As delicious as fresh fruit can be, you probably haven't considered filling your dinner plate with it---and nothing else. A growing number of cleanses urge a temporary fruit-only diet, while other movements tout the benefits of a full-time, fruit-only lifestyle. Although fruit is a necessary component of overall health, it's unlikely a fruit-only diet can satisfy your body's nutritional needs.
Identification
A true fruit-based diet consists solely of fresh fruit, eschewing all other types of food. A variant called "fruitarianism" allows users to eat raw veggies, nuts and seeds, as well as non-traditional raw fruits such as avocados, tomatoes and bell peppers. Philosophically, a fruitarian eats only foods provided by nature, without animal cruelty or processing of any kind. While some users adopt a fruit-based diet to uphold their principles, others believe in the health benefits.
Benefits
There's no argument that fruits are healthy foods, but according to the Fruitarian Worldwide Network, a fruitarian diet also provides a high energy level, mental clarity and better overall health. It claims fruit contains a plentiful supply of enzymes, aiding in digestion. As part of the raw food movement, this organization believes you must eat fruit raw to absorb all of the natural nutrients usually lost to processing, cooking or freezing.
Detox Fruit Diets
Several short-term "detox" diets require users to eat only fruit and drink only water for a period of up to three days. These are temporary diets and not intended to become a lifestyle. According to the Weight-Control Information Network, these fad diets rarely provide all of the nutrients your body needs, which means you might lose weight quickly but you're also likely to damage your gallbladder or heart. With fruit in particular, the network notes that no particular food--including grapefruit, a popular myth---can spur the body to burn fat and lose weight.
Dietary Recommendations
The government's Dietary Recommendations for Americans notes that most people don't eat enough fruits or vegetables. Eating more fruits and veggies can help reduce your risk of heart disease, some cancers and type-2 diabetes. The recommendations note that a person on a 2,000-calorie diet should eat 2 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of veggies per day. However, the recommendations also promote dairy products and whole-grain products as being equally necessary for balanced health, removing any chance of official government endorsement of an all-fruit diet.
Considerations
It's hard to get enough calories to sustain you if you're eating only fruit. According to Columbia University's Health Q&A Service, fruitarian diets usually are too low in calories for growing teens, plus they rarely provide enough calcium, iron, B vitamins or essential fatty acids. Because of these missing nutrients, vital bodily functions such as bone growth and nervous system development often are affected.
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