There are devout "fruitarians" who restrict their entire diet to only fruits, and there are people who might go on a short-term fruit flush, as recommended by Jay Robb, a clinical nutritionist, in his book "Fruit Flush 3 Day Detox." The answer to whether you should eat canned fruit on a fruit diet depends on the type of fruit diet you are on.
Strict Fruitarians
Some fruitarians base their diet on the principle that plants should not be harmed through harvest for food. These devout fruitarians will only eat fruits, nuts, seeds, tomatoes, cucumbers and any other food that can be gathered without hurting a plant. Any vegetable that is uprooted for consumption, such as potatoes or celery, is not allowed. By these standards, canned fruit falls within the boundaries of the fruitarian diet as long as any added sugar did not come from sugar beets.
Less-Strict Fruitarianism
Other fruitarians, such as Anne Osborne, author of "Fruitarianism: The Path to Paradise," simply believe that fruit is the natural diet of humans. She makes a point to emphasize that the nutritional viability of fruitarianism depends on high-quality fruits, such as organic or wild fruits, and she advocates eating green vegetables if you are not getting enough nutrients from fruit alone. However, she does not approve of processed food, so canned fruit would fall into that category.
Fruit Flush
The fruit flush recommended by Jay Robb only lasts three days, and he does not allow any processed foods, including juice. Most other fruit diets also exclude processed foods and recommend only raw, fresh foods, so canned fruit is not recommended for any fruit diet intended for detoxing purposes.
Nutritional Value of Canned Fruit
Physically, canned fruit is still fruit, high in water and fiber content. Despite the claims that the canning and storage of foods decreases their nutritional value, a study done in 2007 by the University of California at Davis found that canned foods actually retained their nutrients much better than previously suspected. Heat from cooking and thermal processing contributed more so to the degradation of antioxidants.
Negatives of Canned Fruit
Even if canned foods do not lose too much of their nutrition through the canning process, most canned products contain preservatives and added sugars. Added sugar and syrup can significantly add to the caloric content of canned fruit and deplete its nutritional value. The study by the University of California at Davis also found that many of the nutrients lost from canning were actually transferred into the syrup.
Ultimately, you make your own food choices. The proponents of fruitarianism and fruit diets are not medical professionals, but if you are concerned about the healthiness of canned fruit in comparison to fresh fruit, pay attention to the nutrition labels.
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