Fruit and Nut Ingredients
where it highlighted that “all traditional, conventional dried fruits such as raisins have no added sugar and are formed by the removal of water”. It is because most of the water is extracted from dried fruits such as raisins that their nutrients are so concentrated and easily accessible. What’s more, the study supported the fact that raisins
are a ‘natural powerhouse’ packed full of nutrients, such as fibre, iron, calcium and antioxidants and are vital for a healthy lifestyle.
The study went on to explain that since “the focus of public health advice is for the reduction of ‘free sugars’ rather than a reduction of total sugars, and since positive messages are more likely to help consumers, advice could usefully integrate both dried and fresh fruit to help a switch from confectionery and biscuits towards fruit, to help consumers adopt a healthier diet.” Thus, as is evidenced by the extensive research undertaken, raisins are an excellent low sugar alternative to confectionery and bring with them a seemingly endless array of nutrients and health benefits.
Cognitive benefits of peanuts and peanut butter
The University of Barcelona released new research showing that consumption of peanuts and peanut butter may improve cognitive function and reduce stress in healthy young adults. Researchers point to the polyphenols in peanuts that likely aided memory, executive function and processing speed and resulted in a reduction of cortisol,
anxiety and depressive levels in a control group of mostly college students. The ARISTOTLE study was published online in Clinical Nutrition on September 20, 2021. “The improvement of memory function and stress response after consuming regular peanuts and peanut butter seem to be related to the mental health effects of bioactive compounds such as resveratrol and p-coumaric acid found in peanuts, as well as the increased level of short chain fatty acids and very long chain saturated fatty acids in plasma and feces associated with peanut consumption,” says Dr. Rosa M. Lamuela-Raventós, the lead researcher from the University of Barcelona. The three-arm, parallel-group randomised controlled trial was conducted from November 2019 to June 2020 with 63 healthy participants (44 females and 19 males) who were 18 to 33 years of age. The participants, who were mostly students, were from the University of Barcelona in Spain and consumed either 25 grams a day of roasted peanuts with skins or two tablespoons (32 grams) a day of peanut butter or two tablespoons (32 grams) a day of a control butter. The control had a similar macronutrient composition as the roasted peanuts and peanut butter but was free of phenolic compounds and fiber. Consumption of the peanut products began after a two-week, peanut-free period in advance of the study.
Study participants followed their regular diet and consumed the peanut products at any time of the day. Wine, grapes, dark chocolate with more than 70% cacao and berries were excluded from the participants’ diets due to their high
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