Christmas festivities will not be complete without fruit cakes around. Not only served as dessert, it is commonly given as a gift too. In our fruit cakes, we usually have any if not all of these enticing ingredients: Currants, Raisins, Glace Cherries, Mixed Peel, Blanched Almonds, Lemon Rind, Ground Cinnamon, Prunes and Ground Mixed Spice.

One of the silent and yet most healthy ingredient in a fruit cake is prunes. Taken alone, it is a very good snack item. Its flavour is just so appealing that it is even paired with pork, lamb, and also as ingredient to ice cream. To those with bowel problems, prunes have been known as a gentle laxative and digestive aid. One reason for this is its fiber content – a serving of prunes gives at least 4 grams of fiber, as much as from two slices of wholemeal bread. Aside from its fiber content, prune components like sorbitol, dihydroxyphenyl isatin and chlorogenic acid have the ability to stimulate intestinal movement. Other than the fiber and its three components for digestive health, you can also get a dose of beta-carotene, potassium, boron, and a little iron. Weight for weight, prunes have more potassium than bananas. The mineral potassium has long been associated with positive impacts on blood pressure.  Its high potassium content helps protect from heart and kidney diseases from damage caused by too much salt intake.

Another popular ingredient in our fruit cake is raisins; it is popular for its unique phenol and boron content. The phenols found in raisins have constantly shown antioxidant property that helps prevent cell damage. Like prunes, is contains boron, a mineral that is important to our health and has been of interest in women in relationship to bone health. This mineral is needed to convert estrogen and vitamin D to their most active forms. Estrogen drops after menopause, and this drop has a relationship to the breakdown of bones.

To put excitement to the texture of fruit cake, almonds are added as an ingredient. Almonds deliver nutrients like Manganese, Vitamin E, Magnesium, Amino Acid (Tryptophan), Copper, Vitamin B2 and Phosphorus. The type of fats in almonds is monounsaturated fats, which was the same heart-beneficial fat found in olive oil that helps give protection to the heart by lowering levels of bad cholesterol. Aside from monounsaturated fats, the mineral magnesium gives our arteries and veins a sigh of relief when there is enough of it, as it helps improve flow of blood and deliver oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. The manganese content in almonds are of great importance, it does not only help in increasing the storage of vitamin B1 (Thiamine), but also plays a role in the formation of healthy cartilage and bones.

Fruit cake can truly be a source various nutrients, but as with any other food, its caloric content should be well accounted for in maintaining a healthy diet. A one-inch thick slice of fruit cake can yield as much as 250 calories (at the very least).

(Write the author at wellbeing@mb.com.ph.)