Dried fruit can boost your fiber and nutrient intake and supply your body with large amounts of antioxidants. But it’s also a high carb food, containing sugar and many calories and can cause problems if you eat too much.
Information about dried fruit is very conflicting.
Some say it is a nutritious, healthy snack, while others claim it is no better than candy.
This is a detailed article about dried fruit and how it can affect your health.
What is Dried Fruit?
Dried fruit is fruit that has had almost all of the water content removed through drying methods.
The fruit shrinks during this process, leaving a small, energy-dense dried fruit.
Raisins are the most common type, followed by dates, prunes, figs and apricots.
Other varieties of dried fruit are also available, sometimes in candied form (sugar coated). These include mangoes, pineapples, cranberries, bananas and apples.
Dried fruit can be preserved for much longer than fresh fruit and can be a handy snack, particularly on long trips where refrigeration is not available.
Bottom line:
Dried fruit has had most of the water content removed. The most common varieties are raisins, dates, prunes, figs and apricots.
Dried Fruit is Loaded With Micronutrients, Fiber and Antioxidants
Dried fruit is highly nutritious.
One piece of dried fruit contains about the same amount of nutrients as the fresh fruit, but condensed in a much smaller package.
By weight, dried fruit contains up to 3.5 times the fiber, vitamins and minerals of fresh fruit.
Therefore, one serving can provide a large percentage of the daily recommended intake of many vitamins and minerals, such as folate (1Trusted Source).
However, there are some exceptions. For example, the vitamin C content is significantly reduced when the fruit is dried (2Trusted Source).
Dried fruit generally contains a lot of fiber and is a great source of antioxidants, especially polyphenols (3Trusted Source).
Polyphenol antioxidants are associated with health benefits such as improved blood flow, better digestive health, decreased oxidative damage and reduced risk of many diseases
