According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in 2004 Americans consumed 2.38 lbs. per person of dried fruit. Dried fruit comes in many varieties and contains much of the same nutrition in fresh fruit, although the higher concentration of sugar in dried fruit, which is often called "nature's candy," needs to be considered when planning a healthy diet.
Identification
Although any fruit can be dried, the most common are raisins, dates, figs, berries, apricots and dried plums, also known as prunes. The USDA reported that raisins and dried plums made up the bulk of dried fruits consumed by Americans, accounting for 80 percent of consumption. Foods can be dried in the sun, in an oven or in a food dehydrator. The process of drying fruit removes moisture and keeps bacteria, yeast and mold from growing and spoiling the food, as well as slows the action of ripening enzymes. Fruits are usually pretreated before drying to keep them from darkening.
Nutrition
Pretreatment during the drying process using products such as sulfur dioxide helps protect some nutrients like vitamins A and C, while reducing others like thiamine. If fruits are briefly boiled or steamed before drying, this may also cause loss of some of the vitamin C content. However, other nutrients become much more concentrated in dried fruit, including fiber, iron, potassium, selenium and antioxidants, according to the Columbia University Health Department.
Sugar Content
When the water is removed from fruit, it concentrates the sugar. In addition, sugar may be added during the drying process, especially to more bitter fruits such as cranberries. The California Department of Public Health reports that a 1/4 cup serving of raisins, dates, dried figs and dried plums has 130, 120, 113 and 110 calories, respectively, with raisins and dates containing 29 grams of sugar, dried figs 20 grams and dried plums 13 grams. Since 1 g of sugar has 15 calories, the percentage sugar comprises of the total caloric intake of these dried fruits is 11.5, 12.5, 13.3 and 13.6 percent, respectively.
Glycemic Load
The glycemic index is a numerical system of measuring how much a food raises circulating blood sugar, with the higher the number, the greater the blood sugar response. The glycemic load gives a broader picture of the process by determining how rapidly a particular food turns into sugar. A glycemic load of 20 or more is high, 11 to 19 is medium and 10 or less is considered low. Most dried fruits actually have a low glycemic number, ranging from 16 for raisins to five for dried apricots, with prunes having a glycemic load of 10. (
Expert Insight
A study by the Virginia Tech University found that a diet supplemented with raisins helped reduce levels of the inflammatory markers C-reactive peptide and interleukin-6, both of which have been associated with obesity. A report published in February 2005 in the "American College of Nutrition" by J.A. Vinson et al at the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania, discovered that dried figs and plums produced a significant increase in plasma antioxidant capacity for four hours after consumption. Antoxidants have also been touted for their role in preventing and treating obese and overweight patients.
Warning
Some individuals have been known to suffer an allergic sensitivity to dried fruits that may be correlated with a pollen allergy, according to 1990 study in Spain, published in January of that year in "Allergologia et immunopathologia." Other people are sensitive to sulfur and sulfur compounds that are found in some dried fruits and may aggravate asthma and other allergic reactions. One way to avoid the latter reaction is choose naturally-processed dried fruits that don't use sulfur.
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