Is It Possible To Eat Too Much Of A Fruit?

by Peter
(Norway)

Peter's Question:Is it possible to eat too much of a single type of fruit, and become sick because of too much Vitamins or acid?

For instance oranges.

Thank you.

Andrew's Answer: I would not suggest you eat a single type of fruit or a very small number of fruits to the exclusion to the many available throughout the year. The reason for variety is simple: different fruit have different levels of different vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, many of which science has not even discovered.

Decreasing variety decreases nutrient exposure, which is never good over the long term.

However, the body is extremely efficient of expelling excess nutrients of the type found in fruit. Potassium, for instance, is easily expelled.

If you stuck to eating very acidic fruit- like unripe pineapples - for days upon end you could burn your tongue. Perhaps if you kept it up long enough you might cause damage. But why would you do something that hurts?

Although citrus fruits, such as the orange, are higher in acid than other fruits, as long as you're not eating them exclusively I think you'll do ok.

Read a more detailed answer about how the acid in citrus affects teeth here.

Learn about a healthy, varied raw food diet.

Get more information on fruit nutrition.