Dried fruit is a great way to increase your diet of fiber, nutrients, and antioxidants. However, it’s also a high-carbohydrate dish that has a lot of calories and sugar, and can be problematic if consumed in excess.
Data on dehydrated fruit is quite contradictory.
Some argue it’s no better than candy, while others describe it as a wholesome and nutritious snack.
This article goes into great length regarding the health benefits of dried fruit.
Dried Fruit: What Is It?
Fruit that has been dried out virtually completely has had its water content reduced.
This causes the fruit to shrink, leaving behind a tiny, densely packed fruit that is high in energy.
The most popular kind is raisins, which are followed by dates, prunes, figs, and apricots.
There are more types of dried fruit that are occasionally offered in candied (sugar-coated) form. Mangoes, pineapples, cranberries, bananas, and apples are a few of these.
Dried fruit is a convenient snack that can be kept for a lot longer than fresh fruit, especially on lengthy excursions when refrigeration isn’t accessible. Cenforce 150 and Buy Cenforce 100 may be used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) in men.
Fruit that has been dried has most of its water content removed. The most popular kinds are apricots, dates, prunes, figs, and raisins.
Dried Fruit Is Packed With Fiber, Antioxidants, and Micronutrients
Dried fruit has a lot of nutrients.
The number of nutrients in one piece of dried fruit is comparable to that of fresh fruit, but it is packed into a considerably smaller container.
Up to 3.5 times the fiber, vitamins, and minerals of fresh fruit can be found in one pound of dried fruit.
As a result, a single serving can supply a significant portion of the daily required intake of several vitamins and minerals, including folate (1Reliable Source).
There are a few exclusions, though. For instance, drying fruit considerably lowers its vitamin C concentration (2Trusted Source).
Dried fruit is an excellent source of antioxidants, particularly polyphenols, and often has a high fiber content (3Trusted Source).
Improved blood flow, better digestive health, less oxidative damage, and a lower risk of several illnesses are just a few of the health advantages linked to polyphenol antioxidants (4Trusted Source).
Dried fruit has a high mineral, vitamin, and fiber content. Additionally, it has a lot of phenolic antioxidants, which are very beneficial to health.
Effects of Dried Fruit on Health
Research has indicated that persons who consume dried fruit have a tendency to consume less calories and more nutrients than those who do not (5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source).
These investigations, however, were observational in nature, thus it is impossible to conclude that the benefits were brought about by the dried fruit.
Strong antioxidants are among the various plant chemicals that may be found in dried fruit (8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source).
Consuming dried fruit has been associated with a lower incidence of obesity and an increase in nutritional consumption.
Raisins Could Lower Your Chance of Getting Some Diseases
Dried grapes make raisins.
They are abundant in potassium, fiber, and other plant chemicals that are good for you.
Their insulin index is low, and their glycemic index is low to medium (12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source).
This implies that following a meal, raisins shouldn’t significantly raise insulin or blood sugar levels.
Research indicates that consuming raisins may: Reduce blood pressure (12Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source, 15Trusted Source, 16Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source).
Boost the regulation of blood sugar.
- Decrease blood cholesterol and inflammatory indicators.
- result in a greater sensation of fullness.
A lower chance of type 2 diabetes and heart disease development should be attributed to all of these variables.
Raisins are rich in plant chemicals, potassium, and fiber. Consuming raisins has been shown to reduce inflammation, blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels.
Prunes Can Help Fight Diseases and Are a Natural Laxative
Dried plums make up prunes.
Rich in fiber, potassium, beta-carotene (a kind of vitamin A), and vitamin K, they are extremely nutrient-dense.
They are renowned for having laxative properties of their own.
This is because some fruits naturally contain sorbitol, a sugar alcohol, and they also have a high fiber content.
It has been demonstrated that eating prunes can enhance the frequency and consistency of stools. Another popular cure for constipation, psyllium, is thought to be less helpful than prunes (18Trusted Source).
Prunes are an excellent source of antioxidants, which may help prevent cancer and heart disease by preventing the oxidation of LDL cholesterol (19Trusted Source, 20Trusted Source).
Additionally, boron, a mineral found in abundance in prunes, has anti-osteoporosis properties (21Trusted Source).
Additionally, prunes are quite satiating and shouldn’t quickly raise blood sugar levels (19Trusted Source).
Prunes’ fiber and sorbitol levels contribute to their natural laxative properties. They may aid in the body’s battle against oxidative damage and are also highly filling.
Dates May Help Prevent Several Diseases and Be Beneficial During Pregnancy
Dates have a very sweet taste. They are an excellent source of plant chemicals, fiber, potassium, and iron.
They have the highest concentration of antioxidants of any dried fruit, which helps the body’s oxidative damage to be lessened (3Trusted Source, 22Trusted Source).
Because dates have a low glycemic index, consuming them shouldn’t result in significant increases in blood sugar levels (23Trusted Source).
Studies on date consumption, labor, and pregnant women have also been conducted.
Regular consumption of dates in the latter weeks of pregnancy may aid in cervical dilatation and reduce the requirement for artificial labor (24).
Women were given dates to consume in the latter weeks of their pregnancies in one trial. Compared to 21% of women who did not eat dates, just 4% of date-eating women needed induced labor (25Trusted Source).
While there are currently insufficient human trials, dates have demonstrated encouraging outcomes in animal and test-tube research as a treatment for male infertility (22Trusted Source).
Dates are high in fiber, potassium, iron, and antioxidants. Consuming dates has been shown to lower oxidative damage, control blood sugar, and facilitate labor in expectant mothers.
Dried Fruit Has a Lot of Calories and Natural Sugar
Fruit often has a high natural sugar content.
Dried fruit concentrates all the sugar and calories into a much smaller package since the water has been removed.
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Dried fruit is therefore highly heavy in calories and sugar (fructose and glucose combined).
Here are some illustrations of dried fruit’s natural sugar content (26Trusted Source).
- Raisins: 59%.
- Dates: 64–66%.
- Prunes: 38%.
- Apricots: 53%.
- Figs: 48%.
Fructose makes anywhere between 2 and 51% of this sugar content. Consuming large amounts of fructose may be harmful to one’s health. This includes a higher chance of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and weight gain (27Trusted Source).
A little 1-ounce serving of raisins has 84 calories, nearly all of which come from sugar.
Dried fruit is easy to eat in big quantities at once due to its sweetness and high energy content, which can lead to an excessive intake of calories and sugar.
Dried fruit has a comparatively high sugar and calorie content. Typical dried fruits range in sugar content from 38% to 66%, therefore consuming too many of these might lead to weight gain and other health issues.
Steer clear of candied fruit, or dried fruit with added sugar.
Some dried fruits are covered with extra sugar or syrup before drying, which makes them even more delicious and visually attractive.
“Candied” fruit is another term for dried fruit that has had sugar added to it.
It has been demonstrated time and time again that added sugar has detrimental impacts on health, raising the risk of heart disease, obesity, and even cancer (28Trusted Source, 29Trusted Source).
It is crucial that you check the ingredients and nutrition facts on the packaging to steer clear of dried fruit that has extra sugar.
Before drying, some fruit is covered with syrup or sugar. When buying dried fruit, always check the packaging and steer clear of those that have added sugar.
Additionally, dried fruit may contain sulfites and might include toxins and fungi.
Some manufacturers treat their dried fruit with sulfites, a type of preservative.
Because it preserves the fruit and keeps it from discoloring, this improves the appearance of the dried fruit.
This mostly pertains to vibrantly colored fruits like raisins and apricots.
Some people may be allergic to sulfites, and if they consume them, they may have rashes, stomach pains, or asthma attacks (30Trusted Source, 31Trusted Source). Select dried fruit that is grayish or dark instead of vibrantly colored to avoid sulfites (32Trusted Source).
Fungi, aflatoxins, and other hazardous substances can infect dried fruit if it is handled and kept incorrectly.