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Excess sugar intake is ahuge risk factorfor heart disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity, according to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, not all sugar is created equal, and a doctor is here to set the record straight.

Gastroenterologist andcookbook authorDr. Will Bulsiewicz, M.D. recently took to his Instagram to discuss a rumor that has been circulating around the nutrition space.

“There’s a common myth on the internet that you should stay away from fruits when you’re trying to lose weight,” Bulsiewicz writes in the caption of hisInstagram post. “What if I told you that the opposite was actually true?”

Read on to find out more about what Bulsiewicz thinks about the sugar in fruit and how he’s combating the negative stigma around it.

The #1 Nutrient to Eat for Weight Loss, According to a Gastroenterologist

“I really don’t understand why fruit is so controversial,” Bulsiewicz exclaimed at the start of the video. “People out there are making the claim that fruit is somehow causing weight gain. This is completely absurd.”

Bulsiewicz then goes on to explain how fruit is not causing the body to gain weight—and science backs up this claim.

Because fruit is high in fiber and low in calories, Dr. B is correct in that adding it to your diet can help with weight loss, if that is your goal, and it can help you maintain a healthy weight. Consuming the natural sugar in fruit isnot the same as consuming added sugarin ultra processed foods because natural sugar foods also provide a ton of nutritional value.Fruit, for example, can help improve your gut health, heart health and decrease cancer risk because of its fiber-packed qualities.

“I say stop running away from fruit and start running towards it. It is amazing, and there are so many great choices like this delicious peach for you to enjoy,” he said while holding up the peach in his hand. We agree!

To start adding more fruit into your eating pattern, check out these7 fruits that can help you lose weightand try some of our favorite fruity recipes like ourPurple Fruit SaladandFruit & Yogurt Smoothie.

Up next:Joy Bauer’s Antioxidant-Packed Blueberry Chia Jam Is Ready in Just 60 Seconds

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