Dried Fruit as an Antioxidant-full Food

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The fall season is turning cooler and each day moves us closer to winter. Farmer’s markets are closing and the ones staying open later aren’t offering us the fruits we had all summer long. There are still fruits available, however, just take a quick trip to the grocery store and you’ll find several varieties of fresh seasonal fruit, imported fruit, and (farther into the aisles) an assortment of dried fruit. Dried fruit is consumed frequently in homemade oatmeal raisin cookies, in trail mixes, or as a school-time snack. What if dried fruits could be thought of as one of the most convenient ways to boost antioxidant intake during the seasons when fresh fruits aren’t readily available? Thinking of dried fruits as more than just an annual add-in to baked goods or oatmeal could increase several intake factors, namely antioxidants, carbohydrates, fiber, and potassium.

                Antioxidants are important to the body, acting as protective compounds at the cellular level. They act to counter the effects of oxidation that occurs as a natural process of disease, inflammation, and lifestyle (with activities like smoking, drinking, undergoing radiation, or even being exposed to UV light). Oxidation itself may lead over time to oxidative damage to the cells, further spurring on processes that may accumulate to the presentation of disease over time. There are no current recommendations for goal intakes of many antioxidants, though some antioxidants, such as vitamin C/ascorbic acid and vitamin A/beta-carotene do have Recommended Dietary Allowances posted as an estimation of a healthy individual’s requirement each day for optimal health. None the less, it is recognized that antioxidants are produced in plant cells and can be found in an array of plant-based foods, fruit being one source. Consuming a variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes and etc. is one way to obtain a variety of antioxidants and thus a variety of potential protection from oxidative damage.

A review of dried fruits’ content of antioxidants and associated health benefits by Chang, Alasalvar, and Shahidi in 2016 described an interesting consensus among multiple studies in recent years. Dried fruits examined included apples, apricots, dates, figs, peaches, pears, prunes, golden raisins, and cranberries. Findings were that the content of antioxidants among other phytochemicals varied depending on the growing conditions of the fruit and processing, but overall, dried golden raisins, dried apricots, and dried cranberries contained the highest amounts of phytochemicals, each containing different amounts of specific antioxidants. With regard to how well the antioxidants reduced oxidation, prunes, dried apricots, and dried cranberries were found to be the most effective. It was also reported that the content of antioxidants in dried peaches and dates is greater than in the fresh fruits. The brand or species of each fruit was not always identified in the studies, and it is possible that antioxidant contents of home-dried fruits as well as commercially obtained dried fruits will differ from these results. However, many randomized controlled clinical trials show positive health effects with consumption of amounts of specific dried fruits, such as lower bone turnover, reduced hunger, improved liver enzymes, improved lipid profiles, improved blood pressure, improved glycemic control, and improved insulin response. More studies are needed to confirm health effects tied to specific dried fruits, but dried fruit consumption has long been associated with reduced risk of diseases such as type II diabetes, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, inflammatory bowel disease and obesity.

Though it has been suggested that dried fruits are equivalent to fresh fruits nutritionally when eaten in smaller portion sizes, it should be mentioned that many dried fruits may have reduced amounts of certain vitamins and they may have sugar added prior to drying (typically the berries and mangoes). This addition of sugar is something to note when selecting dried fruits, as well as the serving size. Be sure to check your nutrition facts label when purchasing dried fruits in-store! 

Read the 2016 Review HERE!