Many people imagine that all fruits are good for your health, period. For Dr. Steven Gundry, former cardiac surgeon and specialist in gut healththe reality is a little more nuanced: certain fruits provide valuable vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, but others are real concentrates of sugar. Even when it is natural, this sugar can disrupt the microbiota, promote weight gain and fatigue the metabolism if consumed in excess. In his office as in his work on the links between intestinal flora and longevity, this doctor sees every day the effects of these choices on the heart and intestines.
Faced with this observation, Dr Steven Gundry advises favoring fruits with a low sugar content, rich in fiber and polyphenols, these compounds which nourish good intestinal bacteria. “I also consider fruits to be ‘nature’s sweets’, to be savored with attention, not endlessly.“, explains Dr. Steven Gundry, quoted by CNBC. For him, fruits should be enjoyed as a thoughtful treat rather than as a permanent snack, especially when you want to protect your microbiota and hope live longer. It remains to be seen which low-sugar fruits he highlights, and which he himself consumes on a daily basis.
Why I rely on fruits low in sugar for intestinal health
Orange juice or a very sweet mango does not have the same effect as a kiwi or a handful of raspberries. Metabolically, excess fructose increases blood sugar peaks, pushes the pancreas to produce more and more insulin and ultimately tires the cells. At the intestinal level, this excess sugar mainly feeds the least favorable bacteria, to the detriment of those which produce beneficial fatty acids. Dr. Steven Gundry points out that even the natural sugar in fruits is still sugar and that, in too large quantities, it can promote weight gain, silent inflammation and chronic diseases.
To limit these effects, this specialist in gut health don’t ban fruit, far from it. He simply chooses them carefully and consumes them in reasonable portions, often at the end of a meal rather than repeated snacking. When he fills his basket, he follows three simple rules that his patients can easily apply:
- Favor
fruits low in sugarsuch as citrus fruits, berries or kiwi, which give flavor without overloading fructose; - Choose fruits very rich in fiber or resistant starch, which really satiate and nourish good intestinal bacteria;
- Look for those who concentrate
polyphenols and sometimes quality fats, such as avocado or olives, to protect the heart and brain as well as the intestine.
The 9 low-sugar fruits that Dr. Steven Gundry puts on the menu
In this logic, this surgeon’s first allies are citrus fruits. Grapefruit, tangerines and in an exotic version, the
kumquats are naturally low in sugar and very rich in vitamin C. They also provide flavonoids, a family of
polyphenols which supports a
microbiota diversified. Dr. Steven Gundry insists not to remove the white part under the skin of the grapefruit or tangerine: it’s one of the most nutrient-dense areas. Kumquats are eaten whole, skin included, which makes them an easy tangy touch to sprinkle on a salad or stir-fried dish. Another reflex that he often recommends: fill your bowl with berries, blueberries, raspberries or blackberries, not very sweet but very rich in fiber and antioxidants.
When possible, he advises choosing seasonal berries and blueberries wild rather than the large, very sweet varieties sold in trays. Another flagship fruit:
grenadewhich he describes as a real star for the heart and cells. It contains specific polyphenols such as punicalagin, studied for their protective effects on the cardiovascular system and longevity. Despite its sweet taste, the pomegranate remains lower in sugar than many tropical fruits, and its crunchy seeds provide an additional dose of fiber that is very useful for digestion and metabolism.
Technically classified as fruits, the lawyer
and the olives also occupy a central place in its advice. Avocado is almost free of sugar, but very rich in fiber, potassium and satiating monounsaturated fats. “In my eyes, avocado is the most perfect fruit you can eat. It calms, supports the heart and nourishes the intestine without causing a sugar spike. I eat almost one a day to get the most benefits.“, confides Dr. Steven Gundry. Olives provide very little sugar and a lot of quality fats and polyphenols, notably hydroxytyrosol, which according to him supports the heart, the brain and the intestine. As for the
kiwi, more moderate in sugar than many exotic fruits, it concentrates vitamin C, fiber and antioxidants, especially in its skin. “Here’s a secret: eat the skin! Yes, even the fluffy part, because that’s where a lot of the fibers and polyphenols are found“, specifies the doctor, recalling that a recent study associates this fruit, rich in serotonin, with better sleep.
Green banana, green mango and passion fruit: allies for the microbiota
Finally, Dr. Steven Gundry gives a special place to fruits eaten while still green. THE bananas Unripe ones are almost not sweet, and that is precisely what interests him. They contain resistant starch, a prebiotic fiber that feeds beneficial bacteria in the colon and helps stabilize blood sugar levels. When the banana turns yellow and becomes very soft, this starch gradually transforms into sugar and these effects diminish. “I recommend blending green bananas into smoothies or blending pieces into yogurt, with cinnamon or a little low-sweet sweetener“, explains the specialist, who also cites green banana flour as a practical option.
mango green follows the same logic: much less sweet than very ripe orange mango, it provides fiber, resistant starch, antioxidants and vitamin C, particularly in Thai-style salads.
Another small fruit he likes:
passion fruit. Not very sweet for an exotic fruit, it is rich in fiber, vitamin A and polyphenols, and its numerous seeds behave like real prebiotics. For this doctor, the key remains very simple: “For better long-term health, my approach is simple: choose fruits low in sugar and rich in fiber and polyphenols, these compounds which support intestinal health and more stable energy. But of course, you should always talk to your doctor before making major changes to your diet.”. Health authorities generally advise sticking to two or three whole fruits per day, ideally chosen from those fruits low in sugar, consumed whole rather than in juice, to really benefit from their fiber and protect the intestine, the heart and the metabolism.