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My daughter suffers from lactose intolerance and/or milk protein allergy (this has yet to be confirmed by a paediatrician due to the way the NHS works in the UK).

I tend to bake fruit cakes and mix dried fruit in my cereal. My little lass likes dried fruit, too, including dates, raisins; mixed fruit generally, really.

My wife is quite adamant that she read something somewhere regarding dried fruit 'taking the calcium' from other foods that it's mixed with, or reducing calcium levels in the blood stream.

Can anyone confirm or refute this, as my wife can't remember where she read this? (I'm not looking for personal opinion, here, more hard fact).

(I've tried to tag this question to the best of my ability, but there's no dried-fruit tag).

Paul
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    This is a question about nutrition, which is off topic for this site @Paul. We can tell you all about how to cook with dried fruit if you have a question about preparation or use. – GdD Feb 08 '18 at 13:07
  • @gdd: Close away. – Paul Feb 08 '18 at 13:30
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    Consider Health.SE instead. – Erica Feb 08 '18 at 14:32
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    As I can only speculate I comment. Dried fruit could actually be a medium source of calcium. A very good one if in the fruits we include nuts and seeds. They are, and specifically the latter, recommended for women in menopause and to people with osteoporosis. This I am sure as for plenty of physicians and nutritionists say so. It is a comment just because I can't give you a ref. that discards dried fruits as interference to Calcium absorption. I got the feeling that your wife found a blog with the logic SO2 in fruits acid rains bones..... or something like that. I will be surprised that .. – Alchimista Feb 10 '18 at 18:40
  • ..... ALL dried fruits behave the same with respect to Ca absorption and/or Ca level in blood. – Alchimista Feb 10 '18 at 18:42

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The only thing of note I've ever taken from commercially available dried fruit is that sulphur dioxide is almost universally used as a preservative. Some people are sensitive to this. There are various limits on how much you are allowed to use, but no outright bans in preservation.

You can buy fruit that has no added sulphur dioxide. This tends to be in the organic section and therefore tends to be that much more expensive.

But remember that dried fruit is essentially concentrated sugar. There's a reason young children like it. So for the same reason you don't let them eat as much chocolate as they'd probably like, I'd encourage some moderation. Perhaps try some fresh fruit in your baking.

In relation to calcium, it's sulphur dioxide that makes "acid rain", which leaches away limestone and other calcium carbonate rock sources. I can't find anything reputable that makes a link here but there's a big pile of "health" blogs out there that seem to think "because acid rain" is an answer enough, who has time to do the science? I'm certainly not saying you should avoid sulphites (unless you medically need to) but they can be avoided.

Dried prunes are apparently well recognised for their benefits to bone health.

Oli
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  • My daughter is quite the savoury girl ;-). The acid raid idea is interesting, but the limestone is simply dissolved, basically turned into smaller particles, which reforms elsewhere or runs into the sea. I would suspect that organic dried fruit, not containing sulphur dioxide, would be outside of the argument, though. Thanks for your input. – Paul Feb 08 '18 at 11:17
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    Forget acid rains and SO2 etc in relation to your question. Even drinking acid rains won't be a reason for bones damage. A chemist with at least a reasonable knowledge and a feeling for internet non sense. – Alchimista Feb 09 '18 at 12:47
  • This could use reputable sources. Also, I do not understand what "sensitive to [sulphur dioxide]" means, nor its relation to calcium absorption? – Erica Feb 09 '18 at 13:08
  • @Alchimista For clarification, *I'm* not suggesting there is a relationship between dried fruit consumption and bone leaching. I'm suggesting that people might make that link based flimsy reasoning, eg "look, acid rain!". – Oli Feb 10 '18 at 18:14
  • @Erica [SO2 has a recognised impact for some asthmatics](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7426352). Similar mechanism to an allergic reaction. It has no relation to calcium absorption, which is why I only mention it in passing. – Oli Feb 10 '18 at 18:18
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    Yes Oli. I wanted to reassure OP. Nor I am a fan of SO2. Perhaps I am too scientific but either we speak of dried fruit or of dried fruits as commercially available , of Calcium sequestration or allergies. ... anyway is the pile of blog that I was concerned of, rather than you:) – Alchimista Feb 10 '18 at 18:31