Raisins Benefits: A Superfood For Elderly

Raisins are those tiny delicious bite-size dry fruits which we often find on top of the cookies, yoghurt, or cereals. Sometimes we find raisins also as a topping over Indian sweets, like Kheer and Barfi. These little colourful and shrivelled morsels are made of dried grapes and make a sweet & straightforward, quick snack for us throughout the day.

Dry Raisin could be small in size, but it offers high nutritional value and health benefits apart from its delicious sweet taste. Being a rich source of iron, fibre, protein, and calcium, along with other nutrients, raisins are a great source of energy for elders.

What are the common types of Raisins?

There are many types of raisins, depending on their region. Here we have listed down the three most common types of raisins that are found in India:

1: Brown Raisins

This Raisin is produced by drying the grapes for three weeks, and it turns brown after drying. People from different regions use different kinds of grapes to make raisins. Thus the colour, size, and taste depend on the type of grape.

2: Sultana Raisins (Golden Raisin)

Sultana raisins are made with dried Sultana grapes. Sultana raisins are made with soaked grapes. Due to this, the colour of this Raisin is golden/light brown. This Raisin is often smaller in size and sweeter than the other two raisins.

3: Black Raisins

This type of raisins is also known as Zante Currant. These are made of black grapes. They are also made by drying the grapes for three weeks. Their taste is often sour-sweet and small in size.

Health Benefits of Raisins For Elderly

1: Improve immunity

Raisins are rich in vitamin B and C. It also contains polyphenolic phytonutrients, which are known for their famous inflammatory antioxidants. The anti-bacterial nature of Raisin helps in lowering the risk of getting a fever by killing the bacteria. It makes elders body fight infection efficiently, thereby keeping them safe from cough and cold and any other type of bacterial infections. It helps in strengthening the immune system by leveraging its anti-bacterial and inflammatory properties.

2: Helps indigestion

These golden droplets are perfect for the elder’s stomach, giving it a laxative effect to curing problems like constipation. A soaked raisin in water swells up the fibre content within it. This fibre helps elders in the detoxification of the system by eliminating waste products out of the body. A proper intake keeps the bowel movement smooth.

3: Cures acidity

The presence of an excellent level of potassium and magnesium in raisins helps balance out the pH level in the elder’s body. A balanced pH level plays a crucial role in decreasing the toxicity in the blood and other harmful gases present, which causes various internal issues. Daily intake of raisins reduces the acidity, flushes out toxins and toxic fluids from the system, lowering conditions like bloating, and preventing diseases like gout, arthritis, kidney stones, and heat-related illness.

4: Strengthen bones

For elders who usually struggle with joint pains or weak bones, Raisin is the perfect dry fruit for them to consume as it consists of calcium that is known for strengthening the bones. Regular intake of Raisin can increase bone density, which helps in reducing conditions like arthritis and gout. Moreover, apart from calcium content, Raisin is also a rich source of “Boron,” which is an essential ingredient required for the healthy bone of elders. Consuming soaked Raisin in water can improve bone density as it absorbs nutrients in a much efficient manner.

5: Cure tooth decay

These bite-sized dry fruits are high in oleanolic acid, preventing tooth decay among seniors and elders. It further helps in removing germs and keeps the teeth clean. These tiny raisins can also kill the bacteria that causes a cavity in the tooth. As mentioned earlier, these raisins are filled with calcium and boron’s richness, helping in the whitening of teeth.

6: Improve eye-sight

Due to the presence of an antioxidant compound called ‘polyphenolic phytonutrients’, raisins help to keep the vision of the eyes healthy. It further protects the eyes by decreasing the free radical action, which causes weakness in the eye-sight and leads to muscular degeneration or cataract. Vitamin A in raisins provides beta carotene, which is pretty good for the eyes.

Along with these benefits, raisins promote overall better health in the elderly.

Overall Health Benefits of Raisins

1: Raisins For Heart Health

Regular consumption of raisins can help regulate blood pressure rate, thereby decreasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Raisins are also a good potassium source due to their low sodium content, helping to relax the blood vessels. Elders who consume raisins regularly have more chances to have good cholesterol and decrease bad cholesterol. It prevents the formation of blood clots, thereby improving the health of your heart.

2: Raisins For Cancer

As an enriching source of dietary antioxidants, raisins protect elders body from the oxidative damages caused by free radicals, which cause ageing and, in severe cases, diseases like tumours and colon cancers. Raisin properties can help protect against fatal diseases like cancer. In fact, according to NCBI research, the methanol extract of raisins can also prevent colon cancer. Simultaneously, how more raisins can show beneficial effects in preventing other types of cancer, more research is needed for this. So it is suggested to the readers that raisins can only prevent cancer, and cannot cure it. Therefore, it is vital to get medical treatment for a person who has cancer.

3: Raisin Water

Dry fruits have always been considered suitable for the elder’s health. And raisins are one of the most loved dry fruits. We have already told you the various benefits of raisins. But do you know there’s something called Raisin Water! Yes, you heard right, Raisin Water.

Having raisin water every morning can be beneficial for elders. Raisin water is an old recipe that is used to cure many diseases. A lot of vitamins and minerals are found in raisin water.

Why Raisin Water for Elders?

According to a report, regular consumption of raisin water helps remove the toxins from the body. Thereby it is a good drink for detoxifying the elderly body. Drinking this water for at least a week will not only remove your heart disease but will also clean your liver and increase its ability to work. Before we tell you the health benefits of raisin water, let us first tell you how to prepare raisin water?

How to make raisin water?

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of water
• 150 g raisins

Method of preparation:

Boil 1 glass of water in a container and soak a handful of raisins in it and keep it overnight. Filter this water in the morning on the second day and heat it lightly on a low flame. Drink this water on an empty stomach in the morning and stop for 30-35 minutes and eat breakfast.

Benefits of Drinking Raisin Water

1. Detox the body

By drinking this water, the dirt of the body comes out, and the blood clears. It also increases the efficiency of the liver in seniors.

2. Prevents anaemia

Raisin water is a rich source of iron and copper. Not only this, but it also contains vitamins that increase red blood cells. Regular consumption of this water prevents anaemia.

3. Protect the heart

Regular intake of this water also protects you from heart disease. It reduces the cholesterol level in the blood’s arteries and prevents stroke, high BP, and heart attack.

4. Keep your stomach fit

If you have a problem with acidity in the stomach or have trouble digesting food, then you should make a habit of drinking raisin water on an empty stomach, every morning.

5. Kidneys remain healthy

Raisins are also rich in potassium and magnesium. In such a situation, consuming this water daily removes the body’s toxins and keeps the kidneys healthy.

Nutritiousness of Raisins

Raisins weigh 6% to 72% of their sugar, which is mostly in the form of glucose and fructose. They contain 3% protein and 3.5% fibre to aid digestion. However, raisins are rich in antioxidants but have less vitamin C than fresh grapes, such as khubani and plum. They are low in sodium and do not contain cholesterol at all. Reports state that the intake of raisins by patients with high blood pressure has some beneficial effect on their blood pressure.

Nutritional Value Of Raisins

Here we have explained the nutritional value of raisins in detail just for you!

➔ Nutrient Amount Per 100 Grams

• Water 15.43 grams
• Energy 299 kcal
• Protein 3.07 grams
• Fat 0.46 grams
• Carbohydrate 79.18 grams
• Fibre 3.7 grams
• Sugar 59.19 grams

➔ Mineral Amount Per 100 Grams

• Calcium 50 mg
• Iron 1.88 mg
• Magnesium 32 mg
• Phosphorus 101 mg
• Potassium 749 mg
• Sodium 11 mg
• Zinc 0.22 mg
• Copper 0.318 mg
• Selenium 0.6 Microgram

➔ Vitamin Amount Per 100 Grams

• Vitamin-C 2.3 mg
• Thiamine 0.106 mg
• Riboflavin 0.125 mg
• Niacin 0.766 mg
• Vitamin-B6 0.174 mg
• Folate 5 micrograms
• Colin 11.1 mg
• Vitamin-E 0.12 mg
• Vitamin-K 3.5 micrograms

➔ Lipid Amount Per 100 Grams

• Fatty acid saturated 0.058 g
• Fatty acid monounsaturated 0.051 g
• Fatty acid polyunsaturated 0.037 g

Uses of Raisins

You can include raisins to the elders’ diet in many healthy ways, such as:

• Mix raisins with peanut butter and fruit salad.
• Prepare a salad with broccoli and carrots or any seasonal vegetable and top it up with raisins.
• You can use raisins instead of sugar in oats.
• Use for sweetness in muffins and pancakes.
• You can eat raisins directly.

How to keep raisins safe for a long time?

Raisins can be stored in a sealed container in the freezer, to store them for a more extended period. One can maintain raisins in this way for about a year. While keeping it, it is essential to keep in mind that there is no moisture in the box. The smoke increases the chances of raisins rotting.

Consumption of Raisins for Elders

Dry fruits are beneficial for people of all ages. One can have an average of 50-100 grams of raisins in a day. For Elders suffering from diabetes, its quantity can be according to their diet and medicines, about which it is necessary to consult a doctor.

Side Effects of Raisins

Just like everything else, raisins contain their share of advantages and disadvantages. We have highlighted all the positives of raisins for you but let us tell you that excessive consumption of this dry fruit can lead to below issues,

• Bodyweight gain
• Allergy
• Diarrhoea and Gas
• Type 2 diabetes risk

Conclusion

Raisins are a delicious food item rich in medicinal properties, which should be a part of the elder’s daily diet. Elders suffering from any of the problems mentioned in the article should start consuming raisins from today. If regular consumption of raising causes you any allergy, then we advise you not to have and contact the doctor immediately. Diabetic patients should not eat raisins without consulting with their doctor.

After knowing about these beneficial properties of raisins, do you feel like not taking care of your elders in an adequate manner? Or do you feel like being busy enough to fulfil daily life requirements of elders? Then worry not! As you are the right place, i.e. at Emoha.

At Emoha, we take care of everything which is a concern regarding elders. May it be health or doing daily life chores, we are the hub for elders problem’s solutions. So get in touch with us now, and enjoy every sort of eldercare service with us, at Emoha. Mail us for queries or connections at eldersfirst@emoha.com or can call us at 1800-123-445555.