The process of using syrup to preserve fruits and turning them into candy are practically similar in the initial stage. The fruits are sliced and cooked in sugar syrup. Candying however takes the process a few steps further.
To make fruit candy, one has to cook the fruit in sugar syrup in low to medium heat, bringing it to a slow boil. This goes on until the fruit is slightly translucent. Afterwards the fruit is left to soak in the syrup for several days. The goal here is to remove the water content of the fruit and replace it with the sugar. Throughout the soaking period, the concentration of the syrup is gradually increased by regular additions of sugar. Finally the thick syrup is drained and the fruit is allowed to dry.
As with fruits in syrup, the health drawbacks and risks presented by fruit candy are due to the significant amounts of sugar necessary in its making. Continue reading to learn about the negative effects of fruit candy.
Fruit Candy Health Risks:
The fact that fruit candy started out as whole fruit may give the impression that it is more nutritionally acceptable than regular candy. But the truth is that there is hardly any of the original nutrition left after the candying process.
A 100 gram serving of this sweet treat can provide a little above 300 calories. Much of that comes from the 83 grams of carbohydrates contained in that serving. Next to carbs, the only other nutrient of significant value is dietary fiber. However it is highly likely that only the insoluble type of fiber survived the extended period of cooking and soaking. There are traces of minerals like calcium, sodium and potassium – providing hardly more than 5% of your body’s daily requirement for them. Then there is even less amount of vitamins, not enough to make an impact on your daily nutritional needs.
Compare that to the nutritional profile of any raw whole fruit or even match that against any natural dried fruit. It is easy to see that fruit candy is actually more ‘candy’ than ‘fruit’ and as such can only be a source of empty calories.
Just like any high-calorie food processed with a lot of sucrose and devoid of vitamins and minerals, fruit candy can lead to problems of:
- Obesity – When you take in more calories than you actually use up, the extra carbohydrates get stored as fat, first in the liver then in less active parts of the body and finally in other vital organs.
- High blood sugar – Hyperglycemia is particularly dangerous for those already suffering from diabetes and nothing raises blood sugar than food that contains a lot of processed sugar.
- Cardiovascular disease – Although fruit candy is sometimes touted as containing little to no fats, the additional sugar content can just as easily lead to the same set of negative conditions.
- Weakened immune system – Diabetics are often prone to infections because refined sugar is one of the several substances that can hinder white blood cell function.
- Oral cavities – The acidic byproduct that results from oral bacteria feeding on residual sugar is the main substance that erodes teeth enamel.
In the next post, I’ll tell you the negative effects of sugar coated dried fruit and why you should avoid it to succeed in your quest to Become Superhuman.
In the meantime, if you care to jump ahead, here is a complete listing of the fruits on Superhuman Food Pyramid:
Eat:
• Apples
• Apricots
• Bananas
• Berries
• Cherries
• Kiwi
• Mangoes
• Oranges
• Papayas
• Peaches
• Pears
• Plum
Moderate:
• Lemons
• Limes
• Grapes
• Dates
• Figs
Avoid:
If you have questions, comments or feedback about the negative effects of fruit candy, the Superhuman Food Pyramid, this website, or other aspects of Becoming Superhuman, then leave your thoughts below, as well as any tips you have on the negative effects of fruit candy.
Author Bio: Ben Greenfield
His credentials include:
Bachelor’s and master’s degrees from University of Idaho in sports science and exercise physiology
Personal training and strength and conditioning certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)
Sports nutrition certification from the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN)
Advanced bicycle fitting certification from Serotta, the “Harvard” of bicycle fitting schools
Over 10 years experience in coaching professional, collegiate, and recreational athletes from all sports
Ben hosts the highly popular fitness, nutrition and wellness website at http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com, which features blogs, podcasts, and product reviews from Ben. He is a frequent contributor to Triathlete magazine and LAVA magazine, Endurance Planet (http://www.enduranceplanet.com), the outdoor sports magazine OutThere Monthly and has been featured in WebMD, the Spokesman-Review, Inlander magazine, In-Health magazine, Fit-Pro magazine, PTontheNet, Prevention magazine, Women’s Running magazine, and Inside Triathlon magazine.
As a public speaker on fitness, nutrition, and training, Ben hosts one of the top ranked fitness podcasts in iTunes, the Get-Fit Guy (http://www.GetFitGuy.com), and has been a keynote lecturer at the Hawaii Ironman World Championships Medical Conference, the Coeur D’ Alene Ironman Medical Conference, USAT Art & Science of Coaching Symposium, Can-Fit-Pro Conference, Pilgrim’s Wellness Center Education Series, Fleet Feet Sports Endurance Sports Clinic and REI Nutrition Clinic. He sits on the board of directors for Tri-Fusion triathlon team, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and is the official coach for the YoungTri. As a triathlon coach and competitor, Ben competes at Ironman and Half-Ironman World Championships, holds a ranking as of USAT’s top ranked age grouper triathletes, and competes in 15-20 triathlons each year, both nationally and internationally.
