fruit.
To be honest, it rubs me the wrong way when people post things on social media or tell people, “Don’t eat fruit. It’s bad for your health! Don’t eat fructose. It’s bad for your liver!”
First of all, I would agree with them 100% if you’re just eating spoonfuls of fructose. Sure, that could absolutely be bad for your health!
But we don’t do that, do we? Well, at least I hope you don’t!
When it Comes to Eating an Apple of a Mango in its Natural Form, It's One of the Best Things That You Can do for your Health.
Don’t you find it interesting that in the most diseased countries on the planet: Australia; United States; Denmark; certain parts of Europe; and others around the world, there has been a marked reduction in the amount of fruit that’s being eaten?
People are told, “Be careful. Don’t eat more than two to three servings of fruit a day. It could be bad for your health!”
What I don’t see them saying is, “Hey, maybe you should reduce the amount of Coca-Cola you drink every day. Cut down on the Domino’s pizza, or hey, maybe you shouldn’t have bacon for breakfast every day, and then chicken for lunch, and beef for dinner.” Are you with me?
People eat artificial sweeteners, artificial colours, processed foods, dead animals, CHEMICALS, and yet we’ve got people freaking out about eating an apple?
Honest to God, I think the world is upside down. How the hell have we gotten here, where people are scared to eat fruit.
It's Quite Shocking, So Let's Get Some Facts
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is an old Welsh proverb that most of us are familiar with, but what makes fruit so special? What are the health benefits associated with eating apples?
As one of the most cultivated and consumed fruits in the world, apples are continuously being praised as a miracle food. In fact, a few years ago apples were ranked first in a Medical News Today article: Top 10 Healthy Foods!
Apples are rich in antioxidants, flavonoids and dietary fibre; all of which are extremely important for our health. They also have something called pectin that bonds to metals and pesticides and carries them out of the body. The phytonutrients and antioxidants in apples may help reduce the risk of developing cancer, hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease.
If possible, it would be best to eat organic apples, but if you’re buying apples at the local grocery store, just soak them in half a basin of water with some apple cider vinegar. This gets rid of all the pesticides, herbicides and fungicides so they’re safe to consume.
If we just go back to simplicity… say, if you were living in nature and you were hungry, and you saw a tree full of apples, do you think you’d be like, “Oh, that’s got fructose. I’m probably going to skip that amazing tree full of life or I’ll only eat half an apple so I don’t overdo it” OR would you actually eat until you were satiated?
Apples are full of fibre to fill us up and water to hydrate us, not to mention all those essential nutrients!
Apples Also Feed Our Brains and Prevent Oxidative Stress
From a neurological health point of view, a 2006 study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology and Medicine found that quercetin, one of the antioxidants found abundantly in apples, was one of the two compounds that help reduce cellular death caused by oxidation and inflammation in the neurons.
Another study presented at the same conference and published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease suggested that apple juice consumption (concentrated fructose) may increase the production of essential neurotransmitters called acetylcholine in the brain, resulting in improved memory among mice who have Alzheimer’s-like symptoms.
(It should be noted that both studies were funded by unrestricted grants provided by the US Apple Association and Apple Products Research and Education Council.)
Another study published in the Journal of Food Sciences in 2008 also suggested that eating apples may have benefits for neurological health. The researchers found that including apples – plural – in your daily diet may protect neuron cells against oxidative stress induced by neurotoxicity, and may play an important role in reducing the risk of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.
Reducing Your Risk of Stroke and Heart Disease
A study of 9,000 men and women showed that those who ate the most apples over a 20-year period had the lowest risk of stroke.
The researchers concluded that the intake of apples is related to a decreased risk of thrombotic stroke, lowering levels of bad cholesterol, which is associated with heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, etc.
Apples are Miracle Fruit!
That’s what a group of researchers at Florida State University said! They discovered that older women who ate apples every day had 23% less bad cholesterol (LDL) and 4% more good cholesterol (HDL), which is produced in the liver.
So let me get this right… If you eat apples, your liver produces more good cholesterol, and you get rid of bad cholesterol?
I thought fructose damaged the liver? Hmm… Interesting… (and yes, I’m being sarcastic here just in case you skimmed over the beginning of this blog!)
And do you know what else I find REALLY interesting… if fructose and fruit were really bad for your liver, I’m pretty sure I would have had liver cancer or cirrhosis of the liver years ago because for over a decade I’ve been eating more fruit than anybody could possibly imagine, except perhaps for fruitarians.
Reducing Your Risk of Diabetes
Wait a second, I thought sugar CAUSED diabetes??
Apples can actually help lower your risk of diabetes. A study involving 187,000 people found that people who ate at least three servings of all these rainbow types of fruit: apples, grapes, raisins, blueberries, pears, etc. had a significantly lower risk of type two diabetes, compared to those who did not.
Fruit and Breast Cancer
There is growing evidence to suggest that an apple a day may help prevent breast cancer according to a series of studies conducted by prominent Cornell researcher, Rui Hai Liu.
Liu said her research adds to the growing evidence that increased consumption of fruits and vegetables, including apples, provides people with something called phenolics, which are proving to have important health benefits.
So What is in an Apple?
Now let’s have a look at the actual breakdown of what they say is in an apple nutritionally: Energy – 52 Kcal; Fat – 0.17gm; Water – 85.56gm.
It’s mostly water! So what’s the biggest thing that’s going to happen if you eat a lot of apples? You’re going to get hydrated. You’re also going to take in all that fibre which will clean your colon out.
According to the University of Maryland Medical Centre, B complex vitamins, riboflavin, thiamine, vitamin B6, these vitamins are key in maintaining red blood cells, and the nervous system in good health. And there’s plenty of vitamin C, a powerful natural antioxidant capable of blocking free radical damage as well as boosting the body’s resistance against infectious disease agents.
Dietary fibre: the British National Health Services says that a high-fibre diet can help prevent the development of certain diseases, and may help prevent the amount of bad cholesterol in your blood.
Phytonutrients. Apples are rich in polyphenolic compounds and minerals such as calcium and potassium. These phytonutrients help protect the body from the detrimental effects of free radicals.
Beta-keratin which converts to vitamin A – good for your eyes. Thiamine, vitamin B1; riboflavin, B2; pantothenic acid, B5; folic, B9, all these B vitamins create energy and functions within the body that it needs to thrive. Vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, iron, vitamin K, vitamin C, 4.6 milligrams, vitamin B6, niacin – vitamin B3, vitamin A equivalent, lutein, xanthine, sodium, protein.
It doesn’t even list fructose yet apples (and mangoes) are listed as one of the highest foods in fructose.
So Let's Look at Mangoes
They have massive amounts of antioxidants that help to prevent cancer, lower cholesterol, clear the skin, improve eye health, alkalize the entire body, promote healthy sex life AND may even help diabetes. They improve digestion, help fight heatstroke, boost the immune system, and help build the gut.
So what’s inside of a mango? 105 calories. This includes vitamin C – an antioxidant and immune system booster; vitamin A, another antioxidant and good for vision; B6 and other B vitamins; healthy probiotic fiber, copper, which is the co-factor for many vital enzymes and the production of red blood cells; potassium to balance out high sodium intake; and magnesium.
What do I not see here? Anywhere that lists fructose. AGAIN.
What if, Tyler...What if?
Okay, maybe apples are not killing me and maybe apples and mangoes are not the actual cause of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, but what if… and hands up if this sounds like you:
I’ve been eating a really shit diet, I’ve been eating dead animals, artificial sweeteners, and all kinds of other things that are not good for me! I haven’t been exercising, or sweating, or drinking much water, and now I have fructose malabsorption? All of a sudden I eat an apple or a mango and I’m shitting everywhere or getting all these symptoms. My life is hell!
Guess what? I’ve worked with plenty of these types of people, and you know what I tell them (and it takes me a really long time to convince them to do it)…
Just eat fruit for at least 30 days.
Yes, you heard it here. I’ve worked with eight-year-olds and teenagers right through to fully grown adults who have had fructose malabsorption, and after all the medications, and the diets, and the things that they’d been told to eliminate and do, they came to me and asked, “What do I do?“
I said, “You have to actually just eat fruit and drink water – nothing else – for at least 30 days.”
“But Tyler, if I do that, I’m going to get diarrhea and all my symptoms will flare up!”
So I’d tell them to have the diarrhea, have the symptoms for a week or two. But then it will go away. Why? Because of all the good fibre, the good hydration, all those nutrients are going to clean that stuff out. It’s going to heal your liver. It’s going to heal your colon. It’s going to heal your pancreas. It’s going to heal your LIFE!
In time, you’ll be like, oh my God, fruits are amazing! And then you will move to a balanced lifestyle of eating fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.
Health Really Isn't That Complicated
It comes down to breathing deeply, going for a walk, having positive relationships, eating fresh fruits and vegetables and some healthy cooked foods, getting out in the sun, and living your passion, which is what I’m doing right now.
For me, living my passion is sharing information with people who don’t know what to believe in a world that is confused by just about every doctor, nutritionist, naturopath, or random health guru saying something different.
Bring it back to simplicity:
1. Breathe deeply.
2. Move your body.
3. Drink fresh water.
4. Eat fruits and vegetables without chemicals or genetically modified organisms (GMO).
5. Love your family and your children.
6. Find your passion.
7. Spend some time in the sun.
Live healthily and be happy.
Simple right?
Thanks for watching this absolutely amazing and a little bit long video (or reading this amazing blog)!
If you’re interested in going into this stuff in a lot more detail, come along to my live virtual program, H•E•A•L. I share some groundbreaking fundamentals and you’ll learn all the things you need to know so you will never make an uninformed decision about your health again.
Thanks for reading!
