Many who are suffering from candida overgrowth in the gut and body may be wondering if they can safely eat fruit.  There is loads of conflicting information on this subject and we hope to shed some light and truth in this post.  That being said, consuming high amounts of sugar whether it be in the form of fructose, or glucose, is never a good idea if you suffer from candida or are wanting to achieve optimal health.

Many are under the misconception that fruit, since it’s natural, is OK when dealing with candida overgrowth.  There is also lots of false information surrounding fruit which often gets perpetuated by mainstream media.  The common saying of, “be sure to eat your fruits and vegetables”  has been plastered in everyone’s mind from an early age.

With that said, fruit can be extremely healthy for those suffering from candida overgrowth in the gut and body.  However, this is only true for fruits that have not been altered by man and occur naturally in nature.

Hybridized Fruits vs. Modern Fruit

It’s important to understand that almost all fruit that is purchased at the grocery store has been hybridized by man.  This process of hybridization typically takes decades, but once complete, the fruit no longer shares the same DNA or traits of the original fruit.

For example, modern day bananas are full of sugar, contain no seeds, and are much bigger than the original fruit.  However, when we look at wild bananas that grow naturally in nature we see that these fruits contain high amounts of seeds, little to no edible flesh, are extremely low in sugar, and much smaller than modern day bananas.

Unfortunately, this process of taking wild fruits and force breeding them to contain extremely high amounts of sugar and no seeds can have catastrophic effects on the body.  For one, the body was never designed to handle large amounts of fructose that is present in all modern day fruit.  In fact, research has shown that diets high in fructose can be extremely damaging to liver, is a promoter of fatty liver disease, and is extremely damaging to overall health of the body (1).

Furthermore, fructose is a fancy way of describing the sugar present in fruit.  However, just like all sugar, fructose can feed pathogenic fungus such as candida and can significantly worsen a candida condition.

Fruit Occurs in Seasons

As bad as modern day fruit is to the body, there is yet another factor that many “health experts” will overlook.  When we look into nature, not only do we see that all fruit is extremely small and seedy, but we can also observe that it only grows for a short amount of time out of the year.

The fact that fruit does not grow year round should be a hint to us on how often we should be consuming it.  Interestingly, peak fruit season typically occurs right before the weather changes from hot to cold.  In nature, fruit would help us fatten up before entering into the long winter months.  However, it was never designed to be consumed year round.

Unfortunately, many believe that seedless fruit year round, such as what is found in all super markets, is healthy and natural.  Yet, our ancestors never consumed fruits year round and were never consuming the seedless sugary fruit available to us today.

If it Doesn’t Contain Seeds, It’s Sterile

As well as containing high amounts of sugar which can effectively contribute to candida overgrowth in the gut and body, most modern fruit does not contain seeds.  This is extremely problematic because no such fruits could ever exist in nature.

In fact, fruits without seeds contain the least biodiversity and are all clones.  Since fruit without seeds can not reproduce, farmers are forced to use a method called “grafting.”  Grafting is simply taking cuttings from the plant and replanting so that it will reproduce.  However, without man made intervention, these fruits would quickly die out in nature.

Also, since these fruits are all clones and are reproduced through grafting, they lack biodiversity which is present in fruits grown by seeds.  This is because fruits grown by seeds will always produce different traits in order to protect themselves from disease.  In fact, if it wasn’t’ for dangerous pesticides, most bananas would have been wiped out in the 50’s by a fungus known as “panama disease.”  It should be noted that wild bananas were completely immune to this fungus.

Furthermore, eating sterile fruits is a fairly new concept and no long term studies have been conducted in order to determine its effects on the body.  However, common sense tells us that if it doesn’t occur naturally in nature, we probably shouldn’t be eating it.  Also, by buying seedless fruits, you are supporting the production of such fruits.

Modern Fruit – Too Much Fructose

As mentioned before, diets high in fructose can contribute to fatty liver disease and can destroy the health of the body.  Unfortunately, even if a modern fruit does contain seeds, it’s highly likely that it has been overly hybridized and contains way more fructose than they original fruit.

White sugar, starchy carbohydrates, and fructose can all contribute to poor gut health and the growth of candida.  High amounts of sugar was never designed to be a part of the human diet.  In fact, a quick look into nature could reveal this secret to us fairly quickly. 

Native Americans who lived off the land were extremely robust and free from the degenerative disease of the west, yet, consumed little to no fructose.  As mentioned before, the only fructose that would be available to these Natives would be seasonal fruit.  Also, raw honey would be consumed when found but research has already shown that raw honey contains anti-fungal properties which can inhibit the growth of candida (2).

With that said, if you’re confused about how your diet should look if you’re suffering from candida, be sure to check out our candida diet protocol for a detailed and full explanation.

Safe Sugars for Candida

If you’re dealing with candida, there are several different sugars that occur naturally in nature that can be consumed safely.  As always, these foods should be consumed slowly and in small amounts in the beginning in order to gauge how your body reacts.  However, these foods are typically considered safe for those suffering from candida and have not been altered by man.

1. Raw Honey

Raw honey contains a mixture of fructose, glucose, maltose, and sucrose.  However, it’s primarily made up of fructose and glucose.  Raw honey contains powerful anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties despite its fairly high sugar content.  It’s for this reason that raw honey was often prescribed to those with stomach aliments related to bacterial and fungal overgrowth.

2. Real Maple Syrup

Maple syrup is the sap of the maple tree which has undergone a boiling process in order to achieve the thick and amber color we are so used to.  Maple syrup should contain one ingredient; maple syrup.  Stay away from maple syrups that contain added ingredients.  Interestingly, research shows that the phenolic compounds present in maple syrup contain strong anti-microbial properties (3).  Maple syrup was frequently incorporated into the diet of most Northern Native American tribes.

3. Berries

Most berries are considered safe for those with candida with the exception of a few varieties of strawberries.  Also, most berries that can be found in the supermarket have not been overly hybridized, contain seed, and do not contain high amounts of sugar.

Follow Our Candida Diet Protocol

If you’re suffering from a candida overgrowth, we highly recommend you check out or easy to follow candida diet protocol.  This protocol was designed to inhibit the growth of candida and restore optimal health to the body.  It was also designed to help improve the health and integrity of the gut which can naturally improve the immune system.

Also, for those new to this style of eating, our Crush Candida Diet Recipe Cook Book can be an excellent resource.  This cook book contains over 20 different candida friendly recipes which are both healthy and tasty.  We designed this cook book in order to make the transition from diets as easy and pain free as possible.  The cook book can also help you stick to the diet by keeping it interesting and tasteful!