Ok, my friends. I don't normally do this, but it seems that lately, fruit is a very polarizing subject on the fatty liver support groups. It's the whole "carbs are the enemy" mindset, where I really feel that the definition of "carbs" has gone to the dogs of late. I think the whole keto movement may have done this.
I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that overeating any fruit or healthy grain did not put me 113 pounds overweight, raise my cholesterol, damage my liver, or give me high cholesterol. Yes, if you have diabetes or insulin resistance, a little thought will need to be put into quantities of certain fruits without a doubt, but for the general public, we are just not eating enough of it to make that happen,
Someone recently posted in a response to a poor fatty liver sufferer who was frightened and not sure what to do that "Fructose is a killer! The sugar content in fruit takes away absolutely all benefits of any nutrients." - and continued on working to prove this point. All I could think was what that post (and it was lengthy) was going to do to some poor soul who is asking for help...trying to find their way back to health in a support group and then gets a response like this. In the beginning of my journey it was these type of responses that made me afraid to eat, fearful that anything I try to do was just going to put me within an inch of the end of my life...nothing was going to be good enough.
So...soap box ACTIVATED!
Referencing an article by Blanche Scharf, a researcher and writer in the health and wellness field for over 30 years, who has helped me immensely in learning more about my own personal nutrition.
"A review of 33 studies that looked at the dietary habits of those living with NAFLD, and those without found that those with NAFLD actually had lower fruit intake than those without. The studies found fruits and vegetables can help prevent NAFLD due to the fact that they are high in fiber and antioxidants. Similar findings were also noted in another systematic review and meta-analysis from 2020, which looked at 24 studies. In this review, fruits and vegetables showed to help reduce the occurrence of NAFLD. The overall evidence shows you shouldn’t avoid fruit completely to prevent, manage or help reverse NAFLD. Fruit is a healthy snack supplying vitamins, phytochemicals, antioxidants and fiber. A small portion of the diet for fatty liver should include at the very least
berries such as raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and blueberries, honeydew melons. Also, apples, grapes and citrus fruits like oranges and lemons are liver-friendly fruits. In moderation many organic fruits are good for the liver."
Refined sugar is definitely not good for the liver. Refined sugar does cause inflammation which can lead to fibrosis and cirrhosis in some people for sure amongst other issues. This can come in the forms of..well...sugar that you buy in the store, also refined flour, alcohol amongst other things, syrups, boxed/processed foods...I could go on and on. But it is not accurate to say that there is no nutritional value in eating real, fresh fruits, or that they are the enemy.
We always should be cognizant of our individual dietary needs and conditions that may put us in a place to review quantity or the spikes in blood sugar they can cause in someone with diabetes or insulin resistance. We owe it to ourselves to do o
ur own research based on how our bodies respond to things which will be different for all.
The vitamin C in many fruits are very beneficial to someone with liver disease, and when combined with leafy greens, can greatly help absorption of nutrients, namely iron. People with liver disease very commonly have iron deficiencies or low platelets, learning how foods can work together to help us increase our health is so important.
I only want to stress that blanket statements or eliminations across the board are not necessarily the best option. Find the balance that works best for your body, it is not often an all or nothing approach.

The girl on the right in this photo barely ate any fruit, and harmed her body...the girl on the left eats tons of fruit, is healing her liver, lowering her glucose levels, blood pressure, triglycerides and cholesterol, and dropped 113 pounds.
Read from reputable sources, don't follow ANYBODY out the window, no, not even me! We are all different.
Love, Sue
#healprydeliver #soapbox #cirrhosis #fattyliver #nafld #nashcirrhosis #nash #wholefoods #naturalhealth365 #doyourresearch #fruitisnottheenemy
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