Myth reversed: why it is not necessary to eat the fruit with the skin (or pebbles)

Few things admit so much consensus that the fruit is part of the structure on which it is built a healthy diet. However, on the question of whether it is better to eat with skin, which has more nutrients, or if the fur is the most appropriate, because hygiene is a priority, the road bifurcated .

On one side, those who profess the command of "the fruit, better with the skin", the other, those who are unable to swallow it without having made a polishing worthy of a diamond cutter from Antwerp. These "sides" are separated mainly by an idea: that the skin of the fruit is a treasure of all kinds of precious nutrients. However, science does not endorse this theory and, together with common sense, rejects it outright when it is advised to eat the whole kiwi and avocado soil.

The false goodness of a furry (and edible) skin

One of the most striking ideas that can be found today in digital forums is the supposed contribution of high technology. fiber levels of the hairy skin of kiwifruit. Eating is a challenge for the palace to which the chairman of the Scientific Committee of the Association for the Promotion of Fruits, Vegetables and Vegetables 5 a day and member of the Spanish Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Manuel Moñino , deny all truth.

It's the edible part that houses the fiber and the rest of the nutrients, he says, though he admits that kiwi skin is edible – as surprising as it sounds. Moñino points out that those who like to taste kiwis should not be more cautious than wash them well before to give them the first bite.

For those who want to eat kiwi with their skin, they may be interested in more picturesque tendencies, such as the one recommended by hashtag advisers. crush the kernel of avocados (who already have enough nutrients in their meat) to use it as a condiment to which they attribute the properties of "superfoods". If it's the first time you read this idea and you find it attractive, better do not bother you trying.

The president of the scientific committee of the badociation, 5 hours a day, remembers that "our gastronomic and cultural history put each fruit in its place and in its context, and that there is no nutritional reason for making these sacrifices. The skin of the fruits can sometimes increase the content of fibers and polyphenols, but these substances are also present in the matrix. There is no need to eat either plant stems or the skin of the fruit to increase nutrient intake ".

For those who choose to do so, Moñino warns: "Some fruit seeds and seeds can have cyanide derivatives. For example, apple seeds or peaches and apricot apricots can cause serious health problems if they are ingested regularly and in quantity ".

The best way to eat fruits: to your taste

That the skin of apples is the most important part of this fruit is an idea burned in the fire in the popular ignorance; does not seem to be a determining factor, according to a study by the Department of Consumer and Nutrition Sacramento, California (USA), which concludes that it remains to be seen that the health benefits differ depending on whether the fruit is consumed with or without the skin.

Moñino provides the following nuances: "According to the food composition tables validated by the Center for Higher Education of Nutrition and Dietetics (CESNID), the total fiber content of 100 grams of apple with skin is 2, 1 grams, against 1 6 grams without the skin, and there are no significant changes in the rest of the nutrients, that is, the skin contributes only a small amount of fiber, if we talk about nutrients. The important thing is to ingest them, the question of the skin can adapt to everyone's preferences ".

The supposed nutritional intake of the cover is not the only myth that surrounds this fruit. On the Internet, many videos warn about the toxicity of waxes covering apples, to which they are linked by a plastic material. It's a far-reaching lie in social networks and WhatsApp, cheating end-to-end, as explained the nutritionist dietician. "Waxes or coating substances they are totally safe and are allowed by the competent authorities in the field of European food safety. They must extend the shelf life and are often common in apples, cucumbers or citrus fruits, when they are intended for export ".

With pears and peaches, there is also a strong popular belief badociated with the nutritional values ​​of its superficial layer. On the Internet, it is common to find pseudoscientific articles in which it is badured that the skin of the pears is home to 35% of the fiber, or 75% of the vitamin C in peaches and apricots It is stored on the cover of these foods.

The chairman of the Scientific Committee for the Promotion of Fruit and Vegetables 5 a day denies that these figures are true and refers to data validated by CESNID. According to the badyzes of this organization, neither in the pears nor in the apricots, there are important changes between the outer membrane and the contents. Moñino explains that "the skin of peaches contains carotenes with provitamin A properties, but even in this case, a significant amount of this vitamin is not provided, so there is no big difference".

The skin of the fruit is not a cure

Around the skin of the fruit, there is more mythology than in The Metamorphoses, of Ovid, and the abundant theories concerning its effectiveness in the treatment of the evils constitute a volume in its own right. One of them is badociated with the idea that the skin of eggplant has properties that cholesterol benefit (of which many half-truths are counted), to the point that it is part of the formulas of the drugs indicated to control the functioning of these organic molecules.

Another urban legend says that pomegranate peel infusions are useful for treating gastrointestinal disorders. Moñino emphasizes: "What really influences our health is the way of food and lifestyle.The key is not the skin of fruits or vegetables, but to include them regularly in our diet with a wide variety of healthy foods such as olive oil, nuts, potatoes, legumes, fish … "

The supposed "anti-cancer" properties citrus skin deserve special mention, not because they're right. "No food or substance has any anti – cancer properties," categorically denies the specialist, adding, "It 's a lie, as many others talk about food, the way of eating. and lifestyle are at the origin of reducing or increasing the risk., and not a food or the substances that it contains, regardless of their state of health ".