The Health Benefits of Dried Fruit
Fruit is something that most of us don't get nearly enough of... dried fruit as a snack can help with that, while offering some other surprising benefits.
It is commonly believed that most people don't have enough fruit in their diet. It can be difficult to get those five to eight servings a day, especially if one isn't a big lover of fruits and vegetables, but one of the healthy options that should be explored is that of dried, or dehydrated, fruits.
Dried fruit has been around for a very long time. References to it date back as far as four thousand years before the time of Christ. Fruits such as figs, dates, raisins and apricots were cultivated in the Middle Eastern Fertile Crescent for millennia, and dehydrating the fruit for later use was one of the few methods of preservation available to these early cultures. Dried fruits feature prominently, even today, in dishes from the region.
Today, dried fruits are available almost everywhere. Dried cranberries, raisins, and mixed fruit is often available in any small grocery, and prunes have, of course, a long tradition as a “medicine” of sorts! Each year, North Americans consume an average of 2.18 pounds of dried fruit.
The dried fruit we are most familiar with, of course, are raisins, but they are by no means the only kind. Dried dates, plums (or prunes), apricots, peaches, apples and berries are all enjoyable and healthy options, so long as one ensures that they are eating dried fruit, not CANDIED fruit. Candied fruit is produced by first infusing the fruit with a sugar or honey syrup before drying, and adds unnecessary sweetness and calories, diminishing the health benefits of the fruit itself.
Almost all the nutrients available in the fresh fruit are retained in the dried version, and in some instances, provide those nutrients in even more absorbable forms. While commercially dried fruits are often treated with sulfur dioxide as an antioxidant in order to protect colour, traditionally dried fruits contain all of the nutrition without the sulfites. Sulfur dioxide has been recognized and used as a food additive for centuries, and while this is not a problem for healthy individuals, those who are sensitive to it can experience asthma and breathing problems. About one percent of the population is sulfite-sensitive, and about 10% of the population are asthmatic, so one should be careful of commercially sulfur-treated fruits.
Dried fruits, especially those dehydrated at home, can provide a healthy source of essential nutrients and an array of health protective ingredients. They have been shown to both increase diet quality and reduce the risk of many chronic diseases, such as certain types of cancer and high blood pressure. Properly dehydrated, they are resistant to spoilage, easy to store and transport, and relatively inexpensive. They are typically low in fat, sodium, and cholesterol, and provide a fantastic source of dietary fibre and potassium, and other vitamins and minerals. Additionally, boron, a trace element that is important in the growth and maintenance of healthy bones and joints is found in high levels in raisins and prunes; in a world with increasing incidence of osteoporosis and joint replacement surgeries, this can only be a good thing.
Phytochemicals, or plant compounds that are believed to affect health while not being proven to be essential nutrients, are plentiful in dried fruits. Polyphenols, and phenolic acid, are perhaps the most beneficial phytochemicals, operating as antioxidants and helpful in the resistance of many chronic diseases. Carotenoids, a precursor for vitamin A, also has anti-oxidant qualities. Pectin, which is abundant in dried plums, is a source of soluble fibre and is believed to help lower blood cholesterol levels. Digestive and colon health are also positively affected by an increase of dried fruit in the diet.
Not all news is good, of course. Traditionally dried fruit has a moderate effect on blood sugar levels. Those with diabetes may wish to be careful of which types of dried fruits they choose, as those with higher fibre content can be part of a healthy, low-GI diet, but others may have adverse effects.
It can, however, promote a healthy body weight, which in itself can help those suffering from diabetes. Data suggests that diets high in dried fruits are associated with low BMI and healthy body weight, and one theory as to why suggests that eating dried fruit promotes a feeling of fullness and satiety by affecting the level of leptin, a hormone that regulates appetite.
Today in North America, four out of five children and three out of five adults fail to meet the lowest requirement for fruit and vegetable consumption, despite the fact that it is proven that those who do meet the required levels have lower rates of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Dried fruits, convenient, affordable and tasty, may help to bridge this gap between the recommended daily requirement and that which is, currently, actually being consumed.
