Dried fruit has always been linked to a high energy power and various beneficial properties for our body. In reality, even these foods hide pitfalls.
Pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, almonds, pine nuts or cashews: the term dried fruit refers to foods rich in fat and containing proteins, minerals and vitamins. The category includes both nuts and nuts, as in the case of peanuts or almonds.
Dried fruit is characterized by a high energy power and has always been linked to various benefits for the body. In reality, even these foods hide pitfalls so it would be better not to exaggerate with their consumption. In addition to nutrients, there are some that can pose a health hazard.
Behind the scenes of food production
Thanks to industrial progress and the advent of globalization, today we have the opportunity to buy the food we want regardless of the season we are in. The barriers of the past have been torn down in favor of international trade and the possibility of eating foods from anywhere in the world.
Most people, when they go shopping, he doesn’t care so much about the dynamics behind food production. An industry that, in many cases, “makes fun” of the buyers. The preservatives, dyes and pesticides that are used to make products appear more appealing are examples.
Pesticides are undoubtedly useful for keeping parasites away but, once they have remained on the food, they risk damaging our body when we consume products that have been contaminated. The same goes for preservatives and dyes: if taken in large quantities, they can cause side effects.
The consumption of pesticides could cause damage to the central nervous and endocrine systems, as well as to the reproductive systems. In the second case, however, the intake of preservatives risks increasing the probability of developing stomach or oesophageal cancer. Furthermore, substances such as pesticides spread through the air and water when they are spread, reaching everywhere. Even the products defined as “organic”, by now, may have been contaminated.
Nuts and mycotoxins: what are the health risks?
In the case of dried fruit, the risk is that the food is spoiled by the presence of mycotoxins, or toxic substances that are produced by mushrooms and which can have side effects on health. In the best cases, they can cause gastrointestinal upset. In the worst cases, the danger is of developing kidney problems, immunodeficiency or cancer.
The cause derives from the fact that dried fruit is often produced in deindustrialized countries, where security systems and technologies are less developed, with the sole interest of reducing the costs of the procedure. In all of this, the climate emergency is having a big influence, making the situation even more dramatic. Mycotoxins, in fact, manage to multiply and spread further due to the high levels of humidity.
What can we buyers do to protect our health? The advice is to shop consciously, focusing on dried fruit produced by certified companies. Furthermore, it would be better to avoid buying products that are excessively cheap and of dubious origin, together with those in bulk.