Hello there and welcome to the Nutrition Diva podcast. I'm your host

Monica Reinagle and our topic today is dried fruit. How does it compare nutritionally to And our

unselfred fruit, is it a healthy choice.

Are unsulfred apricots healthier than the sulfured kind?

What's a serving size?

We're going to cover all the angles and hopefully

answer all of your questions.

Dried fruits such as apricots, apples, raisins, and prunes can be a healthier way to satisfy your sweet tooth than reaching for a candy bar or a dessert.

And a recent study found that people who eat more dried fruit tend to have higher intake of certain important nutrients, including fiber and

potassium, and to have the healthier diets overall.

Interestingly, they found that dried fruit consumption also tended to increase calorie intake on the days when

dried fruits were consumed.

Dried fruits are, after all, a much more concentrated source of calories and sugar

than fresh fruit, but despite this observation, dried fruit consumption

was also linked to lower body mass index, BMI, lower waist circumference, and lower blood pressure. The researchers also note that most

Americans don't eat the recommended number of servings of fruit and that dried

fruit which is more portable and shelf stable than fresh fruit, could help to fill that gap.

But you might be wondering, how does dried fruit compare to fresh fruit nutritionally.

Well, any form of processing, including dehydration, will cause some nutrient losses,

particularly in this case, antioxidants such as beta carotene and vitamin C.

Dehydration has little to no effect on minerals for example or the fiber content.

Keep in mind however that fruits and vegetables lose nutrients just sitting around on the

...