ABSTRACT
Dried-fruit consumption has been associated with an improvement in diet quality and, in turn, lower rates of overweight and obesity in adults in the United States in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 1999–2004. The blood pressure effect is important when considering the effect of dried-fruit consumption in diabetes. The effect of dried fruits on blood lipids has, in general, been neutral, with no major reduction in total or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Fruits are good sources of antioxidants that appear to be present also in dried fruits, and increased antioxidant activity has been reported in the serum of individuals fed grape extract and raisins. In vitro and in vivo studies have been conducted to elucidate the mechanisms by which dried fruits may promote improvement in glycemic control and insulin sensitivity. Dried fruits are excellent sources of potassium, which is not lost by drying, in contrary enhanced by this process to be more concentrated per unit weight.
