Raisins, the other side that you don't know

Everyone on earth knows that foods high in sugar can promote obesity and increase the risk of many chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. However, many people always want to eat something sweet throughout the day. How do you balance sweetness, nutrition and health? This is to recommend the protagonist of today's article - raisins.

Grapes are a very sweet fruit, and when dried, the sugar is concentrated and the heat is concentrated. According to the Chinese food composition table, 100 grams of raisins contain 334 kcal of calories, which is similar to that of rice white noodles. Among them, carbohydrates are 83.4 grams, protein is 2.5 grams, and fat is 0.4 grams. From a protein point of view, it is lower than the white noodles of rice, while the carbohydrate content is slightly higher than that of various grains, mainly fructose and glucose, and the sucrose content is very low.

Some people may say: raisins are a lot of sugar. In fact, there are many good things in raisins, and there are many health effects.

Advantage 1: Reduces the risk of caries.

In people's impressions, raisins eat sweet, and a little sticky, should promote caries, right? However, in recent years, more and more studies have believed that eating raisins does not cause caries, but can reduce the risk of caries. The premise is to brush your teeth normally. Eating raisins before going to bed without brushing your teeth is not the fault of the raisins.

The sweetness in raisins is mainly contributed by glucose and fructose, while sucrose is too small to be ignored. It should be known that sucrose is a good raw material for bacteria in dental plaque to synthesize "adherent dextran", and "adherent dextran" is an important causative factor of caries and gum disease.

Scientists believe that eating raisins in daily diets is beneficial and harmless to oral health.

Advantage 2: Increase satiety and improve the quality of meals.

Raisins are rich in dietary fiber, and compared to the same calories, there is a good feeling of fullness. At the same time, it is not a food that is prone to excess. Putting a dozen raisins makes people feel that food becomes delicious, but few people eat raisins in large bowls because it is easier to produce satisfaction.

Advantage 3: The blood sugar rise is not fast, and it belongs to the medium and low glycemic index foods.

Although raisins taste sweet, the glycemic index is not high. Therefore, people with diabetes or insulin resistance can also enjoy raisins in small amounts without increasing their total carbohydrate intake. China's research has found that when raisins and rice are eaten together in a 1-to-1 ratio, it is no more than when eating rice alone. If you eat raisins, almonds and rice together, your blood sugar will drop significantly after a meal.

Advantage 4: High potassium food, which is beneficial for blood pressure management.

Studies have proved that if raisins are used to replace daily snacks as tea break food, it is conducive to controlling blood pressure and preventing cardiovascular disease.

First, the raisins concentrate the mineral components of fresh grapes, especially potassium. The potassium content in 100 grams of ordinary raisins reaches 995 mg, which is nearly 20 times that of refined white rice. In addition, there are dozens of milligrams of calcium, which is also higher than the white surface of rice.

Secondly, the dietary fiber and antioxidant substances in raisins are relatively rich. Then, the raisins also "inherited" the many antioxidants in the grapes. In the process of drying, some antioxidants are concentrated, and some components are oxidized and decomposed. Among them, the dark brown, purple-black raisins have a stronger antioxidant capacity because the peel contains more anthocyanins. After all, to eat grapes is to spit out the skins of the grapes, and no one will spit out the skins when eating raisins.

By the way, if it is a raisin with a thicker skin, the content of dietary fiber is also considerable, which is good for preventing constipation and bowel cancer.

Of course, raisins are good, but they are only part of a healthy diet. A balanced diet is the foundation of health. Don't eat too much, use it instead of other processed snacks to have a better health effect.

Source: People's Daily Overseas Edition