Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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This is in my head because I spend all day with a toddler. Our pediatrician recommended raisins for iron. Why not grapes? I've noticed other dried fruits saying they were high in iron too on the package. I'm confused.

flag	asked Jul 13 2011 at 2:19 Happy Now 25.6k●13●68

ben61820 · Accepted Answer · 2011-07-13 02:22:42Z UTC

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Only because like anything else, when you dry it you drive out the water content.

The size goes down and it becomes a lot easier for us to eat a whole lot more of the item.

Essentially the serving size becomes more dense with the original constituents of the ingredient.

answered Jul 13 2011 at 2:22

ben61820
16.1k●1●11●57

	Bingo. By weight dried fruit is more nutrient dense. – Rhubarb Jul 13 2011 at 2:31
	Thanks! My mom had the same answer, but it sounded like she might have been guessing. – Happy Now Jul 13 2011 at 3:24
	One little box of raisins is like a whole sack of grapes. – Grok Jul 13 2011 at 9:19
	absolutely, same for dehydrated or freeze dried things like those crispy berries some camping expedition stores have. If you stop and think about how much actual un-dried fruit you've eaten after you eat a bunch of that stuff it's kind of gross – ben61820 Jul 13 2011 at 12:36

Cocopistachio · Answer 2 · 2011-07-13 03:27:47Z UTC

Hehe, this was actually an LSAT logical reasoning question. Why do raisins have more iron per CALORIE than grapes? Note that I said per calorie, not ounce. The answer to the question was supposedly because the drying process causes caramelization of some sugars in the grape, the end product of which cannot be used by the body (thus noncaloric).

Senneth · Answer 3 · 2011-07-13 16:13:22Z UTC

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Now that you mention it -My SAD husband is convinced that eating a ton of raisins will cure my anemia. He bought me a giant 4lb box at Costco. A few serious binges later and I am a raisin addict! (No test results back yet on the anemia cure! haha!) Luckily I am not trying to lose weight!

answered Jul 13 2011 at 16:13

Senneth
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	I've been reading the backs of boxes like mad lately because my son eats only a bite or two of meat at a time and his iron levels were low at our last check up. The doc gave us Floravital for him, but he won't take it. I've even resorted to pinning him down and trying to squirt it down his throat a few times, but that just felt too mean. I think the raisins said they provided 6% DV per serving. I was looking at the back of an 85% cacoa chocolate bar and it said %25. I wonder how bad would it be to give him as much chocolate as he wants for a while? – Happy Now Jul 13 2011 at 17:26
	one word about dark chocolate....caffiene!!! – Kelly Jul 13 2011 at 20:45
	That foravital made my stomach hurt so much! UGH! – Senneth Jul 13 2011 at 21:51
	I think that explains his reaction to it. The first day he asked for more "juicy". But the next day and ever since, he's acted like I'm asking him to eat hot coals. – Happy Now Jul 14 2011 at 6:54

CraftyCrofts · Answer 4 · 2011-07-13 04:25:14Z UTC

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LOL...did your Doc warn you about raisin overload poop in that toddler's diaper? They go in like raisins and come out like exploding grapes. It's nasty. Have fun with that. :-)

answered Jul 13 2011 at 4:25

CraftyCrofts
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Oh yeah, I've seen it. It also makes me wonder how much iron he could possibly be getting out of them if they go through whole. – Happy Now Jul 13 2011 at 6:48

Why does fruit magically become a high iron food when it is dried?

4 Answers