The Reason You May Be Afraid Of Fruit

Fruit is an important part of a balanced diet. Ancient civilizations such as the Egyptians, Romans, and Chinese recorded things such as cherries, grapes, figs, and melons amongst their produce (via Aurlea). People who didn't get enough nutritional value, especially sailors at sea, were at risk of developing scurvy — a disease that causes the body to disintegrate, gums to rot, and skin to break out in painful ulcers, per National Geographic. The key to preventing this was consuming fresh fruit and vegetables.

Mother Nature's sweet offerings are enjoyed fresh picked from the tree or vine, baked in pastries, and served as fruit juices. They're packed full of vitamins and minerals and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health says there is strong evidence that the benefits of eating fruit on a daily basis may include cardiovascular health and cancer prevention amongst many other things. While there are some fruits you should and shouldn't eat, balancing an array of them in your diet is wise. Some people are allergic to particular types of fruit and it would be dangerous for them to consume them. However, it may surprise you to hear that there are people out there who just can't eat fruit. Some can't even bear the sight of it and their problem is not physical, it's psychological. 

Fruit phobia, or fructophobia, is the psychological fear of fruit (via Half Full Not Empty). There are a number of reasons this phobia can occur but can be related to negative experiences in early development or the fear of the sugar content of the food. People with this condition will avoid fruit, fruit juice, and fruit-flavored items such as candy and soda. One Reddit user claims to have the condition and said, "It's mostly the smell, texture, and colors that get to me. It certainly ranges from being deathly terrified if I even catch a hint of the smell to being okay eating a processed form of it."

The phobia often starts in childhood but in many cases, people can't think of any particular event that may have triggered it. Anna Cox from Sydney, Australia told News.com.au that, like many phobias, she would become panicked when seeing fruit. "It's that it's wet and juicy and smelly. The thought of touching it, getting it on me, is horrible." PsychoTreat reports that treatment for this phobia involves behavioral therapy or working with a nutritionist. Some fructophobics, however, admit to just avoiding fruit altogether to combat their issue, per The Globe and Mail.