Myth 1: You don’t get all the nutrients from fruits if you eat them with a meal

Eating fruits on an empty stomach is the most effective way for your body to absorb all its nutrients. This claim suggests that nutrients are lost when fruits are taken with a meal.

The truth: The human digestive system is very efficient at absorbing nutrients from food. When eating, your stomach releases only a little bit of food at a time so that your intestines have the chance to absorb as many nutrients as possible.

Your small intestine is about 6 metres long, which gives it ample length and time to absorb nutrients during digestion. This means that your digestive system will have no problem receiving the nutrients from the fruits you consume, whether or not you eat them with a meal.

Myth 2: You can only eat fruits on an empty stomach

Having fruits with your meals causes the rate of digestion to slow down and food to break down in the stomach. Along with this, there are also claims that the undigested food is what causes indigestion, stomach pains and a myriad of other ailments.

The truth: Although the fibre in fruits can slow down the release of food from your stomach, there is no truth to its claimed effects. Yes, fruits slow down the rate your stomach passes food into the small intestine, but, they do not slow digestion down in the stomach.

Slowing down digestion can, in fact, be a positive effect. The fibre in fruits keeps you feeling full for a longer period of time, helping you consume fewer calories.