Have you been avoiding fruit because you've received diet advice that has led you to believe that sugar is to be avoided at all costs? While some diet plans to promote avoiding fruit, there is room for fresh fruit in most healthy eating plans. It's a fact that sugar has an impact on one's blood sugar levels. However, it's also a fact that there's a big difference in the natural sugars found in fresh fruit and what you get when you eat sweets and heavily processed convenience foods that have various types of sweeteners added to them.

About the Glycemic Index

The Glycemic Index (GI) is based on comparing the impact a particular food will have on a person's blood sugar to the impact of processed white bread. (White bread has a GI of 100.) From a diet perspective, it's best to keep your blood sugar from rising or falling too quickly, so it makes sense to select foods that have a low Glycemic index. Eating foods that have a low Glycemic index are the ones that will have less of an impact on your blood sugar levels than foods with higher numbers. This means that the higher the GI rating a particular food has, the faster it will cause your blood sugar to rise and fall.

Choosing Fresh Fruit Based on GI

If you're focused on controlling your sugar consumption and you want to continue to enjoy eating fresh fruit, it's important for you to educate about which fruits have the lowest ratings on the Glycemic Index. That way, you can make wise selections about which fruits are the best choices for your diet and your health. Tropical fruits and watermelon tend to have the highest Glycemic Index numbers.

Examples of Fruit with the Lowest GI Numbers

• Cherries
• Berries
• Grapefruit
• Apricot
• Orange
• Pear
• Plum
• Apple

For more information about the Glycemic Index of various fruits and other foods, along with specific values, see a Glycemic Index food chart.

Tips for Enjoying Fresh Fruit

Keep in mind that the GI for particular types of fruit is based on the consumption of fruit in it's natural form. When you process fruit, squeeze the juice out of it, or remove the naturally occurring edible fiber prior to consumption, the GI rating will be significantly higher. While a whole apple has a relatively low Glycemic index, the statistics would be different for a peeled apple, cooked apple, or apple juice that has been processed and/or had additional sweetener added. When it comes to eating fruit, fresh is always the best option.