Alasalvar C., Shahidi F. (Eds.) Dried Fruits: Phytochemicals and Health Effects

Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2013. — 503 p. — (Functional Food Science and Technology series). — ISBN: 0813811732.Dried fruits serve as important healthful snack items around the world. They provide a concentrated form of fresh fruits, prepared by different drying techniques. With their unique combination of taste/aroma, essential nutrients, fibre, and phytochemicals or bioactive compounds, dried fruits are convenient for healthy eating and can bridge the gap between recommended intake of fruits and actual consumption.
Dried fruits are nutritionally equivalent to fresh fruits, in smaller serving sizes, in the current dietary recommendations of various countries. Scientific evidence suggests that individuals who regularly consume generous amounts of dried fruits have lower rates of cardiovascular disease, obesity, various types of cancer, type-2 diabetes, and other chronic diseases. Dried fruits also have the advantage of being easy to store and distribute, available around the year, readily incorporated into other foods and recipes, and present a healthy alternative to salty or sugary snacks.
Dried Fruits: Phytochemicals and Health Effects is divided into three sections preceded by introductory chapters that provide an overview of dried fruits (their composition, phytochemicals and health applications) as well as the cancer chemopreventive effects of selected dried fruits (amla fruits or Indian gooseberries, avocados, berries, mangoes, mangosteens, persimmons, prunes, raisins, kiwi fruits, and other dried fruits). The first section covers the most popular dried berries (blackberries, blackcurrants, blueberries, cranberries, goji berries, mulberries, raspberries, and strawberries); the second section discusses non-tropical dried fruits (apples, apricots, cherries, citrus fruits, figs, nectarines, peaches, pears, prunes, and raisins); and the final section addresses tropical dried fruits (afai fruits, bananas, dates, guavas, papayas, mangoes, passion fruits, and pineapples).
Contributors to this volume are internationally renowned researchers who have provided a comprehensive account of the global perspectives of the issues relating to phytochemicals and health effects of dried fruits. The book will serve as a resource for those interested in the potential application of new developments in dried fruits' nutraceuticals and functional foods. Biochemists, chemists, food scientists/technologists, nutritionists, and health professionals, from academia, government laboratories, and industry will benefit from this publication. Although this book is intended primarily as a reference book, it also summarises the current state of knowledge in key research areas and contains ideas for future work. In addition, it provides easy to read text suitable for teaching senior undergraduate and post-graduate students.Composition, phytochemicals, and beneficial health effects of dried fruits: an overview
Cancer chemopreventive effects of selected dried fruits
Dried Berries
Phytochemicals and health benefits of blackberries and black currants
Dried blueberries: the effects of processing on health-promoting compounds
Functional characteristics of dried cranberries
Phytochemicals and health benefits of goji berries
Dried mulberries: phytochemicals and health effects
Dried raspberries: phytochemicals and health effects
Phytochemical antioxidants and health benefits of dried strawberries
Beneficial effects of dried berry fruits in human health and disease prevention
Nontropical Dried Fruits
Phytochemicals and health benefits of dried apple snacks
Phytochemicals and health benefits of dried apricots
Dried cherries: phytochemicals and health perspectives
Dried citrus fruits: phytochemicals and health beneficial effects
Functional characteristics of dried figs
Drying nectarines: functional compounds and antioxidant potential
Phytochemical composition and health aspects of peach products
Dried pears: phytochemicals and potential health effects
Prunes: are they functional foods?
Raisins: processing, phytochemicals, and health benefits
Tropical Dried Fruits
Ac¸ai fruits: potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory superfruits with potential health benefits
Bananas, dried bananas, and banana chips: nutritional characteristics, phytochemicals, and health effects
Nutritional composition, phytochemicals, and health benefits of dates
Neutraceutical properties of dried tropical fruits: guavas and papayas
Dried mangoes: phytochemicals, antioxidant properties, and health benefits
Phytochemicals and health applications of dried passion and pineapple fruits