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Should you go fruitarian?

While it sounds wonderful, health experts point out the cons of this diet in the long run

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Fruits — they’re tasty, nutritious containing an abundance of vitamins, minerals, fibre, enzymes and so on. There would hardly be any person who’d say, “fruits aren’t good”. In the last decade or so, the diets that eliminate an entire food group have become a trend — be it going no-fat, no-carb, no-sugar, gluten free and the likes. One such diet that’s grabbing eyeballs is the Fruitarian Diet. What it entails is pretty self-explanatory. Imagine only having to survive on raw fruits in the botanical sense, and may be nuts and seeds. And those who have adopted this diet, swear by its benefits of losing weight, looking younger, feeling younger and detoxification. We asked if going fruitarian is a good idea...

Expert speak

Fruits are super healthy, so how can going on a Fruitarian diet be bad? Pritisha Jadhav, nutritionist, SRV Hospital lists the short term benefits of this diet like cleansing, losing weight, reversing many common illnesses, etc. However, she also points out the cons because a Fruitarian Diet is extremely restrictive, it makes the nutritional adequacy impossible to a large extent. For example, it is known to cause deficiencies in calcium, protein, iron, zinc, vitamin D, most vitamins B (especially B12) and essential fatty acids. Secondly, a diet comprising only fruits can also lead to hunger, cravings, food obsessions, social disruptions and social isolation. Nutritional deficiencies such as severe protein energy malnutrition, hypoproteinaemia, anaemia and a wide range of vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Excess of a good thing can be harmful too

Consulting nutritionist and clinical dietitian, Pooja Makhija agrees with the initial benefits of going on this diet but questions its efficacy in the long run. “All the pros that people claim about this diet is true — like weight loss, glowing skin, looking and feeling younger — however, it is short lived of two reasons. Firstly, it’s an unsustainable diet. The moment you get off the diet, you’ll put on the lost weight back again. Secondly, even if by a miracle, one follows it for years, initially the body can cope with the protein deprivation for two to three months but later due to protein deprivation it will result in hair loss, diarrhea, irritable gut, etc.”

Makhija further elaborates saying that in the beginning, one feels as if they’re on cloud nine, this is an expected outcome of the Fruitarian diet but later, the body will get weary and tired because protein is necessary for basic functioning of the body. Nobody in the world will say anything bad about fruits but there has to be moderation. Excess of a good thing can be harmful. Too much fibre in the diet can result in the bowels getting irritated. In this diet, there is no replacement for the absence of protein, and hence she does not approve of this diet and wouldn’t recommend it to anybody.

If you want to, do it only for a day

“In India, many follow the tradition of fasting for a day for religious purposes. The reason behind it was to give a day’s relief to your digestive system, so only fruits are eaten. If you want to give your digestive system a break, then follow a Fruitarian diet for one day, not more than that otherwise you will end up with severe nutritional deficiencies,” explains Jadhav adding that she will not recommend such a fad diet which has negative effects on health in the long run. She advises it is always good to recommend a balanced diet with all nutrients in the right amounts. 

Dhvani Shah, Healing Diet Specialist, FIMS Clinic, says that a Fruitarian diet will be beneficial if had just for one day as it helps in detoxification. “If the diet is continued for more than a day, it will lead to stubborn fats that don’t burn and the lack of carbohydrates and proteins will lead to health issues. Those who are part of a weight loss crash course, they can opt for the Fruitarian diet as a plateau breaker. Incorporate as many varieties of fruits. But it is essential to stick to the diet only for one day,” she warns. It can be adopted by any age group, however those with diabetes and having kidney problems should avoid it. Those who have a sedentary lifestyle, who consume alcohol, before or after the menstrual cycle if bloating is experienced or for brides to-be who aim for good skin. Also, those with high blood pressure shall benefit from this diet.

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