Dried Fruit - A Healthy Option?

[texter]

Hi all, thank you for reading this.

For some time now I have been considering buying in bulk lots of different dried fruit. Banana, pear, apple, figs, you name it.

The way I see it, buying bulk dried fruit could be an ideal, low-cost way of including a wide variety of fruit-derived nutrients in your diet*, especially in the winter months when fresh fruit is less available.

The reason for this post is to ask for your opinions and knowledge on whether there are any obvious health disadvantages of dried fruit. Or benefits?

 

An example of a concern I have on this topic: the sulphates that are often used in the preservation process. Some people seem to consider them just generally 'bad', but I have read another source ('How to Eat Better', James Wong) which suggested that sulphates help to preserve the antioxidants, resulting in a 'healthier' piece of dried fruit than one dried without the aid of sulphates.

What does the forum think?

 

Thank you

 

*For clarification, I am only considering this as part of a healthy diet, which will of course include fresh fruit and veg.

[Moreira]

In the drying process the fruit is exposed to heat that affects the vitamins and most of them are lost.

Also it's easier to eat more because it's size is reduced but the sugars are more concentrated so its easy to eat in excess.

The other benefits like the antiox or anthocyanins aren't lost in the dry process.

 

I would choose dried over fresh only if this specific fruit is not available fresh in my country.

[Lynnel]

@texter Way too much sugar !

Also as Moreira stated some vitamins are lost.

Always eat fresh fruits.

[ElenaO]

I tend to overeat on dry fruit. Also, they are addictive. It's basically candy, but in a bit healthier form. 
I would skip the dry fruit altogether from the diet if possible. 

[pluto]

Sulphites are definitely a NONO but it also depends on the quality of the fruits. If they are organic and have been dried at very low temperatures preferably under 45'C then most of their nutrients and enzymes are still in tact but lose the crystalline structure of the water AKA(Information) which ultimately is needed for communication within the body and few other things like mentioned above but dried fruit as side dishes or snacks are perfectly fine as long as the only ingredient is the dried fruit itself and nothing else added although consuming them a lot can cause negatives in the long run.

Edited September 11, 2017 by pluto

[The Monk]

@texter To be honest I don't know a great amount about dried fruit. But I used to eat Goji berries and from the research that I did I noticed that they strengthen your immune system, but they taste pretty bad. 

However, they will increase your productivity and lower the amount of sick days you have so I suppose they're pretty good! I would recommend trying them sometime, but like I said they don't taste great.

[texter]

Thanks all.

Basically, from your advice, I am going to mostly avoid dried fruit in my diet, and stick to the fresh stuff.

Freeze-dried fruit seems to preserve a lot of the goodies without adding any sugar or preservatives.

I do love (organic, sulphite-free) dried fruit so, in moderation, dried fruit will serve as an occasional treat in my diet.

[pluto]

11 hours ago, The Monk said:

@texter To be honest I don't know a great amount about dried fruit. But I used to eat Goji berries and from the research that I did I noticed that they strengthen your immune system, but they taste pretty bad. 

However, they will increase your productivity and lower the amount of sick days you have so I suppose they're pretty good! I would recommend trying them sometime, but like I said they don't taste great.

Goji berries on the other hand are considered a Superfood and you could probably eat them more than regular dried fruits. At the start they did taste strange but now i love the flavor although another thing to take into consideration is make sure your Goji berries are homegrown or grown/harvested in Tibet and or (certified organic) because most are from china and processed/contaminated and compared to Tibetan they don't come close to flavor and richness/nutrient density.

[texter]

@pluto Would you be able to tell me why sulphites are a 'NONO'?

And just checking, by sulphites we mean things such as the preservative sulphur dioxide?

[Emerald]

If you have a dehydrator, you can make dried fruit without any chemicals and without losing nutrients. But the thing to watch out for is overeating on calories. Because the water is taken out of the fruit, it's quicker to eat larger amounts of calories and natural sugars. With the water, it tends to fill you up more, so you don't eat as much. And it's also hydrating. So, regular fruit is definitely a healthier option. However, there's nothing wrong with dried fruit if you've dehydrated it yourself and you don't over-eat.