Dried apples are an impeccable product if you take into account the preservation of vitamins, minerals and nutrients in them after drying. They are suitable for making stewed fruit and jelly, filling for pies, as well as useful components of cold borscht, pancakes and various cereals. Finally, you can simply eat them after soaking them in water.
Calorie content of dried apples
A fresh, medium-sized apple (about 120 g) contains about 60 kcal (i.e., there are 45 to 50 kcal per 100 g). It doesn't matter what sort and color the fruit is. Another thing is with dried apples: the fruit has dried up, i.e. his weight became noticeably less, but the calories remained the same as there were. It should also be borne in mind that the calorie content of dried apples depends on the way they are stored. In 100 g of those that are dried cured in a room with a high level of humidity, there are fewer calories than 100 g of apples, dried to crunchy and stored in a dry room.
Traditionally, it is considered that 100 g of dried apples contain 230-250 kcal, or 5 times more than 100 g of fresh ones. Naturally, in soaked apples, the calorie level decreases. These figures should be taken into account by those who scrupulously calculate the daily calorie content in their diet. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that, due to the high calorie content, apples are able to bring a lot of energy into the body. This property of dried apples (as well as other dried fruits) is used with pleasure by athletes and travelers during long hikes.
The benefits of dried apples
The benefit of dried or dried apples lies in the fact that, despite the duration of storage, they do not lose any vitamins (at least most of them), nor macro- and microelements, nor the acids they contain. To recognize the title of a storehouse of useful substances for dried apples, you need to know their chemical composition.
Dried apples contain up to 12% of various sugars - fructose, glucose, sucrose, up to 2.5% - organic acids, among them malic, citric, tartaric, chlorogenic, arabic. Dried apples are rich in the presence of pectin and tannins, organic compounds of iron and phosphorus, and mineral salts. Almost all the vitamins available in fresh fruits are preserved in dried ones, just the amount of some (for example, vitamin C) decreases slightly.
Dried apples are real "champions" in terms of the content of iron and magnesium, which are extremely important elements for the body. Iron improves the quality of blood, normalizes blood components and prevents anemia, and magnesium is the best mineral for the functioning of the heart and nervous system. Magnesium deficiency is expressed in irritability, chronic fatigue, loss of vitality. Dried apples are advisable to include in the diet during physical and emotional overload. In addition, this product does not cause bloating and flatulence (increased gas production), so they can be consumed by people who are forced to limit the use of dried fruits due to this feature of the intestines.
Dried apples are especially valuable for the presence of such a polysaccharide as pectin, which is of great benefit to the body. Pectin helps to reduce the level of sugar and cholesterol in the blood, activates intestinal peristalsis, thereby forcing it to work normally and remove feces, and with them metabolites (toxins and slags). Timely bowel cleansing and getting rid of deposits of dangerous compounds prevents, as you know, premature aging of the body, the occurrence of diseases of internal organs, etc.
The content of such an important element as iodine in dried apples is several times higher than in oranges and bananas. The lack of iodine in the body, which, by the way, affects about 70% of the population in Russia, affects many body systems, as a result of which metabolism, the growth and restoration of damaged cells, etc. are disrupted. In addition, dried apples are a real storehouse of phytoncides - substances that kill or inhibit the development of bacteria and fungi of various origins.
Dried apple peel is as rich in flavanoids as fresh fruit peel. Flavanoids (a group of plant polyphenols) protect cells from membrane damage and destruction of intracellular structures. That is, they are able to neutralize the action of free radicals formed under the influence of ultraviolet radiation.
You can endlessly talk about the benefits of dried apples. They reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, resist varicose veins, prevent dystrophy and degeneration of the retina. Apple diet, incl. on dried apples, is recognized all over the world as one of the most effective diets for losing weight. Finally, dried apples are just a tasty treat to replace sweets and cakes.
The harm of dried apples
Given the relatively high calorie content of dried apples and the high content of sugars in them, their use should be limited to people suffering from obesity and diabetes mellitus (note, not completely excluded, but only limited). Doctors also do not recommend eating dried apples for ulcers during an exacerbation of the disease.
