[en.wikipedia.org]

"Dried fruit may promote healthy teeth and gums. Contrary to longstanding popular perception that dried fruits such as raisins promote cavities, recent studies indicate that they may benefit oral health. Bioactive compounds found in dried fruit appear to have antimicrobial properties that inhibit the growth of bacteria that cause cavities and gum disease. For example, oleanolic acid, oleanolic aldehyde and 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furfural found in raisins have been shown to inhibit the growth of two species of oral bacteria: Streptococcus mutans, which cause cavities, and Porphyromonas gingivitis, which causes periodontal disease. Oleanolic acid also blocks in vitro biofilm formation by S. mutans and the adherence of S. mutans to experimental surfaces. This quality is significant because adherence is bacteria's first step in forming dental plaque, the film that accumulates on teeth.[32]

Raisins have been thought of as cariogenic foods because they are sweet and sticky. However, it has been shown that perceived "stickiness" bears little relationship to the actual retention of food particles on tooth surfaces or to the clearance of food-derived sugars from saliva. In these studies, raisins have been shown to exhibit rapid clearing rates, placing them among the least retentive foods within a sample of 21 commercially available snack foods. Investigators showed that raisins were almost completely cleared from tooth surfaces 5 minutes after chewing and swallowing. It is probable that these properties also apply to other traditional dried fruit because they have similar fiber content and physical matrix as raisins.[33]
Dried fruits, like fresh are recommended in dietary by all US health agencies

A recent clinical study investigated raisins and oral health in 7–11 year old children. Researchers measured dental plaque acidogenicity after the children ate raisins, raisin-containing cereal and cereal alone. The plaque pH was measured prior to and 2, 5, 10, 15 and 30 minutes after consumption of each food. Eating raisins alone did not lower plaque pH below pH 6 over the 30-minute test. This indicates that they did not lower plaque pH to the critical level that would increase the risk of caries. Addition of raisins to bran flakes promoted less plaque pH drop beyond 10 minutes when compared to bran flakes alone. Raisins were less acidogenic than a raisin bran cereal, bran flakes or a 10% sucrose solution. This shows that raisins were less retentive on tooth surfaces and were rapidly cleared after chewing. They also enhanced clearance rate of the chewed cereal particles so that they lowered the acidogenicity when added to bran flakes.[34] While this research has been conducted on raisins, preliminary evidence indicates that these findings may also be replicated using other traditional dried fruit.

Finally, the predominant sugars in traditional dried fruit are fructose and glucose, with trace amounts of sucrose. It is sucrose that serves as a substrate for the synthesis of adherent compounds in dental plaque, the causal agent in tooth decay and gum disease. Studies comparing the cariogenicity of different sugars (sucrose, maltose, lactose, fructose and glucose) invariably demonstrate that sucrose, more than any other type of sugar, induces the most smooth-surface-type and fissure-type caries.[35]"



But wait, there is more! They also promote bone health, intestinal health and helps you lose weight

[en.wikipedia.org]


Bone health

Dried fruits, particularly dried plums, may promote bone health. Research conducted with dried plums indicates that they have a role in supporting bone health.[36] This may be because they are rich in phenolic compounds, such as phenolic acids and lignans, which may stimulate bone formation and enhance osteoblast activity. Animal studies have shown that dried plums protect, and even reverse, bone loss in models of osteopemia (low bone mineral density, a precursor to osteoporosis).[37] For example, feeding dried plums reduced loss of bone in ovariectomized rats in a dose-dependent fashion. It also increased circulating insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1). Serum IGF-1 is known to stimulate bone formation, osteoblast activity, and collagen synthesis and has a role in bone remodeling.[38] A follow-up study showed that dried plums restored loss of tibial and femoral density in an osteopenic rat model of osteoporosis. Various doses of dried plums were also able to significantly improve trabecular bone structure and increase tibial bone volume and connectivity. These observations are unique because it is believed that once bone volume and connectivity are lost they cannot be brought back to normal. In studies where bone loss was produced by skeletal unloading, a diet containing dried plums also enhanced bone recovery by increasing bone mineral density and trabecular bone structure. The effect was similar to parathyroid hormone treatment.[39]

In vitro studies have shown that dried plum polyphenols suppress osteoclast differentiation and activity under normal, oxidative stress and inflammatory conditions. These studies also show that dried plum enhances osteoblast ALP activity, calcified nodule formation and type I collagen cross-linking. These changes may be mediated by up regulating transcription and growth factors.[40] In addition to animal studies, the findings of a short-term (3 month) clinical trial showed that the consumption of dried plums (100 grams per day) by postmenopausal women significantly increased markers of bone formation including serum total alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, bone-specific ALP activity and IGF-1.[41] Currently, a 1-year comparative control randomized study is being conducted to confirm these findings and to determine whether dried plum increases bone mass or prevents further bone loss in osteopemic postmenopausal women. While the mechanism of action of dried plums remains to be elucidated, researchers believe that phenolic compounds may be the major bone protective agents. However, essential nutrients like vitamin K and minerals like potassium and the trace element boron may contribute to their beneficial effect. Dried plums are also high in copper, which is essential for bone building processes as it is a co-factor of lysyl oxidase. This enzyme promotes cross-linking of lysine residues in collagen and elastin.

Intestinal health

Dried fruits promote digestive health. There is considerable research supporting the role of dried fruit in regulating bowel function and maintaining a healthy digestive system.[42] Dried plums are well known in common experience to alleviate constipation. Some researchers ascribe it to their high fiber content: the combination of soluble (49%) and insoluble fiber (51%) in dried plums probably acts in a gentle way in the lower intestines, softening stool increasing bulk and promoting intestinal motility.[43] More recent research indicates that they also provide prebiotic compounds such as fructans, which help to maintain intestinal balance and colonic health.[44]

Weight management

Dried fruits as part of the daily diet provide essential nutrients and an array of health protective compounds making them valuable tools to both increase diet quality and help reduce the risk of chronic disease.

Dried fruits may contribute to healthy body weights. Emerging data suggests that dried fruit intake is not associated with higher body weight. On the contrary, recent analysis of NHANES (1999–2004) data indicates that diets high in dried fruits are associated with lower Body Mass Index (BMI), reduced overweight and obesity and improved diet quality.[45] Moreover, after adjusting for potential cofounders (socioeconomic status, education, exercise), these data show that prevalence of overweight/obesity and prevalence of abdominal obesity are lower for those who consume dried fruits than for those who did not.[46] Finally, emerging data suggest that dried fruit promotes satiety by affecting the levels of hormones such as leptin that regulate appetite.[47]
Healthy diet

Dried fruits meet dietary guidelines for daily fruit servings and address barriers to fruit intake. The greatest benefit of including dried fruits regularly in the diet is that it is a means to expand overall consumption of fruit and the critical nutrients they contain. Dried fruits have the advantage of being very easy to store and distribute, they are readily incorporated into other foods and recipes, relatively low cost and present a healthy alternative to sugary snacks. The scientific basis for the recommendations to increase fruit consumption in the diet by health authorities is the epidemiological evidence that individuals who regularly eat generous amounts of these foods have lower rates of cardiovascular disease, obesity, several cancers, diabetes and other chronic diseases. Dried fruits, with their unique combination of essential nutrients, fiber and bioactive compounds are a convenient step toward healthier eating and a means to bridge the gap between recommended intake of fruits and the amount Americans actually consume.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/01/2013 06:48PM by Panchito.

I am going to come back and read this more thoroughly but it sure is great to see. I agree with it. So many people advise against eating dried fruit due to its stickiness, as well as lack of water and yet dates are consumed by the dozens on 80-10-10.

These foods are good, but the key context here is in moderation to achieve these health benefits.

The fact that dried fruits are healthy, contain fiber etc doesn't meant that we should be basing our diets around these foods like many 80/10/10ers do. Eating a kilogram of dates a day id argue isn't healthy at all or balanced nutrition.

Eating a handful of dates or raisins for the average metabolically well individual sure and it even counts as 1 of your 5 a day. Context, moderation and sensible amounts need to apply to dried fruit aswell as any food.

[www.natuhealth.co.uk]



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 03/01/2013 09:02PM by powerlifer.

"Context, moderation and sensible amounts need to apply to dried fruit aswell as any food."

BINGO! Look at the whole picture.

nah, variety of fruits and vegetables

[en.wikipedia.org]

"Argument to moderation (Latin: argumentum ad temperantiam; also known as [argument from] middle ground, false compromise, gray fallacy and the golden mean fallacy)[1] is an informal fallacy which asserts that the truth can be found as a compromise between two opposite positions. This fallacy's opposite is the false dilemma.

An individual demonstrating this false compromise fallacy implies that the positions being considered represent extremes of a continuum of opinions, and that such extremes are always wrong, and the middle ground is always correct.[1]"