One watermelon = six bowls of rice? Fruits are so sweet, will they make you fat?

A bite of ice watermelon in summer

Instantly refreshed from head to toe

However, many people have concerns about eating watermelon.

Watermelon is said to be high in sugar

One watermelon = six bowls of rice

If you eat it openly

Don't grow fat like crazy

So is the sugar content in watermelon really that high?

Will eating fruit make you fat?

This is really unfair to watermelon.

Although watermelon tastes sweet, its sugar content is not very high, accounting for only 6.8% . There are only a few grams of sugar in every 100 grams of watermelon.

Even the sour hawthorn contains 25.1 grams of sugar per 100 grams. From this comparison, you can see that the sugar content of watermelon is very low.

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Many people may not believe this conclusion. After all, if watermelon does not contain so much sugar, why is it so sweet?

In fact, although sweetness has a certain relationship with sugar content, the type and proportion of sugar are also very important.

If we have to compare, the order of sweetness from high to low is roughly like this:

Fructose＞sucrose＞glucose

Compared with the same amount of other fruits, watermelon is a typical fruit with a high fructose content and a low total sugar content , so it is normal for it to taste sweet.

Similar fruits include: melon, strawberry, cantaloupe, bayberry , etc.

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Of course, this is how they perform as fruits. If they have become milk tea, the effect would be another matter.

In short, remember this conclusion: things that taste sweet do not necessarily contain more sugar, and things that do not taste sweet do not necessarily contain less sugar.

If you accidentally ignore some fruits with high sugar content, you might actually make yourself fat.

From the perspective of sugar content, these not-so-sweet fruits have a bit high sugar content per 100 grams:

Dragon fruit (13.3 grams), kiwi fruit (14.5 grams), hawthorn (25.1 grams), pomegranate (18.5 grams).

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There are also some fruits whose sweetness is partially masked by their taste and smell, such as bananas and durian. Their sugar content per 100 grams is actually quite outrageous:

Banana (22.8g), Durian (28.3g).

People who need to control their sugar intake, such as those with high blood sugar, diabetes, and those who are controlling total calories to lose weight , must be cautious when eating these fruits.

In addition, it is not only the sugar in fruits that brings calories, but the fat content must also be considered.

Speaking of this, two fruits must be mentioned - avocado and coconut meat.

These two popular players in the fruit world, one tastes bland and the other tastes fresh, but in fact, both are high in fat, with an average fat content of:

Avocado (15g), coconut meat (35g).

If you didn't tell me that these are two fruits, I would have thought they were data about some kind of meat.

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Among them, avocado is relatively friendly to human health. Although it has a high fat content, it is mainly monounsaturated fatty acids and is a high-quality fat.

Therefore, many fitness enthusiasts use it to make healthy meals, and it is not easy to gain weight if consumed in moderation.

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Coconut meat is more explosive and is mainly composed of saturated fatty acids. Eating it directly is not good for the cardiovascular system , not to mention products such as coconut oil. People with related cardiovascular diseases should eat less.

Of course you have to eat it. Sugar is just one of the many components of fruit. Other nutrients are more important to the human body.

If you are worried about consuming too much sugar, just focus on controlling your daily intake.

According to the recommendations of the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents" (2022 edition), 200-350 grams of fruit intake should be ensured every day.

According to this amount, it is roughly equivalent to:

1 medium apple + 4-5 raspberries 1 banana + 1 small orange 1 kiwi + half a pear 2-3 strawberries + 1 small watermelon

Special reminder: Fruit juice cannot replace fresh fruit. Choose 2 different fruits in moderation every day and eat them together. The nutrients are complementary, which will not make you gain weight while fully satisfying your taste buds.

Statement: This article is a medical-related educational popular science article. It does not involve specific treatment methods or medical behaviors and cannot replace hospital visits.

Experts collaborating on this article

References

[1]Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022): Balanced Diet Guidelines[J]. Bulletin of Disease Prevention and Control, 2024, 39(01):95.

[2] Guo Xiaohui. Can diabetic patients eat watermelon? [J]. Life and Disasters, 2023, (06): 38-39.

[3] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table Standard Edition 6th Edition Volume 1[M]. Beijing: Peking University Medical Press, 2020.03.

Content Production

Editor: Zhang Fuyao

Map: Eastern Zhou Dynasty