Why are dried fruits dangerous?

[WHAT DANGEROUS DRIED FRUITS]

WHAT DANGEROUS DRIED FRUITS

Dried fruits are a healthy product. Provided that they have not been subjected to a powerful chemical treatment to prolong the shelf life. I figured out what dried fruits can be dangerous and how to avoid the danger.

Any nutritionist will tell you that dried fruit is a healthy product. First, they are high in fiber, which stimulates digestion and metabolism. Secondly, they contain more minerals and vitamins than fresh fruits. They contain a lot of potassium (normalizes blood pressure), iron (improves blood formation), as well as carotene and B vitamins. All of them are important for the normal functioning of the heart, brain, nervous system and muscles.

The bad news is that the concentration of sugars in the fruit increases during drying. For example, in fresh apricots there are 50 kcal per 100 g, in dried apricots - already 200-250. In plums there are about 60 kcal per 100 g, in prunes - 250. In grapes, 70 kcal per 100 g, in raisins - 280.

In principle, this sugar is not so terrible: due to the abundance of fiber, the glycemic index of dried fruits is small and does not sharply increase the level of glucose in the blood. The real problem is that dried fruits are subjected to intensive chemical processing in order to achieve an attractive presentation and extend the shelf life.


Danger # 1: an unnaturally bright color

“The harvested fruits of apricots and grapes are fumigated with sulfur dioxide (sulfur dioxide, on the packaging it is designated as preservative E220),” Nadezhda Semenova, creator of the I-Me online grocery store, told me, who travels to Uzbekistan to buy dried fruits and observed with her own eyes, how dried apricots and raisins are made. "After gas treatment, dried apricots become a bright orange color, and raisins (from light grapes) become amber yellow, unnaturally golden, although they should be dark brown."

In addition, dried fruits with sulfur dioxide protect them from bugs and mold - after a gas attack, microorganisms and insects lose interest in the product.

Although there is not much sulfur dioxide in dried fruits, Lyudmila Fedotova, a gastroenterologist at the polyclinic of the Financial Academy, believes that it is better to refuse to eat foods with it.

“Sulfur dioxide is toxic,” she says. - It dissolves well in water and forms sulfurous acid in the stomach, which destroys the mucous membranes of the digestive system. For those with gastrointestinal diseases, I would advise you to completely abandon such products. In addition, this substance can become the strongest allergen for asthmatics. "

How to protect yourself: remember that high-quality dried fruits, as a rule, have an unattractive appearance. They are dark, wrinkled, with dust. Too bright color in dried apricots, raisins, dried cherries suggests that they were most likely treated with sulfur dioxide or food coloring. Soak dried fruits for 10-15 minutes in room temperature water before use, and then rinse thoroughly under the tap.


Danger # 2: Strange taste

“It is rather difficult to dry plum fruits in a natural way, in the shade or in the sun, they quickly turn sour,” says Nadezhda Semenova. - Therefore, they are dried in an accelerated way in gas or petrol ovens at high temperatures. Prunes, dried apricots, raisins at the exit acquire the taste of gasoline, the skin cracks, carcinogens settle on it, and vitamins and enzymes die inside. "

How to protect yourself: When buying dried fruit, take a good sniff. The smell of gasoline, smoke is suspicious. Severely cracked dried fruit is a marriage. Buy dates with seeds, raisins and prunes with stalks. Such fruits retain nutrients better.


Danger # 3: Weird Shine

Another problem with prunes is that they are often soaked in low quality vegetable oil or treated with glycerin. “This is done in order to give the berries an appetizing shine and softness,” says Yaroslava Kiryukhina, owner of a family shop of natural products and a honey apiary in the Moscow Region. "And the coffee shade indicates that the prunes were scalded with boiling water, which deprives them of vitamins."

How to protect yourself: in the store, try to buy dried fruits in transparent packaging - so you can immediately appreciate the color of dried apricots, the suspicious shine of prunes or raisins.

----------------------------------------------------------------
A source - 🔗