How healthy are dried fruits really

 

We admit that dried fruits are not Buah's invention. Caravans were already drying their fruit by burying it in the hot desert sand. So they preserved it for long journeys. But now works with freeze-drying to maintain high-quality fruit gently. Inorganic shops, drugstores, and supermarkets, you can buy fruits fresh, dried, or frozen. But when should you choose which variant? How healthy are dried fruits? And how do freeze-dried fruits differ from conventionally dried fruits? In this article, we have brief the most important facts for you.    

DRIED FRUITS ARE SO HEALTHY:

Dried fruits have a lower water content than fresh fruits. This increases the concentration of all remaining ingredients. Dried fruits contain large amounts of antioxidants and supply the organism with various vitamins, minerals, and secondary plant substances. Their high fiber content ensures a long-lasting feeling of satiety and a bowel-regulating effect. With a varied diet, dried fruits support regular digestion. Their sweet taste also makes them popular.

Correspondingly, dried fruits also have a lot of fructose and calories. In contrast to industrial sugar, fructose (fruit sugar) is metabolized independently of insulin. The blood sugar level rises slowly, and there are no food cravings. Unfortunately, despite having the same number of calories, dried fruits are less filling than fresh fruits. Because the volume determines the feeling of satiety, so moderation is advisable also, human digestion cannot process more than 25-80 g fructose per day.

Our conclusion is:  In the right amount, dried fruits are essential suppliers of vitamins and a valuable part of a healthy diet.

THIS IS WHAT DISTINGUISHES FREEZE-DRIED FROM CONVENTIONALLY DRIED FRUITS:

The new raw material quality plays a significant role in the dried fruit quality. But the drying process also has a considerable influence on their properties. With conventionally dried fruits, heat is used to reduce the fruits' water content to around 20%. This drying has a degenerative (restoring) effect on heat-sensitive antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin B12, and folic acid. Considerable proportions of the vital substances are lost. Because sulphurised fruits change their color, many dried fruits are treated with sulfur. Oil is also used to speed up the drying process.

In the case of freeze-dried fruits, the liquid content is reduced to around 5% using shock freezing and a vacuum. It has many advantages:

·        Heat sensitive antioxidants remain intact after freeze-drying.

·        They are processing shortly after harvest means that even more vital substances are retained. The natural degeneration process of critical importance starts immediately after the harvest and is stopped faster and more permanently by freeze-drying.

·        Freeze-dried fruits are free from additives, i.e., always unsulphurized and oil-free.

·        Freeze-dried fruits have a higher nutrient density. Due to the lower water content, the valuable vital substances are available in higher concentrations. However, this also applies to fructose.

HOW ABOUT FRESH FRUITS?

Nothing is as healthy as fully ripened fruits, fresh from the tree or shrub. In this natural form, they provide most of the beneficial ingredients. Nevertheless, the fruits that we buy in the store often perform worse than dried fruits when comparing nutritional values. The long way through wholesalers and the like, mostly fruits that do not grow regionally, is harvested immature. Your vitamins and minerals have not yet fully developed. This underdeveloped vital substance content decreases further through storage. As mentioned above, a natural degeneration process sets in with fruits immediately after harvest. Vitamins are lost every day, regardless of whether you keep the fruit at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Freeze-dried fruits, on the other hand, are usually harvested fully ripe. Their nutritional content is higher, and it remains stable in the long term. Because freeze-drying permanently ends the degeneration process of vitamins and minerals. At buah, all fruits are freeze-dried within six hours of harvesting so that the loss of healthy vital substances is minimal.

AND WHAT ABOUT FROZEN FRUITS?

Frozen fruits are usually gathered when they are fully ripe. They are in no way inferior to freeze-dried fruits. But freezing, storage, and processing can have adverse effects: If fruits freeze too slowly, vitamins escape, and the cell structure is damaged. Up to 30% of the sensitive vitamin C is then lost. Also, every break in the cold chain leads to nutrient losses. It can happen in wholesalers, in the supermarket, or on the way home from shopping. Care should also be taken when defrosting. Even at room temperature, too quickly, many vital substances break down. Once the frozen fruits have thawed, the natural nutrient degeneration sets in again, and they should be wolfed.

On the other hand, freeze-dried fruits are shock frozen in seconds so that the ingredients and cell structure are preserved. Even without special storage, the vital substances remain stable over the long term because freeze-drying permanently prevents the degeneration process. So you don't have to know hours in advance whether you want to eat strawberries, and you can always have the fruit with you on the go.