Dietetically Considered

When fruit is eaten uncooked, for special dietetic purposes, the effect is always more pronounced if it be taken alone an hour before the meal, or between meals. An exception would seem wise in the case of berries containing hard seeds; these are likely to cause less intestinal irritation when eaten with bread or other bulky food. Taken at the close of a meal the water in fruit is liable to interfere with digestion until such time as it can be absorbed by the lining of the stomach.

The diuretic influence of fruit is in part due to the water in composition, but principally to the presence of organic acids and salts, which stimulate the circulation of the blood and also the action of the kidneys.

The laxative action of fruits is partly - but not wholly - due to indigestible and irritating substances, as the seeds of figs and berries and the skins of prunes. Children, and older people who are not in robust health, need avoid the seeds and tough skins even of cooked fruit, nor should they indulge in fruit of coarse fibre.

To be wholesome fruit needs be ripe but not overripe. As fruit ripens, the starch in composition is changed into levulose or glucose, substances more assimilable than starch, and pectin, a carbohydrate (principle), which occasions the jellying of fruit when it is boiled, is formed. The tannin and vegetable acids are also changed and the fruit becomes less astringent. If fruit be overripe, bacteria, which have already begun the tearing down process, are introduced into the alimentary tract, and malfermentation with pain, cramps, nausea and other attendant ills, is likely to ensue.