Doctor in Spain warns his patients against eating this fruit – this is why

THE Mediterranean diet includes plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, something there is an abundance of in Spain thanks to the acres of land given over to their cultivation down in the south. 

But while a high intake of fruit is associated with health, there is one particular variety that a doctor in Spain warns his patients against eating: fruits in syrup.

That’s according to Roberto Mendez, a doctor who, writing in Spanish daily El Español, says that the high level of sugar in such canned products must be avoided. 

“Syrup, by definition, contains large amounts of sugar,” he writes. “For every 100 grams of fruit, at least 16 grams of sugar will be absorbed, which is equivalent to more than 20% of the daily amount recommended by the European authorities (50 grams per day), and more than half of what is recommended by the World Health Organization (25 grams per day).”

Read more: WHO says adults should eat at least 400 gm of fruits and vegetables per day

Mendez does, however, point out the difference between fruit in syrup and other tinned fruits, which are packaged in juice and are not as harmful to health. 

High sugar intake is a problem across the Western world, with an average in Europe of 90 grams per person per day. 

Sugar is associated with health problems such as obesity, diabetes and other cardiometabolic illnesses. 

“Having fruit in syrup on hand would make sense only if we do not have other types of fruit or if we have nowhere to keep fresh fruit safely, although there are more and more refrigeration solutions that allow us to do so even if we are travelling or in a rural house,” he writes.

“In terms of micronutrients, fruit in general is rich in vitamins C and B vitamins, as well as minerals such as potassium. Again, the syruping process reduces all these nutrients, while increasing the amount of sodium in the mixture,” he concludes.