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My wife and mother keep telling my kids not to eat more fruit so they don't get loose stools. I don't see how that could be the case, though, as soluble fiber turns into gel when absorbing water and insoluble is already very solid. Are they correct and if so is it harmful? I always figured you can't eat too much natural food.

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Too much fruit CAN give children loose stools but I doubt the amount your kids were eating would do that. It's more common in tropical zones when meat and starches are scarce or in Kid's drinking excessive amounts of juice. It's mostly because of the sorbitol or excessive fructose. Certain types of fruit are much higher in sorbitol than others and it can really irritate small tummies. Apple is one of them, which a lot of American kids drink WAY too much of. But again, it's from excessive consumption... like to the exclusion of other foods.

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Only if you have FODMAPs issues (i.e. digestive disorders.)

But too much spinach can give you the runs too, since it's a good source of magnesium.

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The fiber in the fruit should contribute to well-formed stools, but their absence might contribute to constipation rather than diarrhea. Too much fiber, however, can harm the intestines, at least producing a large amount of discomfort from gas. Chris Kresser did a blog post on this topic that you might find interesting, and so did Dr. Mike Eades. In addition, modern hybrid fruits are very high in fructose, which contributes to high triglyceride levels, metabolic syndrome, and even liver damage (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease). Chris Kresser wrote a blog post examining the fructose issue that might interest you.

There's no need to push fruit or veggies in large amounts on kids or anyone, for that matter.

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Boo fructose-phobia... – Matt Oct 9 at 15:31
Seriously a down-vote for an accurate statement? What the fuck? Fructose malabsorption can cause gas and loose stools and frankly with some studies showing 20% of the US has some level of NAFLD limiting super-sweet fruits in favour of berries and veggies is probably reasonable. – Satchmo Oct 9 at 17:31
But he isn't referring to fructose malabsorption, it's just the same old refrain about the evils of fructose. The idea that the population as a whole needs to eat less fruit as a solution to metabolic syndrome is laughable. – Matt Oct 9 at 17:54
Considering MOST people are unhealthy, it's a legitimate reason to worry about fructose. – BoneBrothFast Oct 9 at 18:45
Seriously? Fructose from fruit is the reason why "most" people are unhealthy? And the answer is to cut it? C'mon! Is paleo jumping the shark? – Matt Oct 9 at 23:16
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