KIshmish or raisins are shriveled grapes that are produced in a number of regions around the world. They are naturally sweet and can be eaten raw or used in cooking, brewing, and baking. Depending on the variety of grapes, their colors, and sizes, raisins can appear green, yellow, brown, and even purple.
Some varieties include the “sultana”, which is a golden dried grape, and a “currant”, which is a small, dried, Black Corinth seedless grape. Traditionally, raisins are always sun-dried, but they can also be dried artificially in a food dehydrator to speed up the process.
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Kishmish Nutrition Facts
Kishmish is packed with energy and nutrition to give you strength. High in sugar, raisins are naturally sweet. Half a cup of raisins contains about 127 calories which are equivalent to 47 grams of sugar, it’s better if one stays careful with their intake. But when taken in small amounts, raisins can be beneficial to many people, including athletes, providing them with a boost of energy which eventually helps in improving their performance.
Raisins are loaded with fiber, and each half cup contains about 3.3 grams of it. Fiber is very important for your body as it can help in digestion, satiate hunger and regulate your cholesterol.
Raisins are also a good source of iron. One-half cup contains 1.3 milligrams. Also, it is packed with calcium (about 45 milligrams in half a cup) and boron, both of which help keep your body healthy. Boron, in particular, works well with vitamin D to keep your joints and bones intact and strong and helps in treating osteoporosis.
Kishmish is also rich in phytonutrients. These are naturally occurring antioxidants that help remove free radicals from your blood, preventing damage to your DNA. Kishmish also contains antimicrobial compounds such as phytochemicals that keep your teeth and gums healthy by fighting off the bacteria lining the inside of your mouth.
Kishmish Benefits
As mentioned above, raisins are packed with all kinds of nutrients. There are a number of creative ways to eat them. You can eat them raw, or bake cookies topped with them. You can also make granola at home with some oats, nuts, and raisins for some quick energy intake. Another innovative way to eat them is by cooking them with rice.
They can provide extra flavor and their sweetness goes perfectly with the grains. However, it is important that you keep your raisin intake in check. As with anything, eating too much kishmish every day can be dangerous. But, when taken moderately, they can be quite beneficial to your health.
Following are some of the benefits of kishmish:
1. Relieve Constipation
Kishmish is rich in fiber. This means that it can help you digest food really well. It also helps in relieving constipation by softening and increasing the size and weight of your stool, making it easy to pass out. Although, it should be noted that eating too much fiber can cause digestive issues such as cramps, bloating, and gas.
But just the correct amount of kishmish can help improve your digestive health tremendously. Moreover, the tartaric acid in kishmish has anti-inflammatory properties which improve intestinal function and regulates the presence of bacteria in your gut.
2. Regulate Blood Pressure
As you grow older, stress and a number of problems can lead to fluctuations in your blood pressure, which isn’t a good thing for your health. Blood pressure is also caused by excessive consumption of salt and its unnecessary presence in the body. Kishmish is low in sodium, so they’re good options to eat if you have high blood pressure.
It also contains potassium, which is a natural vasodilator. This means that it can relax your blood vessels, and improve blood circulation, proving relief from hypertension. Potassium can also help in balancing the sodium content in your body.
3. Relieve Pain
Kishmish is rich in antioxidants which have anti-inflammatory and pain relief properties. So if you’re someone who has taken a bad fall recently, or suffer from chronic pain, raisins are a great way to help relieve your suffering. Unlike pills, they don’t taste bad and are actually quite pleasant to eat!
4. Weight Management
Losing weight isn’t always the way to go. To keep up a healthy appearance, sometimes gaining weight is also necessary, especially if you are malnourished or running low on necessary nutrients. Kishmish is a perfect and healthy way to gain weight. It has a number of nutrients needed to improve your body’s strength. They’re rich in fructose and glucose, which can give you loads of energy.
Since kishmish is low in calories, it is an excellent way to gain weight without accumulating bad cholesterol, because the fiber content in raisins helps regulate cholesterol levels. The fiber also helps the body feel full for a long time with just a small serving, so you can totally control the way you gain weight.
5. Help Treat Infections
Kishmish is rich in vitamins B and C, which help strengthen immunity, making your body less susceptible to infections. It is known to have polyphenolic phytonutrients. These are inflammatory antioxidants containing antibacterial properties that help lower the risk of fever. They also aid in killing bacteria, keeping you safe from flu, cold, and other similar infections.
6. Reduce Acidity
Acidity is caused by the gastric glands creating excess acid for digestion. The condition can make you feel a burning sensation, or heartburn, in your lower chest area. Also known as blood toxicity or acidosis, it can lead to skin complications like pimples, boils, and psoriasis.
Kishmish contains good levels of magnesium and potassium, both of which can help reduce acidity by neutralizing stomach acid. It also helps keep the skin healthy and clear.
Magnesium can help reduce spasms of the lower esophageal sphincter, preventing the release of acid into the esophagus. Combined with potassium, it can also help remove toxins from your body, preventing diseases such as kidney stones, gout, and arthritis.
7. Lower Risk of Chronic Disease
Compared to other dried fruits, kishmsih has higher levels of antioxidants. These help prevent cell damage that is caused by natural factors like aging and lifestyle behavior.
The phytonutrients in raisins, which are more potent antioxidants, reduce the risk of chronic conditions such as diabetes, osteoporosis, and cancer. They also have brain-protective properties that help reduce the risk of a number of serious brain illnesses.
8. Prevent Anemia
Kishmish is loaded with iron and B-Complex vitamins, which are beneficial in treating and preventing anemia, a condition caused by a lack of iron. When the body is nourished with iron, it aids in the production of hemoglobin, and thus healthy red blood cells.
These red blood cells can effectively carry oxygen around your body. Similarly, the copper present in raisins helps in the production of red blood cells, preventing the onset of anemia and similar problems.
9. Help Prevent Cancer
Kishmish provides anticarcinogenic benefits and contains an antioxidant known as catechin. This is a type of phenolic compound that helps in protecting the body against free radical activity which can cause tumors and colon cancer. Kishmish also helps protect the body from oxidative damage, lowering the risk factors of aging, and many types of cancers.
10. Improve Sleep
Lack of peaceful sleep can not only take a toll on your physical health but your mental well-being as well. Studies show that raisins are actually beneficial in treating insomnia because they contain nutrients like iron.
Iron is a multi-tasking mineral that aids in not just the production of hemoglobin, but also improves metabolism and strengthens immunity, which can overall ensure better sleep.
11. Improve Heart Health
Kishmish is scientifically proven to lower your risk of heart disease, and they do so by reducing blood sugar levels and blood pressure in the body. The fiber in raisins can help in lowering your cholesterol levels if they’re too high, reducing unnecessary strain on your heart.
Additionally, raisins are the perfect source of potassium which also helps in lowering the risk of strokes and heart disease. Thus, if taken diligently, raisins can improve your overall heart health.
12. Strengthen Bones and Teeth
The calcium in kishmish helps improve your bone health. It fortifies joints and bones by providing much-needed nutrients and preventing diseases such as arthritis and gout. The boron in raisins can also help in forming strong bones.
Research on raisins shows that eating soaked raisins helps in better absorption of nutrients, improving bone density. Raisins also contain oleanolic acid, a type of phytochemical essential in lowering the risk of your teeth decaying. It also helps prevent cavities and plaque formation in your mouth. Raisins are an excellent resource for dental care.
They fight off bacteria in the mouth, keeping your teeth in good shape. The calcium helps whiten the teeth and strengthens them, preventing them from peeling away or going brittle, which can lead to breakage.
13. Treat Infertility Problems
Although there isn’t much research on this, kishmish is known to treat infertility. It is abundant with natural sugars, giving loads of energy that can be useful in treating erectile dysfunction in men. Moreover, raisins contain arginine, which helps in improving sperm mobility.
Conclusion
Kishmish can boost your health since it is rich in nutrients and fiber. Research on raisins has uncovered several benefits and has shown that eating half a cup or an 80–90 g serving of raisins daily may be beneficial for human health.
