Posted on January 9, 2009 in Latest News
Fruits are full of vitamins in their original state but do they retain their vitamin content after they are dried. The answer to this can also tell us whether we can substitute our daily fruits with dried ones.
Do Dried Fruits Retain Vitamins?
- Fully ripened fruits are dried in sunlight and wind or are dried by circulating air. Only Vitamin D is damaged in the process. Otherwise all the other nutrients are to be found in it almost as it is.
- However, sulphur di oxide that is used for preserving it and retaining its color changes the nutrient content further reducing its vitamin content. Some dried fruits like sultanas, apricots, nectarines and peaches are often treated with sulphur to prevent oxidation.
- This mild sulphuring helps retain the vitamin content of dried fruits, especially vitamins A and C, but does away with thiamine. Vitamin A is required for proper growth and also helps regulate metabolism. Vitamin C is good for repair and growth of body tissues. Vitamin B1 helps the body to convert carbohydrates into energy.
- However, if have to choose between fresh fruits and dried ones, then nothing like the fresh ones. But you can use dry fruits to spice up your bland breakfast cereal bowl. Dried fruits don’t contain saturated fats so they are better than sugar. The fiber content of fresh fruits is more than dried ones.
- More problems are: Because of its sweetness dried fruits can create more dental cavities. Cranberries are coated with sugars and also to some extent raisins.
So, in case you want to keep dry fruits at your work table, do so as they are not messy plus they give you almost all the vitamins you need barring Vitamin D and thiamine.
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