We will not consider the preparation of dried fruits in an industrial way – it is based on heating the fruits and therefore cannot be considered useful, since this destroys many biologically active substances in the fruits, and there is little benefit from such products.
The main changes that occur when fruit is dried relate to enzymes and sugars in them. They take on a shape and structure that maximizes moisture binding. Therefore, even overdried dried fruits remain soft, in contrast to rusks or grains devoid of active enzymes.
Useful Properties
All the most useful things in fruits are preserved during drying, namely:
1. Vitamins.
These adjusters of all internal processes in the body cannot go anywhere when the fruits dry. When preparing dried fruits, they can go into a special chemical form, but when they enter the body, they will return to their original appearance and work, as in fresh fruits. And vitamins in dried fruits are abundant: these are beta-carotene, which strengthens vision, ascorbic acid, which enhances immunity, tocopherols, which protect the body from cancer, vitamin PP, which cleans the blood from cholesterol, vitamin B1, which is involved in many metabolic processes.
2. Micro and macro elements.
This is the ubiquitous potassium, which normalizes blood pressure and improves the work of the heart muscle. This is calcium, which is necessary for the normal functioning of the muscles and heals bone tissue. And iron, thanks to which the blood is filled with red corpuscles, and the anemia recedes. There is also zinc, phosphorus, and many other components that make up dried fruits.
3. Sugars and carbohydrates.
They provide the body with energy. Moreover, dried fruits contain just such sugars that do not aggravate diabetes and do not contribute to obesity. In addition, the calorie content of dried fruits is much higher than that of the original fruits, which allows them to be used as real energy drinks.
4. Enzymes.
Thanks to them, the digestion of dried fruits almost does not require the expenditure of the body’s own enzymes.
5. Fiber.
It cleanses and massages the intestines, reducing the flow of cholesterol into the bloodstream and relieving constipation.
