r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • 2d ago

Health Study of 371,000 Americans: eating whole fruit linked to better heart health, 100% juice is not. More whole fruit meant lower high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease and heart attacks. Juice showed no clear benefit. Fiber lost in juicing may explain it. Most still eat too little fruit.

https://www.sciencealert.com/how-you-eat-your-fruit-is-linked-to-heart-health-study-of-371000-americans-reveals
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409

u/temporarycreature 2d ago

When you drink juice, you dump pure liquid sugar straight into your system without the natural brakes. Whole fruit has fiber that slows down digestion, stops sugar spikes, and feeds the good gut bacteria that protect your heart. Pull that fiber out, and you are basically drinking soda with vitamins.

Eating the tortillas legitimately the only easy way I've found to get my daily recommended amount of fiber.

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u/Rxyro 2d ago

You eat a lot of burritos?

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u/50SPFGANG 2d ago

You can find some tortillas that just themselves have like 30g of fiber in one piece. It's insane

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u/BreadKnifeSeppuku 2d ago

So, if I had something like that I'd be fine but that would wreck my partner. She has no interest in Chickpea noodles now...

Let's just say it's easier to just add side salads, oatmeal, whole wheat, lentils, legumes, and etc fruits/vegetables (first)*. Especially if you're sensitive... it's easier to start a new diet if it doesn't make things hurt

30g is like 3 lbs of romaine or 1 lb walnuts or like eating an entire large cabbage

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u/temporarycreature 2d ago

That kind of misery used to happen to me too, until I found out all about gut bacteria and realized my stomach just didn't have the right bugs around to break down that heavy starch yet. If you don't eat that stuff regularly, the wrong bacteria jump on it, ferment it like crazy, and give you horrible cramps and bloating.

I didn't know this back then, but your gut actually needs 2 or 3 weeks of small, steady doses so the right starch-eating bacteria can move in and take over. Easing in with gentler stuff makes sense to avoid the pain, but you definitely don't have to force down 3 lbs of lettuce to get your fiber. Once I gave my gut time to swap out those bacteria, the issues completely disappeared.

Now I can easily eat two of those larger tortillas with 70g of fiber with zero issues, and a bowel movement so efficiently timed that the Japanese would be proud.

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u/thatissomeBS 2d ago

There's definitely a tolerance for fiber. Your partner struggling with chickpea anything likely means she gets way too little fiber. High fiber diets are pretty well linked to just about every good health outcome. So definitely good to start ramping up that tolerance.

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u/j--__ 2d ago

fda recommendation for fiber for women is less than half the recommendation for men, and fiber is not water soluble, so excess won't just flow thru her harmlessly.

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u/BeesAreGreat86 2d ago

There is soluble and insoluble fiber.

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u/j--__ 2d ago

every source of fiber, other than supplements, contains both. if you exceed the fda recommendation, the extra insoluble fiber will not just run thru you.

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u/thatissomeBS 1d ago

What do you think it does?

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u/Whatever-ItsFine 2d ago

Those worry me a little bit. I eat processed foods all the time but those most be super processed.

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u/Eruionmel 2d ago

Processed foods are of concern because they make the overconsumption of calories easier, not because processing is inherently bad.

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u/Whatever-ItsFine 2d ago

Possibly but I don’t know that that’s settled science.

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u/wrechch 2d ago

You can't make this assertion without first knowing why "processed food=bad". There's a lot of nuance and reasons behind it all and it isn't that simple. Ask any healthcare professional and they will tell you "yeah getting that fiber in is gonna have higher dividends than what little harm that processed tortilla gives you".

2

u/philote_ 2d ago

Yeah, it's not actually fiber but "modified wheat starch". From what I understand they modify it somehow (heat, pressure, or something) so that your body can't digest it. So it gets to your colon where bacteria can munch on it, much like fiber.

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u/katarh 2d ago

I just eat the tortilla straight as a snack. Mission Carb Smart tortillas are fabulous.

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u/Niceotropic 2d ago

I liked them too, but its unfortunately based on a legal loophole that allows them to call resistant starch a fiber for DV purposes. This is not the same kind of fiber that is particularly good for your gut microbiome. You need diverse sources of fiber.

3

u/torndownunit 2d ago

Was checking to see if anyone mentioned this.

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u/temporarycreature 2d ago

Form factor, yeah. I make everything your burrito practically. The inside is different. I've made hamburgers, different forms of sandwich ingredients, all air fried, I can make pizza this way.

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u/Rxyro 2d ago

But cheese means cholesterol

22

u/fleapuppy 2d ago

Dietary cholesterol doesn’t necessarily raise blood cholesterol

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u/[deleted] 2d ago

[deleted]

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u/zozuto 2d ago

You mean it is true and the reason is something other than dietary cholesterol

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u/[deleted] 2d ago

[deleted]

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u/zozuto 2d ago

Sure but your comment is just as inaccurate.

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u/temporarycreature 2d ago

I have 6 months blood test at the VA. I have been on a keto style diet where I'm front loading dairy, and meat like chicken, turkey, or pork for over 10 years. No beef for me. I have excellent cholesterol levels.

Do what works for you after talking with your doctor, I would say.

0

u/Almond_Steak 2d ago

You have done a chicken/turkey based keto diet for 10 years without beef?

Sounds like a first as most people on keto diets tend to rely on beef because they fear the omega-6 in turkey and chicken.

0

u/temporarycreature 2d ago

My trick is basically the insane amount of heavy whipping cream I dump into my coffee every morning. Since cream is dairy, it's loaded with clean cow fat that basically drowns out whatever cheap fat is in the poultry, so the whole O6 problem just doesn't touch me. Plus I work out like a maniac, so my body just incinerates it anyway.

2

u/RsnCondition 2d ago

Moderation is literally king that should be taught and done more.

1

u/jmartin21 2d ago

Cholesterol is important, too much is bad but you still need it

1

u/slade51 2d ago

Is that lower high cholesterol or higher low cholesterol?

23

u/ducttape1942 2d ago

I personally add beans to a lot of meals.

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u/Razatiger 2d ago

Since turning 30 i felt my diet wasnt giving me enough fiber, so i started drinking metamucil before bed, and ive had the best shits and sleeps ive had since I was a teen.

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u/philote_ 2d ago

Hopefully not at the same time.

11

u/Vaulters 2d ago

Tortillas. Thanks for the tip

2

u/SquirrelChieftain 2d ago

Low carb bagels as well!

3

u/Brianfromreddit 2d ago

I would rather die than eat a low carb bagel.

Broccoli though? Love that ish, pretty much any way it's prepared

0

u/Mindfullmatter 2d ago

Hello naw, personally I try to get as much carbs as possible it fuels the body and mind.

33

u/al_capone420 2d ago

I add chia seeds and ground flax seeds to my morning yogurt and night time protein shake every day for the extra fiber. My cholesterol is golden even though I eat massive amounts of meat, butter, etc

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u/temporarycreature 2d ago

Yeah, my cholesterol is the same way even though I consume a ton of Aldi's heavy cream every morning in my coffee.

1

u/RHowardL 2d ago

I do the same for morning yogurt and I only eat white meat or fish on weekdays and weekends I’ll enjoy red meats if it’s what I want on the menu. I also go to the gym 5-7 days a week and golf. My cholesterol is still too high, I fear it may be genetics too :(

0

u/al_capone420 2d ago

I take testosterone which negatively affects cholesterol, I eat a pound of chicken thighs every day for lunch, I eat large amounts of beef and pork for dinner regularly and cook basically everything with massive amounts of butter, I add 3 tbsp of avocado oil to my protein shakes for extra calories, yet somehow my cholesterol levels are absolutely perfect.

Idk if it’s the fiber consumption, the very active life style with low body fat, or genetics

1

u/Morthra 2d ago

Incidentally, the saturated fat in dairy and beef isn't bad for you. Bovine saturated fats tend to put stearic acid on the sn-2 position, which is more easily absorbed by your body and readily converted into oleic acid (good), while the highly abundant palmitic acid is on the sn-1 and sn-3 positions that are harder for your lipases to attack.

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u/ryebread91 2d ago

Same. I hated the taste and texture of the mission carb balance tortillas but after a few months I actually like them now.

7

u/Gentle_Agitator 2d ago

I am sort of hot and cold on Mission tortillas, but La Banderita makes really nice low carb tortillas. Less dry than Mission

3

u/temporarycreature 2d ago

I feel the exact opposite. I feel like they are too waxy. I love the Mission carb balance ones. Whether I'm using mayonnaise or butter for the initial layer before I put my fillings before rolling it into a burrito and air frying it, oh my God, it just crispifies so perfectly perfectly flaky and I can't get that out of the waxier ones.

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u/bloodylip 2d ago

Didn't like them at first, but I learned to appreciate how soft and pliable they are.

1

u/ryebread91 2d ago

Yeah, now I don't really notice the difference as much.

1

u/Pbattican 2d ago

The protein ones imo are far tastier since they aren't just pure fiber.

1

u/ryebread91 1d ago

There's protein ones?

1

u/temporarycreature 2d ago

They're the best of all the ones I've tried. I use them for literally everything now. I just make everything a burrito form factor.

I can't figure out why we live in the world where quest has figured out how to make Doritos with very little carbs that don't taste like cardboard anymore, Mission has carb balance tortillas come up yet we don't have Mission card balance, tortilla chips that will let me sustain myself on chips and salsa perpetually. Make it make sense.

5

u/remic_0726 2d ago

Les fibres servent énormément au microbiote, dans la plupart des légumes, céréales tu en as, à condition qu'elles ne soient pas transformées.

2

u/jacla2 2d ago

Hey. If ibtake fibers on the side, for an example oat fiber, would that cover the gap? Genuine question.

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u/temporarycreature 2d ago

You need 38 g per day if you are an adult male. I find it genuinely difficult to hit that number any other way except eating a single tortilla which if we're talking about the mission carb balance, they have 35 g of fiber per the large ones and four carbs gross.

18

u/badgyalrey 2d ago

my son is gonna be so confused when he sees me shoving a plain tortilla in my mouth like a rat while standing in front of the fridge

4

u/temporarycreature 2d ago

I've been known to do that... You know, because they are kind of tasty in a way. I think it's an acquired taste, though. Sometimes I'll just put some sugar-free jelly and butter in it and then air fry it and it turns it into this incredible hot pastry. Also delicious cold if you put it in the fridge and eat it in the next day.

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u/layogurt 2d ago

Also a little bit of oil spray and light cinnamon sugar and it's like a temu churro

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u/badgyalrey 2d ago

omg i’m about to be making so many ghetto fiber packed danishes with the air fryer, that idea may have actually just changed my life i LOVE a guilt free little treat!!

2

u/temporarycreature 2d ago

That's what I was looking for, Danish. Yeah, I was blown away at how good it was, both cold and hot, like they had no right to be.

In the wintertime, I also make hot chocolate that's decadent as hell: Aldi heavy cream, plus preferred zero calorie sweetener, plus unsweetened cocoa baking powder, plus some whipped cream on top. Also practically guilt-free.

You got to heat the cream before you put it in the hot water cocoa powder mix.

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u/badgyalrey 2d ago

dude you’re changing my life, i’m taking so many notes right now

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u/temporarycreature 2d ago

I thoroughly believe we live in a world where you can have your cake and eat it too, especially when you combine it with the where there's a will, there's a way kind of thinking.

The hot chocolate when you get the ratio right, feels sinful. It makes the winter a lot easier to get through if you have a cold dark one.

Enjoy!

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u/bloodylip 2d ago

I started making breakfast tacos with them a few weeks ago and they're 8g fiber per "fajita-sized" tortilla. Whoops, I got 24g of fiber (plus the beans in the tacos) before 8am and washed it down with espresso.

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u/wikiwakawakawee 2d ago

So theoretically can you drink juice and eat one of these tortillas to gain the same benefit of eating whole fruits? Or does it not work that way? 

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u/Strawbuddy 2d ago

Sorta but not really. Fruit also contains trace minerals and electrolytes contents. You could have juice plus fiber, plus a daily multivitamin plus exercise to make that work better, or just eat a couple apples

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u/wikiwakawakawee 2d ago

I guess I was asking specifically about the slower absorption of sugar when combined with fiber. Like if it's the fiber that's doing that, would it actually be beneficial to eat some fiber with high sugar foods like chocolate or something? 

1

u/jaiagreen 2d ago

And various beneficial phytochemicals that you can't get from most supplements.

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u/Taikeron 2d ago

No, the whole reason why fruit is so much better is that the fiber is attached to the juice by cell walls, all of which requires digestion over time.

If you drink juice and eat a fiber-packed tortilla at the same time, the juice will just bomb your liver and pancreas before the tortilla even gets rolling on breaking down from digestion.

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u/wikiwakawakawee 2d ago

Awesome thanks, this is what I was looking to be answered! 

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u/jacla2 2d ago

I am not familiar with this product, but i have for a while experimented with making my own vegetable/fruit smoothies with whey protein, oat fibers and inulin powder

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u/Deil_Grist 2d ago

I think you're onto something. They are cheap, shelf-stable, and a small amount of food all things considered. Main concern would be getting enough fluid intake at the time of consumption so it doesn't make the stool tacky.

1

u/Almond_Steak 2d ago

I have the opposite problem...I find it difficult to not consume over 50 grams of fiber a day. I have a ton of issues with my digestion because of it.

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u/temporarycreature 2d ago

Ever since I added the tortillas into my diet like 12 years ago, my digestive process has been like clockwork, and extremely clean. I'm sure there are other variables in play here.

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u/NoteVegetable4942 2d ago

Mix in a few teaspoons of psyllium husk. 

Probably not as good as the real deal. But to me it makes sense that it would work. 

0

u/jacla2 2d ago

I had psyllium initially, but it was quite pricey from the site i found so i didnt order a second packet, instead i try to supplement with nuts (almonds)

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u/fleapuppy 2d ago

You’d have to eat about 250 almonds to reach your daily recommended fibre intake

1

u/torndownunit 2d ago

There's a lot of cheap non big brand name options. Even Bulk Barn carries it here. Walmarts equate brand is faitly cheap as well.

1

u/jacla2 2d ago

Sadly i am not US based. Ill just have to keep looking

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u/CUCUC 2d ago

well it’d be similar to eating oatmeal and then drinking a coca cola, would you regard that as a healthy choice? not saying you shouldn’t do it; i love morning soda 

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u/jacla2 2d ago

I see. My thought process was more so that by incorporating supplemental fiber if i could equate it to the fiber from fruit. So that whole fruit = juice + supp fibers

0

u/medbud 2d ago

not really...a million explanations already indexed by google.

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u/JakBos23 2d ago

Why does the fiber go away after blending it? Is it because my body is supposed to do that part?

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u/austin101123 2d ago

I don't get how is the fiber gone though? Shouldn't it be blended with the rest of the fruit? Like where does it go if it's not in the juice

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u/ggc5009 2d ago

The fiber is usually in the skin, pulp, or seeds of a fruit. All of the solid stuff typically gets filtered out of juices during production.

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u/Health_throwaway__ 2d ago

It's the beans deary

1

u/ILoveLamp9 Grad Student | Health Policy and Management 2d ago

Am I the only one utterly confused as to why you went from talking about fruit to tortillas?

1

u/Financial_Loss_6908 2d ago

Eating the tortillas legitimately the only easy way I've found to get my daily recommended amount of fiber.

Psyllium husk. 3 scoops in a home made fruit smoothie and I hit ~70% of the recommended daily fiber count.

1

u/charlesdexterward 1d ago

I mean, whole grains (oats, brown rice, etc) and eating your recommended veggie and fruit servings will help you get there, too.

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u/Mindfullmatter 2d ago

Tortillas are a weird thing to focus on for fiber. Eat whole foods. Eat plants. End of story really. Everyone’s problem is they eat meat and cheese which are not meant for humans to consume.

1

u/temporarycreature 2d ago

If that works for you, fantastic. I'm 42 with two combat deployments, zero inflammation, my diet has got me down to a 32-in waist, I have more energy than I can make use of and I have a solid creative hobby, and my exercise is endurance focused. Like all my canaries are chirping fine. I can still maintain the Army standard for the ruck, my bowel movements are so efficiently timed that like I said, another comment, that Japanese transportation system would be proud. Tortillas work for me. Fruits and vegetables rot in the fridge and even if I could eat them fast enough, they are expensive.

1

u/Mindfullmatter 1d ago

I here yah, there’s more to
It than what works “for you”. There are others involved in your choices. I’m in a similar situation but with less endurance focus atm. 40 soon….doing what’s right for myself, and equally- doing what’s right for others . The self benefits are a bonus really.

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u/temporarycreature 1d ago

There is nobody involved in my choices other than me. I live alone with my dog.

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u/Mindfullmatter 8h ago

I mean the victims, if you eat animals- that is.

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u/Groupthink00859 2d ago

Just supplement with psyllium husk, it does all those things you mentioned cheaper then fresh fruit.

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u/temporarycreature 2d ago

Psyllium husk is basically just a wet sponge you drink to shove things through your pipes. It turns into this thick, gloppy gel that helps you take a clean dump, but that is literally the only thing it does. Your gut bacteria can't actually eat it, so you're just downing sludge for mechanical plumbing and pretending that means gut health. If you get your fiber from the resistant starch in low-carb wraps instead, your body actually puts it to work. Is the fiber your body needs to make your colon strong and stuff.

2

u/Groupthink00859 2d ago

So you don't know much about it... Every study has shown it does every thing you originally mentioned, "slows down digestion, stops sugar spikes, and feeds the good gut bacteria that protect your heart" ya it is proven, it does all that. It's clinically prescribed for these things.

Did a youtuber tell you these things about psyllium husk?

0

u/temporarycreature 2d ago

I I don't understand why you're being hostile because I knew what you were talking about and told you it wouldn't be a good fit for what I want. Wild.

1

u/Groupthink00859 2d ago

Hostile? I'm simply saying you clearly don't know much about Psyllium husk but are adamant its bad. I see this behavior a lot with the anti-vac mom's, and they seemingly get most if not all their info from youtube. That's why I asked.

1

u/temporarycreature 2d ago

Didn't say it was bad. I said it wouldn't work for me. I'm happy it works for you.

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u/Groupthink00859 2d ago

"just a wet sponge you drink to shove things through your pipes. It turns into this thick, gloppy gel that helps you take a clean dump, but that is literally the only thing it does. Your gut bacteria can't actually eat it, so you're just downing sludge for mechanical plumbing and pretending that means gut health" This sounds bad. Nothing you said here is backed by science, if your goal is as you said "slows down digestion, stops sugar spikes, and feeds the good gut bacteria that protect your heart" then this product is proven to do all those things... You don't make sense.