Dried fruits are natural foods that many people like to eat. They are consumed in the autumn-winter period, when there are not enough vitamins. After all, all dried fruits are a source of useful substances. The calorie content of prunes and dried apricots is quite high. For this reason, it is not recommended to include them in large quantities in the diet.
Calorie content and composition of dried fruits
Dried apricots contains folic acid, micro and macro elements (potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron), vitamins A and E, niacin, pectins.
Sucrose and fructose present in dried apricot make this fruit especially sweet. 70% of dried apricots consists of water. Even a small amount of it can satisfy hunger for a sufficiently long time.
Since the calorie content of dried apricots is quite high, it is recommended to eat no more than 3-4 pieces per day. In this case, the body will receive a sufficient amount of nutrients.
Prunes include vitamins A, B, C, PP, H and micro and macro elements (iron, phosphorus, calcium, manganese, zinc, potassium). The fruits also have fiber, organic acids and sugars.
As in the case of dried apricots, the calorie content of dried prunes is high, so it is not recommended to use it in large quantities. Enough 3-4 pcs. in a day.
The benefits of dried apricots
It belongs to dried fruits, and in its fresh form has the name apricot. It is during the drying of this fruit that the dried apricots are obtained.
Its positive properties have been known since ancient times. The fruit is rich in vitamins and minerals. Its composition is striking in a variety of nutrients, so dried apricot has a beneficial effect on the human body. So, for example, pectins present in dried apricots, effectively remove salts of heavy metals. Also, the use of this dried fruit helps to cleanse the intestines.
Dried apricots are good for heart and vascular diseases. It is not only a means of prevention, but also lowers cholesterol. And also has diuretic properties, due to which the kidneys are cleansed.
Dried apricot is able to raise hemoglobin levels, which is especially important during pregnancy, and also positively affect the development of the unborn baby.
Dried apricots also have an antitumor effect. Therefore, it is recommended to use it for people with a tendency to cancer. The fetus in this case acts both as a prophylactic and therapeutic agent.
Calorie content of dried apricots - 230 kcal. For a person, this is not a great indicator, although it requires treating a large number of fruits with caution.
Ways to use dried apricots
Thanks to its beneficial composition, dried apricots have long been used to treat various diseases.
Traditional medicine with the help of dried apricots has learned to deal with such a problem as constipation. Getting rid of such an unpleasant state occurs in a few days. 100-150 gr. dried fruit is poured with boiling water and insist. The resulting infusion is drunk on an empty stomach. It starts the digestive system, and the problem of constipation disappears. Steamed fruits are also recommended for food, despite the fact that they insisted in water. Their nutritional value does not decrease from this.
Tincture made from dried apricots has a positive effect on the thyroid gland.
The use of dried apricots has a positive effect on the condition of the skeletal system, and prevents spinal diseases.
Dried fruit is part of the product that Olympic athletes use to restore their body after serious physical exertion.
Harm of dried apricots
Despite the mass of useful properties, it can have an adverse effect on the body. Moreover, the fetus also has contraindications.
The calorie content of dried apricots without pits is high, so eating it in large quantities can lead to weight gain.
The fetus is not recommended for people who have low blood pressure. At the same time, with the constant use of dried apricots, they will improve their well-being. The reason is the ability of dried apricots to lower blood pressure.
The fruit is very sweet and raises the level of glucose in the blood - diabetics should remember this.
Sometimes harm to health can be caused not by the fetus itself, but by the substances with which it is processed during drying. Often they are used to give the fruit an attractive appearance. Therefore, experts recommend buying dried apricots, which has an unpresentable appearance.
Also, dried apricot should not be given to babies under 3 years old.
So, the fruit is able to benefit only in small quantities. A day to eat more than 100 g of dried apricots is not recommended. This amount is quite enough to provide the body with the necessary substances and vitamins.
Positive properties and calorie content of prunes
Everything is clear with dried apricots. Now about prunes. It has also long been famous for its beneficial properties.
The product is obtained by drying the drain. At the same time, it retains the following positive properties:
- It has a diuretic and choleretic effect.
- It has an antibacterial effect. In particular, it stops the growth of staphylococci, salmonella and E. coli.
- Improves the digestive system, normalizes metabolism. Prevents stool problems.
- It positively affects the work of the heart and blood vessels, reduces the level of blood pressure.
- Helps with loss of strength, vitamin deficiency and decreased performance.
- Useful in the fight against cancer.
The constant use of dried plums helps to improve the condition of the skin, hair and teeth. Especially useful product for the fair sex.
With the introduction of fruits into the diet, you can cope with stress and eliminate obsessive anxiety.
Traditional medicine uses prunes to treat corns. Beauticians use it as a source of nutrients in the preparation of creams, masks and tonics for the face.
The calorie content of prunes and dried apricots is almost the same: if the first fruit has 239 kcal, then the second has 230 kcal. Therefore, many consider them to be interchangeable in terms of saturation.
The use of prunes
This dried fruit is as popular as dried apricots. Moreover, he has no less useful properties.
Prunes have antibacterial properties, which allows it to be used to treat colds. The fetus reduces the growth of pathogenic microflora in the oral cavity.
Prunes are especially appreciated by people who are on a diet. Thanks to him, the correct metabolism is restored, which contributes to rapid weight loss. In this case, the amount of prunes eaten should be 3-4 things per day.
At the same time, he is able to increase appetite. This is due to the presence in it of substances that produce gastric juice.
Dried plums are useful for people who want to improve their eyesight.
Prune Disadvantages
Any product is capable of causing not only benefit, but also harm to the human body. Eating unlimited quantities of prunes can lead to indigestion and cause allergic reactions.
Dried plums should not be abused in the following cases:
- During pregnancy and lactation.
- Overweight people.
- Little children.
- Diabetes patients - high calorie content of dried prunes leads to a sharp increase in blood glucose.
The fetus can also harm the body if it is improperly dried and prepared. So, prunes treated with chemicals - too bright color and cloying taste testify to this - can become a dangerous treat. Therefore, before including the fetus in the diet, it is soaked and rinsed with water.
Useful qualities of dried fruit compote
A fragrant drink brewed from various fruits has been familiar to us since childhood. It refreshes and saturates the body with useful substances and vitamins. Due to the calorie content of prunes and dried apricots, it is most often included in the diet of children, sick and pregnant women. After all, they need the necessary amount of energy and vitamins, which provides them with a similar drink.
You can make a healthy drink at any time of the year. In this case, the calorie content of dried apricots and prunes compote will be only 68 kcal per 100 g of drink. But you need to remember that adding sugar to it increases the nutritional value as follows: every 10 g of sugar is an additional 38 kcal. Such a calculation is advisable to keep people who include dried fruit compote in the diet menu.
The use of dried apricots and prunes is to prevent constipation. Many people periodically prepare compote to prevent this condition. During pregnancy, women most often have problems with stools, so such a drink is constantly present in their diet.
Conclusion
Due to the high calorie content of dried apricots and prunes, and 1 pc. of these fruits is able to saturate the body and bring him invaluable benefits. These dried fruits relieve people of many diseases and pathological conditions. They can be included in the diet in pure form, as well as prepare drinks or various dishes from them. For example, dried apricots and prunes go well with other dried fruits, such as figs, raisins. You can eat 100 g per day of a mixture of all the listed fruits, after passing them through a meat grinder. To improve the taste, honey is added.
So, dried apricots and prunes, the taste of which is liked by both adults and children, is a real storehouse of useful substances. This allows you to include them in the diet both for the purpose of treatment and for pleasure. But do not forget about the high calorie content of dried apricots and prunes, 100 grams of which contain respectively 230 and 239 kcal. Therefore, you need to use them, but wisely.