BENEFITS OF DRIED FRUIT
Do you know the benefits of nuts? Dried fruits can be a useful strategy for all of us, as they promote the nutritional enrichment of our food. Find out about its benefits and if you haven’t included them in your meal plan, now is the time!
BENEFITS OF DRIED FRUIT
Oilseed dried fruits, commonly called dried fruits, include foods such as hazelnut, walnut, almond, peanut, chestnut, cashew nut, pine nut, pistachio, among others. Dried fruits have small differences in their nutritional profile. However, there is no ideal dry fruit, each offers its own benefits. Almonds have more fiber than cashews, nuts more healthy fat than hazelnuts, peanuts more vitamin E than walnuts … But none is distinctly superior to the other. As a general rule, dried fruits have a similar nutritional composition, characteristic of a good fatty acid profile (low saturated fats – “bad” fats and high mono and polyunsaturated fats – “good” fats), low hydrate content carbon, source of vegetable protein, fiber, phytosterols, polyphenols, vitamins and minerals. Their nutritional profile gives them several health benefits, applicable to healthy individuals as well as to people with comorbidities (type 2 diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, obesity, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases). So, instead of getting stuck trying to choose the best dried fruit, how about we choose the variety to achieve a variety of nutrients, flavors and protective attributes for health?
It is known that the moderate intake of these foods (a handful per day – 30g), as part of a healthy diet, can improve the risk factors associated with heart disease, including dyslipidemia, high blood pressure and obesity. Its consumption is associated with a reduction in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol (“bad cholesterol”) and triglycerides and an increase in HDL cholesterol (“good cholesterol”). Various investigations have shown that when eaten alone, that is, independently, dried fruits have a little pronounced effect on the increase of blood glucose levels after ingestion (postprandial glycemia). On the other hand, when consumed together with foods rich in carbohydrates, they decrease the increase in blood glucose levels, normally provided by these foods. Thus, it is accepted that dried fruits are options with an important role in the control and weight loss.
Dried fruits in sport
In sport, we often have a love-hate relationship with nuts. We like them very much for their nutritional profile, but we avoid them because we have the feeling that they promote weight gain, due to their fat content. However, nuts do not only provide calories, they provide us with many nutrients that are difficult to obtain from processed foods. In addition, they give us satiety until the next meal. Therefore, consumed in moderate doses as part of a healthy diet, they are important dietary sources for professional and recreational athletes, as they help in controlling weight and body composition, without any nutritional deficits. In addition to their inclusion throughout the day, nuts can be used as recovery foods, due to their composition of protein, antioxidants and healthy fats.
In this way, dried fruits can be a useful strategy for all of us, as they promote the nutritional enrichment of our food. So, enjoy the dried fruits in moderate portions, as an integral part of your daily life.
Try Eu Nutrition’s range of organic nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, cashews and walnuts). Their biological certification gives them excellent quality. Organic dried fruits have a natural development that respects the time of growth and harvest, providing a higher nutritional content of vitamins, minerals and omega 3, which in turn, promotes a better flavor to these foods.
