Raisins are made using green seedless grapes and they are mostly sundried without any additives and preservatives. This retains the concentration of nutrients and makes it a much healthier alternative to sultanas.
Raisins, sultanas, and currants can help prevent osteoporosis and can keep your bones and joints healthy. They also contain notable amounts of potassium, copper, vitamin B6, and manganese. Raisins, sultanas, and currants also contain a high amount of naturally occurring chemical compounds called phytonutrients.
Anything can be fattening if you eat too much of it, and dried fruits are no exception. It's a good idea to keep an eye on your portion size, since raisins and sultanas can be easy to overeat due to their small size.
Lastly, although raisins, sultanas are currants can be a healthy choice, it's important to remember that dried fruit is high in sugar and calories and can be easy to overeat. For this reason, dried fruit should only be eaten in small amounts, preferably along with other nutritious foods such as nuts, seeds or yogurt.
Raisins, sultanas and currants may improve your digestive health and blood sugar levels, decrease inflammation and lower your blood pressure. On the downside, they are also high in sugar and calories and should be eaten in moderation.
Damage Your Digestive Health
Although dietary fiber in raisins is excellent for your digestive system, eating many raisins can harm your digestive system. Excessively high fiber uptake may cause poor absorption of nutrients, intestinal blockage, and intestinal gas.
How Much Should You Eat? The recommended amount of fruit you should eat is 2 serves per day. 1.5 tablespoons of sultanas (30g) count as 1 serve of fruit.
Raisins are made using green seedless grapes and they are mostly sundried without any additives and preservatives. This retains the concentration of nutrients and makes it a much healthier alternative to sultanas.
Golden raisins have more flavonoids—phytonutrients found in plants that give them their color and have antioxidant properties—than regular raisins.
Both raisins and dates are packed with nutrition and health benefits and should be included in your regular diet. However, raisins are better due to their higher content of iron, vitamin C, vitamin B2, copper, and potassium.
Dates have been shown to assist with fertility and labor, are the most nutrient-dense of dried fruit options, and have a low GI index (so they don't affect blood sugar levels as intensely). Apricots without sulfites are better than apricots with sulfites and are loaded with vitamin A.
A: Your daily raisin consumption should be around 30-40 grams which are roughly 8-10 raisins. Eating too many raisins can be bad for digestive health as they can prevent other nutrients from being absorbed. They are also high in sugar and calories and thus too many raisins every day may cause weight gain.
Raisins are rich in antioxidants such as phenols and polyphenols. Studies have shown that these antioxidants stimulate fat breakdown, reduce calorie intake, and increase the level of good bacteria in the stomach that aid digestion. Antioxidants also remove free radicals from the body.
This can easily lead to eating too many calories. Another concern about eating too many raisins is the increase in soluble fiber. Too much fiber may cause gastrointestinal upset, such as cramps, gas, and bloating. Some people may even develop diarrhea.
Side effects of having too many raisins
Dietary fibers can absorb excess fluid from our system and aid in treating diarrhea. Still, a high intake of them without drinking lots of water may cause dehydration, indigestion, and other stomach disorders.
“Raisins are packed with potassium, which is known to lower blood pressure,” Dr. Bays said. “They are also a good source of antioxidant dietary fiber that may favorably alter the biochemistry of blood vessels, causing them to be less stiff, which in turn, may reduce blood pressure.”
Several studies report health benefits of raisins, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, whereas the anti-inflammatory activity at gastric level of the hydro-alcoholic extracts, which are mostly used for food supplements preparation, was not reported until now.
Eating raisins or other dried fruits may be a better option than snacking on cookies, but it'll still spike your blood sugar.
Raisins contain magnesium, which is beneficial for heart health as well as healthy nerve and muscle function, Friedman says. Shrunken grapes also contain about two grams of fiber per serving. But raisins are also relatively high in calories. A serving has about 130, which can be a lot for a little snack.
Dried mulberries are not the typical type for dried fruits that look like raisins but unlike raisins and other dried fruits, they are lower in sugar. It is worth eating though because just one-quarter of a cup will give you 130% of the daily dose of vitamin C.
While different in color and slightly different in sweetness and size, raisins and sultanas are quite similar. Since they're used in many of the same ways, they can be easily substituted for one another.
“Sultanas are completely fine as part of a balanced diet.
This accounts for one serve of fruit. “Whereas the common 25g is much bigger and accounts for 2 serves of fruit. Most dried fruit doesn't have added sugar and we all know that fruit is 'natural'.”
Raisins are a nutrient-dense food that's minimally processed, with no added ingredients or preservatives. But they're also high in sugar and calories, so they should only be eaten in moderation.
Munching about a dozen or so raisins at bedtime could reduce the need to get up to urinate and help you sleep through the night.
The high-fiber, low-water content of dried fruit can cause digestive issues, including gas and cramping during the night. The culprit is sorbitol, a sweetener found in dried fruits, including raisins and prunes, which can cause stomach bloating and flatulence, especially when eaten in larger quantities. Steer clear!