The downside of dried fruit

Many people believe that dried fruit is good for cardiovascular health and weight loss, but the reality is the opposite; in fact, experts advise against eating it.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Lam – Deputy Director of the National Institute of Nutrition, said that the most important characteristic of fresh fruits is that they provide vitamins, water, and minerals. Dried fruits, on the other hand, are processed by removing water.

Illustrative image.

Essentially, dried fruits still provide energy and carbohydrates. High energy content is not good for overweight, obese, or diabetic individuals. This is even more dangerous because dried fruits are lightweight yet still high in calories, making it difficult for consumers to control their intake.

However, many advertisements nowadays promote the cardiovascular benefits and weight-loss properties of this snack. Associate Professor Lam asserts that this is completely contradictory.

"When discussing the weight-loss and cardiovascular benefits of dried fruit, it may only be partially true in terms of fiber. However, along with that fiber comes a lot of carbohydrates. For example, a normal 100g banana provides 100 kcal, equivalent to the energy needed for 30 minutes of walking. Yet, you can easily eat several dried bananas at once, not to mention the added sugar. Therefore, dried fruit is actually very high in calories. Eating it carelessly can lead to overweight and obesity, which in turn can cause cardiovascular disease," Associate Professor Lam explained.

No more vitamins

Another drawback, according to Associate Professor Lam, is that when dried, the vitamins in the fruit almost completely disappear.

“Fruits primarily provide vitamin C, but this is lost when dried and stored for a long time. Additionally, they may contain vitamins B1 and B2, but these vitamins are reduced to zero during the preservation process. In short, dried fruit only provides flavor and carbohydrates. We advise people with diabetes not to eat this type of fruit, but to obtain carbohydrates from rice, corn, and potatoes,” Associate Professor Lam cautioned.

Accordingly, all foods, especially fruits and vegetables, lose vitamins under the influence of heat. For example, fresh vegetables, when boiled in water, lose 50-70% of their vitamins; if not eaten immediately, they will completely disappear.

As for carrots that are pink, they contain beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the body or remains in its original form, also having an antioxidant effect, but not a significant one.

According to Zing.vn