Top 12 Health Benefits Of Raisins

If you are looking for some healthy snacking options, then raisins could be your ideal choice as they are the storehouse of many powerful nutrients.

Raisins, also referred to as dry grapes or kismis, are not just a delicious treat but also offer a wide range of benefits for our wellbeing. Despite the traditional type of raisins or the black raisins, both types contain a lot of nutritional value that benefits those who get a taste.

The distinct properties of black dry grapes, also known as black kismis, make their benefits particularly noteworthy. You can add raisins in multifarious ways to your diet either by preparing various dishes with them or may consume them alone.

In this article, the author chooses to highlight nutrients available in raisins, which is also known as black raisins, dry grapes, or black kismis.

Let’s discover how adding these nutritious dried fruits to your diet can enhance your well-being and contribute to a healthier lifestyle.

What are Raisins Good for?

Raisins are dried grapes that are loaded with many wholesome nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, polyphenols, and dietary fibers. Raisins are prepared by drying (either in the sun or using dryers) various types of grapes. During the dry processes, they may turn into black, golden or green color. These dry fruits have no fat content as compared to their peers.

Raisins Nutrition

Before moving ahead with a discussion on the health benefits of eating raisins, we want you to learn about raisin nutrition. 100 grams of raisins contain:

• Calories: 299
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Sodium: 11 mg
• Potassium: 749 mg
• Carbohydrate: 79 g
• Dietary Fibre: 3.7 g
• Sugar: 59 g
• Protein: 3.1 g
• Vitamin C: 3%
• Vitamin B6: 10%
• Iron: 10%
• Magnesium: 8%
• Calcium: 5%

Also, raisins have much higher amounts of antioxidants and phenol content than other common dried fruits. These antioxidants include flavonol, glycosides, and phenolic acids, contributing to an excellent ORAC (ORAC stands for oxygen radical absorbance capacity and measures the antioxidant capacity of a food) value of about 3,400.

However, it is essential to take into account not only the different types of antioxidants and their ORAC scores but also their bioavailability (the degree to which the body can efficiently utilise them).

Therefore, raisins are reported to have very dense antioxidants, which may easily be assimilated into the body. Hence, raisins are convenient and effective ways of incorporating antioxidants into one’s diet plan.

As a result, raisins are a practical and effective source of antioxidants for consumption. Additionally, it is important to note that the sugar content in the raisins is relatively high, which is the case with most dried fruits, they cannot be counted as low-sugar or low-calorie foods.

Therefore, when taking raisins, one has to be cautious of the number of raisins they take at any given time within the serving size.

12 Top Benefits of Raisins

Let’s take a look at some benefits of eating raisins. The dry grapes benefits are acknowledged by everyone.

1. Improves Your Digestion

Raisins are better for digestion since they hold more fibre than the other two.Moreover, they are also natural laxatives. Raisins are also effective against acid reflux, bloating, and flatulence. If you can consume raisins (soaked raisins) in the morning, they will improve your constipation, smooth your bowel movement, and extirpate toxins from your body.

2. Good For Your Eyesight

Raisins have other phytochemicals, including polyphenolic, vitamin A, carotenoid, and beta carotene. Thus, they improve your eyesight. All these elements will safeguard your eye from free radical damage that may lead to vision problems, muscular degeneration, and even cataracts.

3. Controls Blood Pressure

Also note that raisins contain a good amount of potassium but are low in sodium, thus, they relax your blood vessels. Raisins are highly effective in balancing sodium content in your body.

4. Strengthen Your Bones

Raisins contain a lot of calcium and, therefore, assist in building your bones.
Boron is another imperative element that makes your bone strong. Interestingly, raisins are rich in boron. Several medical studies have claimed that soaked raisins will improve your bone density and strength.

5. Good For Weight Loss

Raisins are low-calorie fruits and also contain natural sugar. These are ideal for your sweet cravings without increasing your daily calorie intake. Raisins have fibre, thus, they give you a feeling of fullness throughout the day. By controlling your blood sugar levels, they aid your weight loss journey.

6. Improve Immunity

These tiny golden dry fruits are crammed with essential vitamins and minerals like calcium, iron, and vitamin C. All these elements improve your immune system and help you to fight back against infections and diseases. Moreover, raisins have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, thus, they strengthen your body against various infections.

7. Prevent Anemia

Anemia occurs due to iron deficiency. Raisins play an imperative role in preventing anemia. Raisins are rich in iron, copper, and vitamins that will help in producing red blood cells and carrying oxygen throughout the body.

8. Remedy For Bloating and Acidity

Due to high levels of potassium and magnesium, raisins minimize the acidity. Raisins will also remove the toxin elements from the body; thereby improving conditions like bloating, flatulence, boils, skin diseases, and stomach problems.

9. Prevent Tooth Decay

Oleanolic acid in raisins is effective in preventing tooth decay. By removing germs, this acid keeps your teeth and gums healthy. Raisins are beneficial against cavity-producing bacteria. Raisins are richer in boron and calcium, thereby preventing tooth decay and tooth whitening.

10. Treat Infertility Problems

Raisins are loaded with natural sugar that improves energy and are effective in treating erectile dysfunction in men. Raisins contain arginine which improves sperm motility and treats infertility.

11. Improve Heart Health

Regular consumption of raisins will minimize the levels of bad cholesterol and improve good cholesterols (HDL). By mitigating the formation of blood clots, raisins improve your heart health. Raisins also minimize the risk of various cardiovascular problems.

12. Good For Your Hair

Raisins are good for maintaining the shine of your hair. Raisins prevent various hair problems like hair loss, scalp itchiness, flakiness, and dandruff.

Making Your Own Raisins

While some people prefer buying store-bought raisins, a few individuals may prefer making them at home. It is absolutely a personal choice. Making raisins at home is a relatively simple process that involves drying grapes to remove moisture. It is advisable to dry them using an oven or a particular device referred to as a dehydrator.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to make raisins at home:

• Start by choosing ripe, fresh grapes of your preference. Depending on your preference, you can use either seedless or seed-containing grapes.
• Give the grapes a good wash, being sure to get rid of any damaged ones.
• By putting the grapes in a strainer, you may allow the extra water to drain from them.
• To soften the skin of the grapes, bring a pot of water to a boil before adding the fruit.
• Re-strain the grapes to get rid of all the excess moisture.
• Put the grapes on a dehydrator tray or a baking sheet that has been lightly greased.
• Place it in the pre-heated oven of about 225°F(107°C) and let the grapes be baked until they become raisins, which should take about 3 hrs.
• If the grapes are being dried with a dehydrator, then the heat should be at 135°F (57°C), and the grapes should be dehydrated for almost 24 hours or until it is moist/dry to the desired limit.
• But once they expand and turn into raisins, put them in an airtight jar, allowing the grapes to last longer.

How to utilize the nutritional benefits of raisins?

Therefore, It is recommended to incorporate raisins in any eating plan. Raisins can be eaten as is or combined with other ingredients, and thus, they enhance the value of your meals and snacks. Here are some ideas:

• Accompany them with a crisp green salad.
• They can also be incorporated into coleslaw or cooked broccoli salad to enhance taste and texture.
• They can be included in Muesli or in any breakfast cereals to enhance their sweetness naturally.
• Use them to compliment the meal as a dessert or to add a chewy taste in savory meals such as rice meals or curries.
• In an attempt to substitute refined sugar, one should consider using raisins in cookies, muffin or even pancakes.

Side Effects of Raisins

It is also important to note that raisins contain some nutritive value, but they should not be taken frequently or in large amounts as they can become pathological. The first thing that needs to be looked at is the calorie count.

In fact, a kismis contains about the same number of calories as a grape, but because of the many kismis one can put into his or her mouth, it is all too easy to exceed the set daily calorie intake.

Another aspect that has to be taken into consideration is fibre content. Consuming high amounts of fibre present in large measure in raisins, may cause some issues such as bloating, abdominal pain and flatulence. At its worst, it can even lead to situations like loose bowel movements or diarrhoea.

However, it is important to remember that because raisins do not contain a very high fibre content, these effects usually happen after eating an excessive quantity of them.
Lastly, because of their small size, people are prone to choking and small children may need to avoid raisins and opt for fresh fruit instead. However, consuming these raisins is not harmful if taken in moderation.

The Bottom Line

Though raisins could be unappealing due to their appearance, the health benefits of raisins can’t be ignored. The benefits of raisins, also called black raisins, dry grapes, kismis, black dry grapes, and black kismis are abundant and undeniable. With health benefits like improved digestion, bone health, and skin and heart health, you must incorporate raisins into your diet. Raisins are healthy alternatives for your sugar cravings.

Whether you enjoy them as a standalone snack, add them to your favourite dishes, or incorporate them into your baking recipes, the benefits of raisins are undeniable. So go ahead and indulge in these tasty, dried fruits and achieve all the opportunities to a better and fuller life.

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