Yes, some people said to my face that I would die without fruit. I can safely report that last time I checked I’m still alive and kicking!

Not only that but my bio markers are excellent, as you can see for yourself. Contrary to government advice, “5 portions of fruit per day” is NOT necessary to sustain human life and I am living proof of that. No, my teeth have NOT fallen out and no, my legs are not bending through rickets or scurvy. I am fitter and healthier than I’ve ever been!

But what about the vitamin C I hear you ask? Well, 2 points on that. Firstly, it’s highly debatable what the actual vitamin C requirement is for humans, both on LCHF and not on LCHF. There is an argument, and some scant evidence, to suggest that vitamin C requirements on LCHF actually drop dramatically, but this is still only a theory as far as I am aware. Secondly, even if you are worried about your intake and want to take on some extra vitamin C, why do it with fruit which comes with a MASSIVE fructose penalty when there are other, much richer sources of vitamin C WITHOUT the huge fructose penalty e.g. peppers, broccoli, etc?

To illustrate my point, let’s consider those 5 portions of fruit in terms of fructose. Depending on the exact size of these portions, you could easily be taking on board approximately 50-100g of fructose per day, thereby placing a huge load on your liver with all the dangers that that entails. OK, so you might be getting your RDA of vitamin C but you are also getting this huge load of fructose as well for good measure! If someone said to you that you must supplement your diet with vitamin C tablets and every time you take one, you must also digest 50-100g of fructose as part of the deal, I’m sure you would think they were mad, but that’s exactly what you are doing when you are eating fruit!

My advice? As I have proved, with the exception of some in season berries every now and again, drop ALL fruit. If you are concerned about vitamin C intake then supplement your diet with either the veg suggested above, and others rich in vitamin C, or failing that, just take a tablet supplement each day. That way you get your vitamin C WITHOUT potentially killing your liver!