Calorie content of prunes and dried apricots and their benefits for the body

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Dried fruits are natural foods that many people love to eat. They are used in the autumn-winter period, when there are not enough vitamins. After all, all dried fruits are a source of nutrients. The calorie content of prunes and dried apricots is quite high. For this reason, it is not recommended to include them in the diet in large quantities.

Calorie content and composition of dried fruits

Dried apricots contain folic acid, micro and macro elements (potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron), vitamins A and E, niacin, pectins.

Sucrose and fructose present in dried apricots make this fruit especially sweet. Dried apricots are 70% water. Even a small amount of it can satisfy hunger for quite a 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. At the same time, the body will receive a sufficient amount of useful substances.

Prunes contain vitamins A, B, C, PP, Hand micro and macro elements (iron, phosphorus, calcium, manganese, zinc, potassium). There is also a lot of fiber, organic acids and sugars in fruits.

As in the case of dried apricots, the calorie content of dried prunes is high, so it is also not recommended to consume it in large quantities. Enough 3-4 pieces. per day.

Benefits of dried apricots

It belongs to dried fruits, and when fresh it is called apricot. It is during the drying of this fruit that dried apricots are obtained.

Its positive properties have been known since ancient times. The fruit is rich in vitamins and minerals. Its composition strikes with a variety of useful substances, due to which dried apricot has a beneficial effect on the human body. For example, pectins present in dried apricots effectively remove s alts of heavy metals. Also, the use of this dried fruit helps to cleanse the intestines.

Dried apricots are useful for diseases of the heart and blood vessels. It is not only a means of prevention, but also lowers cholesterol levels. It also has diuretic properties, due to which the kidneys are cleansed.

Dried apricot is able to raise the level of hemoglobin, which is especially important during pregnancy, and also positively affect the development of the unborn child.

Apricots also have an antitumor effect. Therefore, it is recommended to use it for people who are prone to cancer. The fruit in this case acts both as a prophylactic and a therapeutic agent.

Calorie content of dried apricots - 230 kcal. For a person, this is not a big indicator, although it requires treating a large number of fruits with caution.

How to use dried apricots

Due 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 condition occurs in a few days. 100-150 gr. dried fruits are poured with boiling water and insisted. The resulting infusion is drunk on an empty stomach. It starts the work of the digestive organs, and the problem of constipation disappears. Steamed fruits are also recommended to be eaten, despite the fact that they were infused 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 state of the skeletal system, prevents diseases of the spine.

Dried fruit is part of the product used by Olympic athletes to restore their bodies after serious physical exertion.

Danger of dried apricots

Despite a lot of useful properties, it can have a negative impact on the body. Moreover, there are contraindications for the fetus.

The pitted dried apricots are high in calories, so eating them in large quantities can lead to weight gain.

The fetus is not recommended for people who havelow pressure. At the same time, hypertensive patients with constant use of dried apricots will improve their well-being. The reason is the ability of dried apricots to lower blood pressure.

The fruit is very sweet and raises blood glucose levels - diabetics need to remember this.

Sometimes it is not the fruit itself that can cause harm to he alth, but 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 that have an unpresentable appearance.

Also, dried apricots should not be given to babies under 3 years old.

So, the fruit can only be beneficial in small amounts. It is not recommended to consume more than 100 g of dried apricots per day. 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 plums. At the same time, it retains the following positive properties:

1. It has a diuretic and choleretic effect.
2. Has an antibacterial effect. In particular, it stops the growth of staphylococci, salmonella and E. coli.
3. Improves the functioning of the digestive system, normalizes metabolism. Prevents problems associated with loose stools.
4. Positive effect on the functioning of the heart and blood vessels, lowers blood pressure.
5. Helps with loss of strength, beriberi and decreased performance.
6. Useful inthe fight against cancer.

Constant use of dried plums improves the condition of skin, hair and teeth. The product is especially useful for the fair sex.

Introducing fruit into the diet can help manage stress and eliminate obsessive anxiety.

Traditional medicine uses prunes to treat calluses. Cosmetologists use it as a source of nutrients in the preparation of creams, masks and face tonics.

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 interchangeable in terms of saturation.

Using prunes

This dried fruit is as popular as dried apricots. Moreover, it has no less useful properties.

Prunes have antibacterial properties, which can 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 pieces per day.

At the same time, it is able to increase appetite. This is due to the presence of substances in it that produce gastric juice.

Dried plums are useful to include in the diet of people who want to improve theirvision.

Disadvantages of prunes

Any product can cause not only benefit, but also harm to the human body. Unlimited consumption of prunes can lead to stomach upset and allergic reactions.

Dried plum should not be abused in the following cases:

• During pregnancy and breastfeeding.
• People who are overweight.
• To little children.
• For diabetic patients - the high calorie content of dried prunes leads to a sharp increase in blood glucose levels.

The fruit can also harm the body if it is not properly dried and cooked. So, prunes treated with chemicals - this is evidenced by too bright color and sugary taste - can become a dangerous delicacy. 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 he who 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 such a drink.

You can make a healing drink at any time of the year. At the same time, the calorie content of compote from dried apricots and prunes will be only 68 kcalper 100 g of drink. But we must remember that adding sugar to it increases the nutritional value as follows: every 10 g of sugar is an additional 38 kcal. It is advisable to conduct such a calculation for people who include dried fruit compote in their diet menu.

The benefit of a drink made from 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 this drink is always 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 it invaluable benefits. These dried fruits save people from many diseases and pathological conditions. They can be included in the diet in their pure form, as well as preparing 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 of a mixture of all the listed fruits per day, after passing them through a meat grinder. Honey is added to improve the taste.

So, dried apricots and prunes, the taste of which both adults and children like, are a real storehouse of useful substances. This allows them to be included 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 230 and 239 kcal, respectively. Therefore, you need to use them, but wisely.