Fresh Fruit vs Dried Fruit: Which Is Healthier?

Medical Video: DIY Dried Fruit

Dried fruit has been widely consumed today, because dried fruit can be more durable than fresh fruit. In addition, dried fruit is also cheaper than fresh fruit. Because dried fruit is made from fresh fruit, many people believe that dried fruit is as healthy as fresh fruit. But, is that true? Let's look at the differences between the two below.

The drying process of fruit decreases the nutritional level

The drying process is usually done after the fruit is picked to prevent nutrients from being lost. All fruit can dry effectively, and this is usually done by sun drying, drying of warm air, and by freezing. Of the three types of drying, freezing can maintain the most nutrients, but drying the sun and air also only releases nutrients quite small. After all, the freezing process is more expensive and rarely used.

Warm air drying is the most common, because it is faster than sun drying and not as expensive as freezing. This means that dried fruits that are widely produced for consumers have nutritional value that is slightly lower than fresh fruit.

Dried fruit contains sulfur dioxide

After the fruit is dried, the fruit is packed using sulfur dioxide, which is an artificial antioxidant and an antibacterial agent. This can prevent dried fruit from changing color and extending the shelf life of the fruit. Dried fruits contain higher levels of sulfur dioxide than other foods, and this high number is of concern to many people. In relatively low doses such as those found in many dried fruits, most people do not feel pain (although this still includes poisons).

However, a small percentage of people are sensitive to sulfur dioxide, especially people with asthma. Taking sulfur dioxide can cause headaches, respiratory problems, and itchy skin. Even in extreme conditions, this will cause heart problems. So, you better avoid dried fruit that has sulfur dioxide, but often it's hard to find and usually more expensive.

Dried fruit often gets added sugar

The only additive commonly added to dried fruits is sugar, and this is usually used to add flavor. The fruit is relatively high in sugar, so adding more sugar can contribute to the effects of the disease. Sugar from dried fruits actually does not cause side effects, but combining them with added sugar can cause health problems.

Fruit consists mostly of water, and by drying it, you remove a lot of fruit mass. For example blueberries have 85% water, so if dried, 80 grams of dried blueberries will give the same amount of 148 grams of fresh blueberries. This means that 80 grams of dried blueberries have the same nutrients as 148 grams of fresh blueberries, and this applies to all types of fruit. So, you will get more vitamins and minerals in dried fruit, but get lots of sugar and no water.

How about fresh fruit?

After the fruit is picked, the nutritional value of the fruit begins to decline. In some fruits, the vitamin C content will drop dramatically after 3 days, and can even be completely lost. This means that it is important to eat fruit as fresh as possible, although not all fruits will be like this. Fruits from supermarkets may be stored specifically to prevent a decrease in nutrients, which includes storage at low oxygen or low temperature levels. This will slow down the degeneration process, which means nutrients will not disappear quickly. Even so, still fresh fruit has the highest and healthiest nutritional value.