The benefits of dried fruits. The benefits of dried fruits for the human body

During a diet, you want sweets especially strongly - the body is in a state of stress, the sources of serotonin, or the hormone of joy, are blocked, limited.

Where to look for material to improve brain performance and how to deal with depression?

While some nutritionists insist on strict control of the diet, the second allows themselves to be pampered with marshmallows, marmalade and dried fruits.

In the latter, although there are countless calories, there are the same amount of vitamins with useful microelements.

We find out if dried fruits are acceptable for losing weight, what and in what quantities can be included in the menu without harming the figure.

Pros and Cons of a Dried Fruit Snack

Unlike other types of sweets, dehydrated (drying process) fruits contain glucose, and a minimum of sucrose.

And this is good. But at the same time, their calorie content increases several times - from three kilograms of apricot, you will get 100 grams of dried apricots.

At first glance, these terrible numbers have nothing to do with the diet, if you do not remember that at the same time almost all the vitamin network, magnesium, calcium, iron, enter the body, and the heart is strengthened for the upcoming cardio loads.

Choose only high quality sweets

Yes, and no one forces to eat 100 grams (dried apricots, by the way, are relatively low in calories, 241 units) - several fruits to drown out the feeling of hunger, and to replenish energy is quite enough.

And again, the issue of endless craving for sweets, when you are sad and on a diet, has been resolved.

Another point in defense of dried fruits while losing weight can be considered their naturalness - 0% dyes and chemicals with maximum benefits.

Even if you are not a fan of figs and prunes, try eating a few fruits and drinking a glass of water: the feeling of hunger will remind of itself next time in a couple of hours.

The majority of dehydrated fruits, fortunately losing weight, are low, which means they are the right slow carbohydrates that are acceptable with a strict diet.

For a snack, choose dried fruit with a low glycemic index.

It is clear that eating dried fruits when losing weight at night is not worth it - complex carbohydrates should be consumed in the first half of the day.

It is worth remembering that the permissible daily allowance is 30 g. All that is above is extra calories and kilograms.

Tip: In the summer, with a dryer, apricots, cherries, quince, plums and other seasonal fruits can easily turn into natural homemade desserts.

Dried fruits for weight loss - which ones are possible and how many calories are in them?

Consider the Top 10 most popular, the content of nutrients in them, the balance of fats and carbohydrates, the glycemic index and, of course, the number of calories.

Prunes

1. Calories - 240
2. GI - 25
3. Proteins - 2.3
4. Fats - 0.7
5. Carbohydrates - 57.5

Healthy prunes

As you can see from the list above, we say an emphatic yes to dried plums.

In addition to the fact that prunes have long earned fame as a fighter for weight loss and normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, they are often used as a laxative.

Dried fruit contains dietary fiber that stimulates intestinal motility, vitamins A, B, C and organic acids, and also has a positive effect on the condition of hair and teeth.

Dried apricots

1. Calories - 241
2. GI - 30
3. Proteins - 3.4
4. Fats - 0.5
5. Carbohydrates - 63

Sweet and nutritious dried apricots

If prunes are the king of dried desserts, then dried apricots are their queen.

It replenishes the reserves of potassium, magnesium and calcium, is indicated for the prevention of heart disease, osteoporosis.

Strengthens, improves hair and vision.

Dried cherries

1. Calories - 290
2. GI - 30
3. Proteins - 0
4. Fats - 1.5
5. Carbohydrates - 73

Dried cherries

Another healthy complex carbohydrate in our basket.

Contains a large amount of pectins, helps to eliminate toxins and toxins, normalize metabolic processes, is a powerful natural antioxidant.

Fig

1. Calories - 256
2. GI - 40
3. Proteins - 0.7
4. Fats - 0.2
5. Carbohydrates - 13.7

Figs, indispensable for weight loss

Dried fruit is rich in vitamins, pectins, tannins, copper and iron; when losing weight, you should not get too carried away with figs, but you can eat a few things.

Since ancient times, it has been used as a means of getting rid of constipation and extra pounds due to its high saturation.

At the same time, figs are a gift of nature in the literal sense - it removes toxins, alleviates the condition in case of poisoning, and is used to treat colds.

Alas, it is forbidden to the suffering.

Tip: The fig diet involves replacing dinner with three dried fruits three times a week. To make it better absorbed, figs are pre-soaked in water for half an hour.

Apples

1. Calories - 231
2. GI - 40
3. Proteins - 2.2
4. Fats - 0.1
5. Carbohydrates - 35

Apples are easy to dry at home

15 grams of dried apples a day is the perfect snack.

The combination of vitamins A, I and PP improves brain function and blood quality, prevents anemia, accelerates metabolism and, thanks to pectins, is a kind of natural fat burner.

Tip: pectins are plant substances that are responsible for metabolism, normal cholesterol levels and intestinal motility.

Dates

1. Calories - 292
2. GI - 103
3. Proteins - 2.5
4. Fats - 0.5
5. Carbohydrates - 69.2

It's better to wait a little with dates

Despite the delicious taste of different groups and a beneficial effect on the digestive tract, the fruits of the date palm cannot be counted among the category of dried fruits that can be eaten while losing weight - their glycemic index is beyond the norm.

By themselves, dates are considered an excellent antidepressant, stimulate performance, protect against heart attacks and strokes, but are not suitable for the active phase of the diet.

Better to leave them for later.

Raisins

1. Calories - 264
2. GI - 65
3. Proteins - 2.9
4. Fats - 0.6
5. Carbohydrates - 66

Raisins are used to treat many diseases

Raisins also have a lot of useful properties, and the main one is a large amount of iodine, which is necessary for proper functioning.

Hair and skin will also thank you.

Medium GI allows it to be included in small amounts in almost all diets.

A pineapple

1. Calories - 347
2. GI - 55
3. Proteins - 0.4
4. Fats - 0.2
5. Carbohydrates - 17.9

Pineapple is called a natural fat burner

The number of calories in dried pineapples, of course, goes off scale, but at the same time they contain a lot of iron, manganese, phosphorus and other mineral salts.

Tropical fruit is considered an effective fat burner due to a number of organic acids and dietary fiber.

Like dried grapes, it has a positive effect on the thyroid gland.

Does it belong to the category of dried fruits acceptable for weight loss?

Is it okay or not to include it on your diet snacks? More likely yes than no, but the number should not exceed one or two rings per day.

Dried cranberries

1. Calories - 308
2. GI - 25
3. Proteins - 0.07
4. Fats - 1.4
5. Carbohydrates - 83

Dried cranberries

Dried berries are often used in proper nutrition - they are added to muesli, casseroles, vegetable stews, side dishes and cereals, fruit drinks, compotes and vitamin teas are prepared.

There is even a whole cranberry-based diet: before breakfast, you drink a glass of sugar-free compote.

This drink increases the secretion of gastric juice, removes excess fluid and speeds up the digestion process.

Persimmon

1. Calories - 274
2. GI - 45
3. Proteins - 1.71
4. Fats - 0.59
5. Carbohydrates - 59

Dried persimmon

Can? Yes. Dried not only looks appetizing, but also lowers blood sugar levels, strengthens and cleanses blood vessels, increases, which is especially important when you need to adhere to a strict diet.

According to doctors, the fruit has a positive effect on the female hormonal background and slows down the aging process.

It can be added to cereals, diet baked goods, and vitamin smoothies.

How to eat dried fruits correctly while losing weight?

There are few rules and they are extremely simple: definitely not for the night and not on an empty stomach.

The risk of exceeding the norm is too high.

Choose foods with a low and medium GI, do not mix them, so as not to increase the calorie content, and do not buy too much at once - your hand will endlessly reach for one more thing until the end of the package.

In the summertime, when there is a choice between fresh fruits (the same plums and apricots) and their dehydrated relatives, give preference to the former.

Leave the concentrate for winter snacks when there is not much to choose from other than citrus fruits and apples on store shelves.

Porridge with dried fruits - a classic of the genre

Tip: dried fruits will also be an excellent addition to morning oatmeal and, and kefir cocktail with their addition will muffle the feeling of hunger and cleanse the body.

Are there any dried fruit diets?

Diets are different - we have already talked about, and about, and about, brought a thousand and one options to dump the acquired overwhelming food.

So dried fruits with mono weight loss are also permissible and promise oh-ho-howhat kind results - one kilogram per day.

In this case, the diet consists of 150 g of any nuts and 300 g of a mixture of dried fruits, which are divided into 5 meals and washed down with water or tea without sugar.

D of course, you will not stay cold, but if you sit on such an original diet for several days, the stomach and intestines will hardly say “thank you”.

Dried fruit cocktails are both nutritious and healthy

A more realistic option for using dried fruits for weight loss and for cleansing the intestines, as evidenced by reviews on the network, is the following recipe.

Scroll through a meat grinder 100 g of prunes, figs and dried apricots, pour infusion from a glass of boiling water and 50 g of senna herb.

The composition is taken in a tablespoon before bedtime. In the first week of cleansing, you can lose up to two pounds.

As you can see, with sensible sweets, the diet may not be an excruciating test, but quite tasty and healthy.

The main thing is to know when to stop and not to overdo it with calories.

Lose weight correctly and stay with Life Reactor!

The benefits and harms of dried fruits depend on the quality of the product and the individual tolerance of a person. Dried fruits collected in the country, dried at home are considered useful. Since they have no preservatives or sugar.

The chemical composition of dried fruits

The benefits of dried fruits lie in their chemical composition. They are rich in vitamins, acids, minerals and other beneficial substances. The composition of dried fruits depends on the type of fruit.

Basically, they contain the following vitamins:

• group A;
• group B;

Dried fruits contain minerals:

• magnesium;
• calcium;
• potassium;
• phosphorus.

In addition, dried fruits contain:

• organic acids;
• fructose.

Calorie content of dried fruits

The benefit of dried fruits is that they are low in calories. The table shows the calorie content and sugar content of some types of dried fruits per 100 g of product:

Name of dried fruit	Natural product	Carbohydrates per 100 g	Sugar per 100 g	Calories per 100g
	grapes

A handful of dried fruits for a snack will not harm the human body, but, on the contrary, will saturate it with useful substances. Therefore, snacking on dried fruit is more beneficial than the same hamburger.

Useful properties of dried fruits

Dried fruits retain all the nutrients for a long time, thanks to which they can nourish the body with minerals and vitamins throughout the year.

Each species has its own complexes of useful minerals. They act on the human body in different ways:

• dried plum lowers blood pressure and prevents the development of malignant tumors;
• dates restore male potency;
• dried apricots normalizes the work of the cardiovascular and nervous systems.

Types of dried fruits and their benefits for the body

The fruits of various fruit trees are dried. Each brings its own benefit to the body. Kinds:

• dried apricot;
• prunes;
• dates;
• apples;
• banana;
• melon;
• figs;
• mango;
• papaya.

The chemical composition or dried apricot contains vitamin PP (nicotinic acid). When it enters the bloodstream, it starts the body rejuvenation procedure. Several dried apricots a day help to get rid of wrinkles, make the hair silky and smooth.

People who consume dried apricots or dried apricots are less likely to suffer from sunburn. They have almost no hair loss. The metabolism increases, the body receives a large amount of vitamin B12. Dried fruits are also good for the heart.

Dried prunes saturate the body with useful substances. Contains vitamin E and tocopherol. The benefit of these dried fruits for the human body is that they are an antioxidant. Prunes prevent aging.

Raisins or dried grapes are as antioxidant as dried prunes. This dried fruit is able to prevent the development of colon cancer, removes poisons and toxins from the body. Normalizes intestinal microflora and destroys pathogenic organisms.

Is it possible to dry fruits for pregnant and lactating mothers

During pregnancy, dried fruits will greatly benefit a woman's body from the 1st to the 3rd trimester. So, dried fruits contain vitamins such as H, K, E, as well as minerals that will saturate the body of a pregnant woman and help the fetus develop properly.

In addition, many difficulties during pregnancy (such as nausea, swelling, deterioration of hair and tooth enamel) will help to overcome these dry, vitamin-rich fruits. When properly included in the diet, they will become indispensable helpers throughout pregnancy:

• raisins restores muscle tissue, improves mood;
• dates nourish the pregnant body with protein;
• in nursing mothers who eat dates, the lactation period is lengthened and the appearance of milk increases;
• prunes protect against vitamin deficiency, replenish iron, help to resist the immune system against infectious diseases;
• dried apricots increase hemoglobin and improve heart function.

The benefits of dried fruits for pregnant women are their preparation. At this time, expectant mothers are prohibited from drinking carbonated drinks, coffee and tea, and boiled fortified compotes will be an excellent addition to the body, saturating it with nutrients.

When breastfeeding, dried fruits will help a woman's body recover faster. They will restore tooth enamel, improve the condition of hair, and increase immunity.

And for the baby, dried fruits will help protect the still fragile body from various diseases. Babies will receive useful substances with mother's milk.

Advice! During pregnancy and breastfeeding, it is recommended to strictly monitor the amount of food eaten, since in excess, dried fruits can be harmful.

Dried fruits for children

They are easily absorbed by the body, so they will be an excellent substitute for sweets for a child.

For example, eating 5 pieces. dried apricots per day, this product will saturate the child's body with a daily intake of calcium and iron. Dates will add carbohydrates to him, which will become a source of energy.

From 1 year old, a child can already be taught to eat dried fruits. They can be combined, cooked compotes. The benefits of dried fruit mixtures will be invaluable and will help the baby's body grow healthy and strong.

Especially the dried fruit compote is useful for raising immunity for babies during illness or for their prevention.

Are dried fruits good for weight loss?

The benefits of dried fruits for weight loss include a large amount of vitamins and natural sugar (fructose). In addition, dried fruits satisfy hunger, contribute to the saturation of the body with proteins and carbohydrates of natural origin.

They can help you avoid mood swings while dieting. Eliminate the depressive state.

What dried fruits can you eat while losing weight

There are several types of dried fruit that should be in the diet of every woman if she is going to lose weight. These include:

• dried apricots - will help women who decide on a diet after 40 years;
• prunes are a folk remedy for weight loss and a good antidepressant;
• thanks to raisins, the body receives sugar and beneficial trace elements, it also activates the thyroid gland, makes the skin more tender;
• relieve excess weight, do not cause allergies, will not be rejected by the body (they also increase the productivity of the brain).

Since many dietary drugs flush out the necessary minerals from the body, dried fruits replenish their supply. It is recommended to use a vitamin mixture of these dried fruits for those women who find it difficult to diet.

How to eat dried fruits correctly

Dried fruits are harmful if consumed in large quantities. However, when included in the mandatory diet little by little, they will become an excellent substitute for fresh fruit in the winter:

• doctors recommend prunes as an additional supportive agent for rheumatism, kidney disease (it removes salts and toxins from the body);
• dates will help with back pain, heart problems, overwork and fatigue;
• dried apricots have a positive effect on the work of the intestines and stomach, removes radionuclides and salts of heavy metals;
• dry apples lower the amount of cholesterol in the blood and improve the functioning of the digestive system.

Warning! Dates are a heavy food for the stomach, so it is recommended to eat them with caution in case of gastrointestinal diseases!

Dried fruit compotes will help improve immunity in the cold season.

How many dried fruits can you eat per day

Dried fruits are useful for diabetes and those who want to lose those extra pounds. The main thing is not to overeat them.

100 g of the product per day will be enough to maintain valuable vitamins and acids in the body. 5-6 pcs. dried apricots will protect the heart from serious diseases.

In addition to dried fruits, you can eat apricot seeds. The benefits of dried fruit seeds are that their kernels allow you to saturate the body with calcium. 100 g of pitted kernels can be used as food instead of almonds.

How to make homemade dried fruits

Homemade dried fruits can be made in 3 ways:

• in an electric dryer;
• in the oven;
• on air.

In order to dry fruit in an electric dryer, you need to do the following steps:

1. Wash the fruit in running water.
2. Dry with a towel.
3. Cut as you like.
4. Put on a baking sheet and put in an electric dryer.
5. Dry for several hours, depending on the fruit: apples - 7 hours, plums - 4 hours, pears - 12 hours at a temperature of 70 degrees.

Oven drying steps:

1. Wash and dry the fruit.
2. Cut and place on a lattice surface covered with cotton cloth.
3. Dry at 70 degrees, not forgetting to stir.

On air:

1. Wash and towel dry the fruit.
2. Cut and place on a board.
3. Put to dry in the sun for 2 days.
4. At night - bring home.

Dried fruit harm and contraindications

Homemade dried fruits are not harmful. From the store, they are most often doused with chemicals to extend the shelf life and from rodents. In order to make them tastier and more beautiful in appearance, they are poured with additional syrups.

Thus, such fruits become useless for humans. Therefore, it is not recommended to get carried away with store-bought dried fruits.

An overabundance of dried fruits eaten will not be beneficial. The harm they cause to the body is as follows:

• allergic reactions;
• dehydration of the body;
• spoils the enamel of the teeth;
• not recommended for gastric and duodenal ulcers.

How to choose dried fruits

In order for dried fruits to bring more benefits to the body than harm, it is necessary to be able to choose them correctly. Any dried fruit sold in stores is not suitable for human consumption.

Quality dried fruits look like this:

• raisins - dark brown;
• dried apricots - a pale orange color (a darker color indicates processing with sulfites, and a whitish color indicates a lower grade);
• prunes - black with a bluish tint;
• dates - clean skin without sugar crystals.

Only such dried fruits will benefit the human body. Any others (overdried or overly bright) are treated with chemicals to add flavor or beauty to the product.

How to store dried fruits at home

Storage of dried fruits should be carried out according to the following rules:

• the place where they are stored must be kept cool and dry;
• fruits should be stored in glass jars, wooden boxes, ceramic dishes with tight-fitting lids;
• fruits packed with mint will be inaccessible to pests;
• store for 1 year (if longer, such fruits are thrown away);
• it is recommended to store as much dried fruit as a person can eat during the winter.

Conclusion

The benefits and harms of dried fruits lie in the amount of food consumed. With the right approach and calculation of the diet, they will give the body only their beneficial properties.

Olya Proper nutrition

Each of us has tasted dried fruit compote at least once. Surely, more than half of our readers are crazy about it and love to use this drink in their diet. If you like drinks and salads with dried fruits, read this article, from which you will find out what the benefits and harms of dried fruits are for the human body.

Any berry or fruit can be dried and used to make drinks, or consumed dry. However, the following types of dried fruits are the most useful and popular in the modern world:

• Fig. It is widely used in the treatment of thyroid diseases, bronchitis, as well as to expel worms from the body.
• Dried apricots. Nothing more than an excellent prophylactic agent aimed at preventing cancer.
• Prunes. It is necessary for a person to treat the kidneys, improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system and the digestive tract.
• Dates. They are able to relieve a person from a debilitating headache and give a boost to the body.
• Pears and apples. They help to remove toxins from the body, as well as improve intestinal performance.
• Raisins. Normalizes cardiac activity in the human body.
• Papaya. Stimulates sexual activity and has a general strengthening effect on human immunity.

How to eat dried fruits correctly?

It would seem that there is nothing easier - ate dried fruit and that's it. However, in practice, it turns out that not everything is so smooth and even a healthy person needs to be able to take dried fruit and prepare it. Let's briefly talk about the basic rules:

• Moderation. In no case should you neglect the intake of dried fruits and gorge themselves on them to the dump. A small amount of dried fruits in the diet is enough to provide benefits to the body. For example, it can be rice porridge supplemented with several berries of dried apricot or fruit salad with raisins.
• Drink a glass of water before consuming dried fruit. This will improve digestion, besides, for example, dried apples or pears are a good diuretic. Water can also be replaced with juice or warm tea.
• Don't add sugar. For example, if we are talking about compote, then it is necessary to cook it without adding sugar, since it is sugar that deprives the fruit of its beneficial properties. If you cannot drink compote or eat porridge without sugar, then it will be permissible to add a spoonful of natural honey.
• Be careful when taking medication. Care should be taken when using antibiotics and dried pineapples, which may well force the effect of the drug.
• Follow the recommendations. Remember that you should not use dried cherries for constipation, as well as if there is an increased acidity of gastric juice, obesity, diabetes, ulcers. In the presence of diseases and abnormalities in the work of the digestive organs, attention should also be paid to dried pears, the use of which should be abandoned for a while.
• If you can taste dried melons, eat them separately from other foodskeeping a time interval of at least an hour.
• If you are obese, give up raisins, and also exclude it from the diet in case of heart failure, ulcers, diabetes.
• Don't take figs for pancreatitis, diabetes, inflammation of the digestive system, in the presence of a tendency of the body to form stones.
• Also exclude dried apricots and papayas from the diet for diabetes.

If you have a beautiful garden, do not deny yourself the opportunity to prepare your own fruit. A proven old-fashioned method - when apples and pears are thinly chopped and sun-dried - is the best way to preserve the fruit's goodness. If you are unlucky with the weather and you should only dream of the sun, then let us turn your attention to the absence of fats in fruits, which will mean that the berries dried in the pantry will not differ in any way in properties from their brother sunburned in the sun.

Some fruits, such as felted cherries, are treated with sugar to remove sourness. The most detrimental to the complex of vitamins contained in dry fruits is the industrial drying method. It is based on the industrial heating of crops, which destroys biologically active substances in them.

The benefits of dried fruits: a complex of vitamins

With the correct drying of fruits, all the useful properties will be preserved, which include:

• An abundance of vitamins. Despite the drying of the fruits, they retain useful substances that, when ingested, return the same beneficial properties as fresh fruits. Therefore, by eating dried fruits, you will saturate your body with ascorbic acid, which allows you to strengthen immunity, beta-carotene, which has a beneficial effect on human vision, tocopherols that protect against cancer, vitamin PP (its task is to cleanse the blood from cholesterol), vitamin B1 (it participates in various metabolic processes in the body).
• Macro and microelements. Calcium heals bone tissue and maintains muscle health. Iron fills the blood with red corpuscles and protects against anemia. Phosphorus, zinc, potassium and other components are no exception and, like other elements, strengthen human health.
• Carbohydrates. They charge the body with energy, help get rid of depression, and lift your mood. In dried fruits, you will find just such sugars that will not aggravate diabetes and rapidly increase weight. Dried fruits are a kind of energy for the human body, which should be used in moderate dosage.
• Enzymes. Due to them, the body practically does not need any special costs for the cleansing process.
• Cellulose. Reduces the flow of cholesterol into the blood, relieves constipation.

Note that one dried fruit contains as many nutrients as the fresh fruit. However, with regard to vegetable fiber, it should be noted that in dried fruit it is approximately 3.5 times more than in an analogue just plucked from a tree. Therefore, at the expense of one serving of dried fruit, you will replenish the daily intake of minerals and vitamins necessary for the body.

At the same time, you should know that the amount of vitamin C in dried fruits is less, since it is lost during drying.

If you have set a goal to reduce weight, then you should eat 1-2 dried fruits a day. If your appetite demands more, you should refuse such a treat. So why are dried fruits not recommended for weight loss?

• Calorie content. The first reason should be called the high calorie content of dry foods, as well as their inability to saturate the body with proteins and fats, which they practically do not have. From this, we can conclude that when taking dried fruits for the purpose of losing weight, there is a high risk of overeating, which is not desirable for people who want to lose weight.
• Fructose. Dried fruits are enriched with fructose, which, in turn, is an isocaloric component that promotes the accumulation of excess fats, in particular in the liver and in the side area.
• The inability to give up sweets. Dried fruits taste sweet, and a losing weight person needs to exclude sweets from the diet.

From all of the above, the conclusion suggests itself that a losing weight person can eat dried fruits, but in very moderate and even limited quantities. If you neglect this rule, then taking tasty fruits will bring harm and reduce work on the body to zero.

How many dried fruits can healthy people eat?

If you are not overweight, diabetes, hypertension, or metabolic syndrome, you can eat dried fruit daily as a moderate supplement to healthy snacks.

Probably, many have heard of such a drink as uzvar, whose homeland is Ukraine. Uzvar is a decoction made from dried fruits. Once upon a time, the uzvar was prepared only for Christmas, but now you can purchase, and it is better to cook it yourself at home, at any time of the year.

1. Uzvar tastes good and resembles compote in many ways, but many will notice that it is even tastier and is something in between pear juice and a drink made from dried fruits. For the preparation of the drink, take dried pears, a little less apples and raisins. You can also supplement the cocktail with dried apricots, prunes, cherries, hawthorns. The benefits of the Uzvar are influenced by those components that make up its composition. Accordingly, as we already know, uzvar will be rich in fiber, glucose, pectin, antioxidants due to dried fruits. You will be able to strengthen the immune system, improve the activity of the cardiovascular system, remove salts and toxins from the body, improve the functioning of the intestines, etc.
2. Uzvar is known to be a great hangover cure. It perfectly invigorates and improves a person's well-being. In order for the benefits of the uzvar for the body to be the same as we describe it, the drink should be prepared correctly. for cooking, start boiling dried fruits in the same way as when cooking a regular compote. Rinse the fruit thoroughly, add clean spring water, then place on the stove and remove as soon as the water boils. To improve the taste and better performance of the fruit, pre-soak them - either 15 minutes before cooking or overnight. The proportion of making such an energy cocktail looks like this: for 400 grams of fruit, you should take 2 liters of water and 250 grams of sugar, as well as 1.5 tablespoons of honey, which can also act as a full-fledged alternative to sugar. You can prepare an uzvar in a simpler way - just pour boiling water over the fruit and let it brew well under the lid. It is necessary to add honey to an already cooled drink.

Is there any harm from dried fruits?

As we have already summed up earlier, dried fruits can bring harm to people suffering from diabetes, hypertension, and also those who want to lose weight if they neglect the recommended amount of dry fruits. Otherwise, dried fruits will be harmful in case of improper cultivation, spraying with chemicals and, as a result, poor processing, drying and transportation of fruits. The appearance of the fruit will tell you about this. For example, if it is too bright, then the fruit has been treated with chemicals when grown or processed. Also, excessive consumption of dried fruits in unlimited quantities can cause harm.

We believe that now you have concluded about the benefits and dangers of dried fruits in your diet and make the right decision regarding their use. We also ask you not to forget about fresh seasonal fruits, rich in the same vitamins and minerals, and we ask you not to exclude them from your menu.

18.02.2018 - update date

18.02.2018

Most people know that are a useful product for humans. They are not only rich in fiber, which helps to improve digestion, and a large amount of minerals. According to the latter indicator, dried fruits are able to give odds even to fresh fruits.

• Potassium improves heart function,
• iron is needed for blood,
• b vitamins contained in dried fruits are also beneficial.

They also have a positive effect on the digestive tract. The properties of prunes immediately come to mind, but other types of dried fruits are also beneficial. Their main ability is to envelop the stomach with a special protective film. Dried fruits are able to optimize digestion due to the plant fibers they contain, and also help to fight constipation in people of different ages.

The main properties of dried fruits

Dried fruits are a storehouse of useful substances necessary for humans, and each type of fruit has its own characteristics.

Apples: They are rich in iron and have a positive effect on the structure of the blood. They also help maintain an optimal microflora in the intestines.

Raisins: it stands out with a wide range of B vitamins and organic acids. It also includes potassium with magnesium and other substances necessary for a person. The use of raisins has a beneficial effect on the nervous system, helps fight fatigue and insomnia. Eating raisins is recommended for nursing mothers, as it has a positive effect on lactation, increasing the amount of milk produced. Raisins are also able to positively affect the condition of the heart muscle.

Pears: An excellent antidepressant and tonic that helps to normalize the nervous system. Another important advantage of dried pears is the ability to remove toxins from the human body.

Figs: This exotic fruit has a positive effect not only on the thyroid gland, but also allows you to fight coughs, while at the same time having an anti-inflammatory effect in the mouth.

Peach: This dried fruit is recommended for people with problems with the cardiovascular system or kidney function.

Dried apricots: One of the healthiest dried fruits available. It not only has a complex effect on the body, improving human well-being, but also has a positive effect on individual organs, for example, the heart or stomach. Dried apricots also help to maintain good vision for many years. Regular intake of food has reduced the risks of problems with blood vessels and their clogging. Getting the necessary nutrients from dried apricots, the body preserves the youthfulness of the skin.

Prunes: Prunes are one of the best folk remedies for constipation. They generally stabilize the work of the gastrointestinal tract, and can also increase hemoglobin levels. This dried fruit is also suitable as an anti-inflammatory agent.

Dates: The huge variety of vitamins, metals and trace elements makes the consumption of dates relevant for humans. With their help, you can reduce the negative effect of anemia, as well as increase the level of your own immunity. Dates not only stimulate renal and hepatic activity, but also allow the body to recover more effectively from past diseases. Among the positive properties of dates are their antidepressant properties, the ability to strengthen the uterine muscles, which is especially important during pregnancy. There is an opinion that dates are a means of preventing cancer.

What do you need to know before using?

In most cases, dried fruits are consumed in pure form or added to baked goods, but ... Such a drink will not only be tasty, but also useful for the body.

Before eating dried fruits, it is necessary to take into account that, due to the loss of moisture, they become much more sugary, which increases the level of their calorie content. If there are only 50 kilocalories per 100g of apricots, then in dried apricots there will already be 5 times more of them, in grapes the calorie content reaches 70 kcal, while in raisins it is four times higher. Accordingly, people who prefer diet and weight control should not be abused with dried fruits.

At the same time, a high proportion of fiber in dry fruits increases the absorption of sugar., therefore, the increase in blood glucose is insignificant.

Potential harm to dried fruits

With all the positive aspects of dried fruits, one cannot but mention the disadvantages. They are associated primarily with the chemical processing of any products in this category. It is carried out in order to provide the products with the necessary appearance, as well as to extend the shelf life.

Most of the dried fruits on sale are dried under industrial conditions. Such technologies involve a change in the original natural color. For example, it is possible to provide products with a bright color only through chemical action, processing of dried fruits with dyes and sulfur dioxide.

The use of sulfurous anhydride is a traditional method of industrial processing of dried fruits. Accordingly, on the packaging of such a product, there must be a mandatory mention of the additive E220. It is designed to kill bacteria and create conditions under which they will not multiply on the surface of the dried fruit.

Together with the antibacterial treatment, this effect creates a beautiful shine on the surface of the fruit. For example, shiny prunes have definitely gone through a similar treatment. Of course, in theory, manufacturers are limited in the amount of use of chemicals to doses that are safe for humans. Nevertheless, the risks of getting excessive doses of chemicals always remain, because no one can guarantee that the manufacturer strictly follows the instructions.

To remove the effects of processing?

Some manufacturers use glycerin and vegetable oils to give shine to dried fruits. These are effective and at the same time inexpensive means to give the product an appetizing appearance, because "pure" dried fruits have a wrinkled, pale appearance that causes a little appetite.

Unscrupulous producers can dry fruits using burners, after which the taste of burning and gasoline vapors will remain on the surface. Similar odors can occur after using dryers. In cases where the fruits were harvested greenish, they are additionally treated with boiling water and soda (non-food grade), allowing cracks to be created on the surface, accelerating the drying process.

For exotic fruits, soaking in sugar syrups is practiced to infuse them with a more concentrated sweet taste.

How to choose dried fruits?

Thus, when choosing dried fruits, you should not make a choice in favor of products that are distinguished by an unnatural brightness of appearance and unusual tastes or smells that are not characteristic of this fruit.

To reduce risks, you should adhere to the following rules:

• Most natural dried fruits have an unattractive appearance. Before use, the fruits are soaked in warm water for 20 minutes, after which they are thoroughly washed.
• Any signs of smoke or gasoline odors indicate poor processing of the feedstock. There should be no large number of large cracks on the surface.
• When choosing packaged products, it is better to opt for goods in transparent containers. It allows you to evaluate the appearance of dried fruits before making a purchase.
• Many tropical fruits are not classic dried fruits. They are dried after sugaring, and they are called candied fruits.
• Thorough washing of dried fruits before eating allows you to remove from the surface not only dirt and dust, but also chemicals used in production.
• To prepare compote, it is not necessary to cook dried fruits. It is enough to pour boiling water over them and let it brew.
• Fruit with stalks, such as prunes or raisins, tolerate long-term storage much better.
• High-quality raisins should not stick together.

Conclusion

Given that dried fruits are a concentrated product, when using them, you need to know when to stop. You can make them yourself, both by the methods of grandparents, and by modern methods. In any case, you can be sure that no chemicals were used. If, or elsewhere, soaking and rinsing should become a mandatory procedure before use, with the exception of those dried fruits that have NOT been processed.

Fact. But lovers of "healthy sweets" completely ignore the process of creating dried fruit - and it is in it that the "zest" lies! To be more precise, during the production process in the fruit they kill the useful and add the harmful.

What is harmful in dried fruits?

So, I present to you: bright orange dried apricots, spectacular fleshy figs, languid and dark prunes, tanned dates, large black-eyed raisins. Commercial dried fruits must be sweet and beautiful to the same extent that the author of an article about them must be short and convincing. Well, sit back and give you a bad appetite!

Moving on to drying drying

Industrial dried fruits are dried at a temperature of about 200 o C. This destroys most of the vitamins and almost all biologically active substances in them. The high temperature converts the polysaccharide (complex sugars) present in fruits into simple ones. And this significantly increases their sweetness and, alas, harmfulness: the more complex the sugar, the more energy and time the body needs to spend on their absorption - and the lower our blood sugar level will rise and, accordingly, the less harm will be done to our pancreas , skin and waist.

Along the way, just like that - from an innate gastronomic sadism, I note that the high drying temperature makes them absolutely non-raw dried fruits. Indeed, according to the canons of a raw food diet, the processing temperature should not exceed 40-42 ° C, and many raw food restaurants prefer to bypass this hot topic with cool silence.

"Azzkaya sulfur"

Then most of the dried fruits are subjected to the so-called sulfitation: so that they do not darken, they are treated with sulfur oxide. This tuning gives the dried fruit a commercially vivid color and pest resistance. Smart mold and wise insects bypass sulfated fruits - unlike uninformed buyers.

The fact is that sulfur oxide, when combined with water, forms sulfurous acid. Small amounts of it are considered (allegedly) non-toxic for us. However, pests seem to think differently. Apparently, they know something that dealers hide from us. And I, frankly, happily join the squad of pests - when it comes to dried fruits.

Makeup

Very often, dried fruits are tinted with food colors (dried apricots and white raisins most often), oiled - so that they shine and so that the raisins do not stick together and are crumbly.

Before drying, grapes and prunes are always scalded with boiling water with sodium hydroxide - so that their dense skin that prevents rapid drying becomes covered with a network of microcracks. "Cracking" speeds up the drying process.

And the "smoking" of prunes is often produced by "liquid smoke" - a terrible artificial flavoring, which is as carcinogenic as the "natural" smoke of smoking chambers.

Sweets-muzzles

The sweeter the fruit, the more attractive it is to the consumer. The fact that polysaccharides useful for us turn into unhealthy sugars at high temperatures, I scared you above. But this is not the worst thing! Commercial dried fruits (dried apricots, figs, apples, persimmons, prunes, etc.) are also soaked in water with sugar and then dried again. All this is done in order to make the product even sweeter, softer and more commercially interesting.

I often write on my page about how exactly high blood sugar (glycemic index) contributes to the accumulation of fat, wilting of the skin and addiction to bakery cookies and sweets. In the meantime, I will continue to terrify you.

Santa Claus or Santa Claus?

Have you already in fright directed your disappointed gaze at the homemade dried fruit? In vain! Yes, it is nondescript, brown and dried at room temperature. But even that doesn't make it a particularly healthy food. The fact is that almost any fruit and vegetable contains enzymes that destroy vitamins. When a fruit (and a vegetable, by the way, too) is stored at room temperature, these serial vitamin killers are activated and destroy most of the beneficial in the fruit. Therefore, fruits and vegetables, by the way, should be stored only in the refrigerator.

Table 1 shows the average data for the destruction of vitamins when quickly dried in home dryers at a low temperature. And with slow drying and with high-temperature drying, the losses, respectively, increase significantly.

Table 1

Typical loss of nutritional value in processed foods versus raw foods

VITAMINS	FREEZE	DRYING	BOILING, PRESERVATION
VITAMIN A	5%	50%	25%
ALPHA CAROTINE	5%	50%	25%
VETA KAROTIN	5%	50%	25%
LIKOPIN	5%	50%	25%
LUTEIN + ZEAXANTHIN	5%	50%	25%
VITAMIN C	30%	80%	50%
THIAMINE	5%	30%	55%
RIBOFLAVIN	0%	10%	25%
NIACIN	0%	10%	40%
VITAMIN B6	0%	10%	50%
FOLIC ACID	5%	50%	70%
VITAMIN B 12	0%	0%	45%

As you can see, most vitamins are stored in frozen fruits and vegetables. But if you leave fruit and vegetables to thaw at room temperature, then within a few hours most of the vitamins will also be attacked by "antivitamins" and will be destroyed. Therefore, it is better to bring the "thugs" to an edible temperature in the microwave on a special "defrost" mode.

Microwaves Macro Pleasure

Along the way, I will please you (not from an innate gastronomic humanism, but because the author is obliged to tell the reader something provocative so that he continues to read the article further). I have not found a single real scientific study that convincingly demonstrates the harm of using microwaves. But there are plenty of studies that show the opposite. And they all say that microwave cooking saves more vitamins and other health benefits than most other types of cooking.

If, for example, a shriveled brown dried apricot has dried itself on a tree under the sun, or apples and pears in the grandmother's attic under the roof (which is heated by the same sun), then the process of destruction of vitamins goes much further. And as a result, we get a homemade, but very, very vitamin-free product.

Do not spike on the rose hips!

For one more consolation, I will add that ascobate reductase (an enzyme that destroys vitamin C) is completely absent in rose hips. In which there is, at the same time, an indecent huge amount of ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Nature, you see, tried to create a special ascorbic product for the northerners. So steaming rose hips in a glass thermos is a very decent option for home winter vitaminization.

Just buy a rosehip that has not been in the sun on the market, and brew it only in a glass thermos: contact with iron (even stainless steel) catalyzes the oxidation of vitamin C.

Low-vitamin polyfruits

So, the most useful, as you already sadly understand, are, of course, self-dried fruits and berries in home dehydrators. Precisely "supposedly" - after all, here we turn to the most interesting and, at the same time, the most distressing.

The fact is that of all the fruits and vegetation available to us, fruits are the poorest in vitamins. Most vitamins, biologically active substances and microelements accumulate in greenery. Berries and peppers modestly follow her. Then - all vegetables (especially cabbage, and especially - broccoli and cauliflower). And only then - other vegetables and at the very end - fruits (even citrus fruits) and leafy salads.

Table 2 is a subset of the general nutritional table of contents that I once compiled in a fit of tireless curiosity. I have marked in these tables those beneficial ingredients, the amount of which exceeds 10%.

Of all the vitamins in fruits, only C, K and beta-carotene were found in noticeable quantities. All other utilities turned out to be significantly below the 10% passing barrier, and I simply did not reflect them in the table.

table 2

Product content in% of the daily value in 100 g.	Vitamin C	Vitamin K	Carotene
Black currant	263
Persimmon	53		24
Apples	24
Blueberry	45	16
Apricots	11		32
Banana	10
Grapes		12
Cherry	11		15
Pear
Melon	22
Strawberry	86
Raspberry	37
Peach	10
Plum	14

Now imagine: 100 g of the freshest apricot contains on average 45% vitamin C, and an apple plucked from a branch contains 24%. After drying, they will lose 80% of the ascorbic acid.

100 g of apricot contains a very subtle 9% of the daily value of vitamin C, and 100 g of apples - only 5%. We don't even talk about other vitamins, but only take off our hats and honor their eternal memory with mournful silence. And at the same time, dried (even at home!) Apples and apricots contain about 210-250 kcal and 40-45 g of easily digestible carbohydrates, well, a handful of potassium, iron, zinc, magnesium, etc. Actually, these microelements are almost the only value of dried fruits, besides pectin (fruit fiber).

Unhelpful snack

Many people see dried fruit as a healthy alternative to cookies and sweets for a coffee break. Yes, 100 g of dryers will satisfy (very temporarily) your hunger. But by what means? Due to easily digestible carbohydrates, and any product with a high glycemic index (and dried fruits are exactly that) first sharply raises the blood sugar level, and then this level drops just as sharply. Moreover, it falls to a level that is perceived by the body as an acute and sharp hunger. Just the kind you wanted to get rid of with a dried fruit snack.

High blood sugar levels trigger high insulin levels, and insulin directly triggers fat cells to store fat. The one you want to get rid of with a "healthy snack".

Dose of fructose

The second stimulant of fat accumulation is fructose. The same supposedly healthy and dietary product that the "healthy" food industry feeds us. How large amounts of fructose cause depression, provoke fat accumulation and damage the liver, I will tell in one of the episodes of the program "SUBSTANCES DECEPTION". In the meantime, I will just note that dates - even fresh ones - are the most high-fructose fruits. Most of the sweetness they contain is harmful fructose. Will you draw your own conclusions?

Is dried fruit worth the dressing?

If you continue to experience bouts of hunger, then it is best to extinguish them with something less high glycemic. For example - raw vegetables and fruits. Then you will get hungry again much later, and at the same time you will get the benefits of the vitamins available in them. Vitamin C, by the way, invigorates very noticeably. A couple of oranges or a bunch of parsley awaken a cup of coffee like a cup.

And if the main meals are gradually made more and more correct, that is, more and more low-glycemic, then the need for snacks will gradually disappear. What we are, in fact, are trying to achieve.

And I talk about how to correctly and tasty switch to low-glycemic nutrition in my lectures and write on my Facebook page