Starring …Dried fruit!

Dried fruit rarely gets the starring role as a promoted, nutritional favorite as it generally has not been considered to be at the level of “super food” status. But one thing is for sure, dried fruits, such as raisins, prunes, apricots, and figs have been around for a long, long time and are still here today.  Centuries ago as early as 12,000 BC,  dried fruits played a starring role in feeding and sustaining human life when it was discoveredthey could be dried and preserved by simply letting them dry out in the hot sun.

Nutritional role of dried fruit

Only 6.9% of Americans eat any dried fruit on any given day and what a shame. With more efficient drying options than ever, dried fruit are a good food source helping individuals to meet their daily nutrient needs.  From providing valuable sources of vitamins, minerals, fiber, phytochemicals, and considering the fact they are shelf stable lasting a long time, eating more dried fruit just makes sense. 

Dried fruit does contain many nutrients but it is also calorically dense, so portion control is important as a handful can go a long way.  One concern that may be driving individuals away from not choosing dried fruit is the amount of sugar in them.  It is recommended to choose unsweetened varieties since dried fruit that does not contain added sugar is considered to be on the same level as whole fruit.  With the minimal amount of sugar unsweetened dried fruit contains, the fiber, vitamins, and minerals far outweigh a little bit of sweetness.  Anyone with diabetes should always choose unsweetened dried fruit.  

Health benefits of individual dried fruits

·      Raisins

The most recognized and popular of all dried fruit are raisins. It used to be thought dried fruit such as raisins would not be a good choice for someone with diabetes because of its more concentrated sugar content.  However, research as suggested that eating raisins may improve glucose levels. 

A 12-week randomized study of 51 participants with type 2 diabetes, found that regular consumption of 1 ounce of raisins three times a day, when compared to other snacks, had the following positive impact on their diabetes:

·      23% reduction in postprandial (post-meal) glucose levels.

·      19% reduction in fasting glucose

For athletes who depend on commercially prepared carbohydrate sports chews to provide an athletes performance boost, may want to reconsider going more natural.  Research at the University of California-Davis found that whether it was sports chews or raisins, both resulted in promoting a higher carbohydrate oxidation thereby providing more endurance for runners needing to avoid depleting their glycogen stores.  Not only was there no difference in running performance between raisins and sports chews, but there was also no significant gastrointestinal differences.

Raisins may be a snack to consider helping improve dental health.  Research published in Phytochemistry Letters showed that raisins may benefit oral health because they contain antimicrobial phytochemicals that may suppress growth of some oral bacteria associated with dental cavities and gum disease.

·      Cranberries

It is well-known the important role of cranberry juice on preventing and treating urinary tract infections.  Now more evidence is suggesting that dried cranberries may also provide benefits due to their high levels of fiber and polyphenolic compounds, particularly proanthocyanidins.  Other research has shown that unsweetened cranberries have good responses on glycemic control for adults with type 2 diabetes.  There may even be a possible effect on gut microbiota because of polyphenols found in cranberries.

·      Prunes

Research has shown dried plums help prevent bone loss by maintaining bone density in individuals with low bone density.  Regularly consuming dried plums may contribute to bone strength and increased bone volume, thus reducing the risk of osteoporotic fractures.  Eating 5-6 dried plums daily was shown to be effective in prevent bone loss in postmenopausal women in a 2016 study.  In addition, prunes contain vitamin K an important nutrient helping improve calcium balance promoting bone mineralization.  Consuming 4 to 5 dried plums provides 30 percent of the daily recommended intake of vitamin K.

These same 5 to 6 dried plums a day has 3 grams of fiber good for preventing constipation and good for overall digestive health.  If you ever wondered why prunes or dried plums are good laxative aids, it’s because the fiber from dried plums passes on into the colon where it absorbs water and softens the stool making it easier to pass.  Dried plums also contain sorbitol, a mild colonic stimulant that reduces the time our bowel movements hang around in the colon decreasing the risk of constipation, colorectal cancer and hemmorrhoids.