Small, sweet and chewy, raisins are a classic snack everyone remembers from his or her childhood. Back then, they came in little snack-sized boxes perfect for packing in a lunch, but raisins are used for so much more in recipes, meals and world cuisine. Whether incorporated into sweet dessert cakes, bread and muffins, mixed into cereal, yogurt or oatmeal for breakfast, or sprinkled over salads for a sweet touch and baked into gooey cookies, these sweet little gems see plenty of use in the culinary world.
Created by drying red or green grapes in the sun, a drier or food dehydrator, raisins retain the sugar of their original grape forms — but in their shriveled, juiceless states, they taste a whole lot sweeter. Raisins come in several varieties and appear in multiple colors, but none is sweeter, juicier or plumper than the organic sultana, a small, golden raisin made from seedless white grapes. You might think their high sugar content makes raisins like sultanas less than nutritious, but think again. Are organic sultanas good for you? Absolutely!
With a high nutritional content of antioxidants, iron and minerals essential to healthy body function, raisins promote all kinds of good health when you eat them regularly. If you're interested in raisin nutrition and how those sweet little ingredients are superb to eat, here are all the incredible health benefits of raisins:
1. Relieves Constipation
Delivering a rich dose of dietary fiber, raisins encourage digestion, reduce toxic bile and aid in smooth intestinal movements, making you less bloated, more comfortable and healthier in the stomach.
2. Lowers Blood Pressure
With minerals like potassium and iron, raisins help raise red blood cell count, relax blood vessels and reduce oxidative stress brought on by inactivity or unhealthy eating, aiding in reducing systolic blood pressure and eliminating hypertension.
3. Strengthens Bones
Providing a healthy amount of calcium and the micronutrient boron — which helps your body absorb the calcium — raisins encourage strength-building and healthy bones.
4. Helps Weight Management
Whether you're hoping to gain or lose weight, raisins can help you reach your vision for your body. By providing extra nutrients and natural sugars, raisins can assist you in gaining weight in a healthy way, and if you're looking to lose, adding raisins to your diet as snacks or breakfast can help you stay fuller longer and avoid cravings.
5. Improves Heart Health
By lowering lipoprotein and bad cholesterol levels with their high potassium and low sodium content, raisins contribute to improved cardiac health.
6. Discourages Anemia
By raising your iron and vitamin B levels, raisins assist in the formation of new blood and the transportation of oxygen, keeping anemia at bay.
7. Prevents Gastric Cancer
Rich in antioxidants and phenolic compounds known to inhibit cancer cell growth, eating raisins can help to fight and prevent gastric cancer.
Organic Sultana Raisin Health Benefits
These are only a few health benefits of raisins — discover the effect these sweet snacks have on your life by incorporating them into your regular diet. At Sincerely Nuts, we offer a variety of delicious raisins and raisin-inspired treats — including our organic sultana raisins. Order online today.
