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Claim: A Facebook user, Doctor of the Future, claims that fruits, particularly sugary fruits available all year round, are grown “for profit and not for nutrition.”
Verdict: Misleading. Nutrition experts say fruits, whether seasonal or all-season, are packed with essential nutrients and remain a key part of a healthy diet.
Full Text
From the familiar saying “an apple a day…” to the well-known “5-a-day” recommendation, we are constantly reminded that eating fruit is good for our health. Recently, however, some claims have surfaced questioning this long-standing advice, suggesting that fruits available all year round are not as nutritious.
One Facebook user, known as Doctor of the Future, made such a claim, alleging that sugary fruits, especially those available all year round, are primarily produced for commercial gain rather than nutrition. The post appeared on his verified page, where he identifies as a nutritionist and “future health” expert, and has over 419,000 followers.
By Aug. 16, 2025, the post had garnered more than 3,000 likes, 2,000 comments, and 98 shares.
Some followers supported the claim, suggesting that many fruits sold today are modified, preserved, or treated with chemicals. Others criticised it, insisting that fruit remains essential to good health.
A user, Pilgrim Ekpenyong, commented, “Who will now consume them? You mean they’ll grow, get ripe, and then spoil? I’m not sure God would want us to waste.”
Another user, Franca John Nweke, asked, “I thought there’s a saying that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. So the reverse should be the case now?”
Others, such as Ukah Chika Excellence and Blackie Victoria, expressed concerns about chemical preservation, with Blackie noting, “What he meant was that those all-season fruits are preserved with chemicals and we should avoid them… But if you can get the direct one from the tree, then it’s good.”
Verification
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), fruits are a rich source of essential vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre, and antioxidants. The WHO says regular fruit consumption has been linked to a reduced risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.
The WHO recommends consuming more than 400 grams of fruits and vegetables per day to improve health and reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Although specific figures for 2025 are unavailable, studies indicate that low consumption of fruits and vegetables contributes to millions of deaths globally each year. In 2027, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimated that approximately 3.9 million deaths worldwide were linked to inadequate intake of these foods. According to the FAO, most of the fatalities were associated with non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular conditions, certain cancers, and diabetes.
The Cleveland Clinic notes that fruits such as apples, bananas, cherries, grapes, mangoes, oranges, pears, pineapple, and watermelon naturally contain high levels of sugar. For instance, a medium-sized apple has around 19 grams of sugar, a cup of grapes contains about 23 grams, and a whole mango can have up to 45 grams. However, the natural sugars found in fruit are processed differently by the body compared to added sugars found in processed foods like sweets and pastries.
What Experts Say
A nutritionist and Founder of The Lagos Dietitian Consultancy, Abasianie Udo-Umo, dismissed the claim that fruits available all year round in the country are artificial or less nutritious, stressing that fruits such as bananas, pawpaw (papaya), pineapple, oranges, and watermelon are naturally grown across different regions of Nigeria and retain their full nutritional value regardless of the season.
“The fact that some fruits are available all year doesn’t mean they are artificial or less healthy,” Udo-Umo said. “They are naturally rich in nutrients like vitamins, minerals, fibre, and antioxidants that the body needs.”
She explained that the year-round supply is possible because the fruits are grown at different times across various parts of the country. “What happens is simple: as one region finishes harvesting, another region begins. That’s why you’ll almost always find bananas, pawpaw, oranges, pineapple, and watermelon in the market,” she noted.
Highlighting their nutritional benefits, the dietitian added, “Bananas are rich in potassium, which supports heart health. Pawpaw contains vitamin A and enzymes that aid digestion, while oranges are an excellent source of vitamin C that boosts immunity.”
Udo-Umo emphasised that most of these fruits are sold fresh in Nigeria without the use of chemical preservatives. “Unlike imported fruits such as apples or grapes that may require cold storage or wax coating to extend shelf life, our local all-season fruits are largely fresh from the farm. What Nigerians are buying is not artificially preserved,” she explained.
Additionally, dietitian Shoretire Michael noted that while some fruits may vary in size, juice content, or sweetness depending on the season, they still provide essential nutrients.
“Fruits like pawpaw and oranges can be available all year round. However, during the dry season, you may notice that oranges have less juice compared to the rainy season unless they are grown under proper irrigation,” he said.
He added that fruit trees also bear fruit at different intervals, which contributes to their year-round availability. “If you have three or four pawpaw or orange trees in a compound, they won’t all bear fruit at the same time. That is why fruits like pawpaw appear to be available all year round,” he explained.
Concerns that all-season fruits are overly sugary were addressed by the dietitian, who clarified that most fruits naturally contain sugar, primarily glucose and fructose. “Virtually all fruits are sugary, but that doesn’t make them unhealthy. The sugar in fruits is not just glucose; it can also be fructose, or sometimes both in combination,” he said.
“All fruits are healthy, depending on how well they are handled. The only exceptions are people with health conditions or allergies to certain fruits. Otherwise, fruits provide fiber, juice, and seeds that support good health,” he noted.
Speaking on preservation methods, he stressed that fruits do not require chemical preservatives to extend their shelf life.
“There is no need to use chemicals to preserve fruits. What can be done is controlled or modified atmosphere storage, refrigeration, or natural methods like sun drying for fruits such as dates, grapes, or tiger nuts,” Michael explained.
Conclusion
While fruits contain natural sugars, nutrition experts say they remain highly beneficial when eaten in moderation, particularly due to their fibre, antioxidants, and water content. Therefore, the claim that sugary, all-season fruits are produced “for profit and not nutrition” is misleading.
