Dried Mango (and other fruits)

[macgeek2005]

I'm going to guess that dried mango is somehow terribly unhealthy for a person, based on the fact that it's so delicious and addictive. Am I right? Does anyone know?

Thanks.

[TylerDurden]

Dried fruits contain artificial preservatives like sulphites. These are also added to nonorganic wine. Foul stuff, avoid like the plague.

[Haai]

Dried fruits contain artificial preservatives like sulphites. These are also added to nonorganic wine. Foul stuff, avoid like the plague.

There are plenty of dried fruits available these days without added preservatives if you know where to look. Not that I'm suggesting that the consumption of dried fruit is good.

Also, most organic wines have added sulphites too. An organic wine just means that organic grapes were used, little more. However, if you look hard enough you can find organic wine with no added sulphites.

[balancing-act]

If you find dried fruit without preservatives that's a lot better (Living Tree Community Foods has sun-dried fruit that's the best dried fruit I've ever had)... but fresh fruit is *infinitely* better than dried. It just makes you feel so much better. In my opinion hydration is a big part of why fruit is so good. Nothing beats a ripe fresh mango. No access to fresh mangos?
Dried fruit can be a backup. There are definitely worse things one can out in one's body.

[cherimoya_kid]

I got very sick eating large amounts of dried fruit.  Pretty much everyone who has done the raw vegan diet for very long has either gotten sick from dried fruit, or knows some other vegan who has.

 Granted, the fruit I ate was probably sulfured, and heated to high temps, but still, it was WAAAAY worse for me than regular fruit.  I don't trust even sun-dried fruit, with or without preservatives.

[macgeek2005]

I get organic dried mango from Whole Foods. Do you think that has the sulfates or whatever?

And if it doesn't, what makes it unhealthy?

[goodsamaritan]

I'm going to guess that dried mango is somehow terribly unhealthy for a person, based on the fact that it's so delicious and addictive. Am I right? Does anyone know?

Thanks.

I looked into making dried mangoes as a business.  They are sliced and put into dehydrating machines.  And of course, the preservatives as Tyler mentioned.

It's a "treat", just like any other cheats out there.  Never make them staples.

Try to get fresh ripe mangoes.  They taste and hydrate so much better.  I'll have a ripe mango now just for you.

[Sully]

I'll have a ripe mango now just for you.

hahahahaha Have one for me too

[Sully]

yeah like many had mentioned you can find it at many health foodstores without preservatives.

When I was in Jordan, figs and grapes dried naturally in the arid climate. The grapes were of good quality with seeds though. Dried figs are not addictive to me

[PaleoPhil]

I used to be addicted to sulphite-free dried mango, dates and other sulphite-free dried fruits. I thought I was doing OK by avoiding the sulphite, as others recommended, but that turned out to be bogus advice for me. Even sulphite-free dried fruits caused me major problems. I didn't realize it until I cut them out. I'm more carb sensitive than most people, so your experience may differ. The only way you can find out is to test it for yourself. No one else can know what your experience will be.

BTW, I discovered that not only were fresh papaya and fresh figs less of a problem for me than dried, though I do have to limit my intake, but they actually taste WAY better to me than the dried versions. And like GS said, fresh mango is also tasty, so why not eat it fresh (or as fresh as you can get in your area, that is)? My guess is that tropical fruits are probably healthier to eat when they are taken right from the tree (tree-ripened) in the tropical nations where they are grown. It might be best to eat more of the fruits that are native to your region and truly fresh. Just a guess.

If you must eat dried fruit, then why not try drying it yourself, with no added heat (air-drying), or at least as little heat as possible? My guess is that dried-fruit manufacturers probably use rather high temps to quicken the process.

[TylerDurden]

I've often stated that dehydrated, raw foods  had certain problems for raw foodists. Lack of water-content makes all the difference.

[van]

I think it's also lack of enzymes, lack of vitamins (from oxidation),  and increased sugar content as fruit ripens as it dries

[bharminder]

From all the companies I've called, the non sulphite dried fruits are heated to quicken the drying process (i.e. not raw) Although I have ordered dates online that were from a explicitly stated raw foodist (the date people). ...

Most of the dried fruit I've seen is sulphited. I think it's OK to eat dried fruit sometimes, it's better than a piece of bread. I'd prefer the non sulphited ones . if it's organic in the U.S., it's automatically non-sulphited

[balancing-act]

If you get dates from the Date People or some such company they haven't been dried; they're fresh. Still, in my opinion, dates aren't as good as higher water-content fruit, but I eat them once in a while, and they feel a lot better than dried fruit.