Fruit goes quickly through the stomach and digests in the intestines. So, when you combine fruit with foods that take longer to digest, such as meat, grains, and even low-water fruits like bananas, dried fruits and avocados, it would stay too long in your stomach and starts fermenting, because fruit, says Tara Alder, a natural health coach in Oregon, United States, really acts like sugar.

According to Bhaswati Bhattacharya, MD, a holistic health councellor and physician in New York City, sugar are actually not easy to digest, and based on Ayurveda principles, sugar are “heavy” and require good “fire” to process and thus, that is why fruits should be eaten on its own.

Bhattacharya also adds that fresh and seasonal fruits are particulary energically purifying food and consuming them together with proteins and carbohydrates would lessens one’s pure energy.

Optimal Time To Eat Fruits

We should consume fruits 30 to 60 minutes before meals. When fruit is eaten alone on an empty stomach before a meal, it prepares the digesitve tract for what’s to come. The water from the fruits rinses and hydrates the tract, fibres then ‘sweeps’ and ‘cleanses’ it and enzymes activate the chemical process of digestion, which essectially makes the digestive tract more capable of absorbing nutrition. For even better results, fruits like melons should be eaten by itself (i.e. not mixed with other types of fruits) because of the high sugar content and enzymes specific to melons.

However, if you had already eaten your meal, then it is best to wait 3 hours before eating any fruits and eventhough chomping on fruits right after meals seems to be the norm (most of us do it), it is not good for our body. This is because when fruits mixed up with types of food are waiting to be processed, they rot and ferment in our guts, often causing indigestion, bloating and heartburn.

The best time to eat fruits is early in the morning, and, as you guess it, on an empty stomach. The main reason is because during the night, as we sleep, our body enters into fasting mode, putting it into acidic state and fruits being alkaline, work best in the morning. The most unsuitable time to have fruits is at night as fruits contain energy-rich simple sugars which could probably keep us awake whole night!