Anahad O'Connor's Ask Well column in the New York Times provides an answer:
- A study published in The Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology looked at the effects that freezing and drying had on antioxidants in fresh blueberries. The berries were either frozen at roughly 4 degrees Fahrenheit for up to three months, or they were dried through one of two drying processes.
- Ultimately, when the researchers measured and compared their antioxidant activity, they found no significant differences between the fresh, dried and frozen berries.
- The real difference, said Kristin Kirkpatrick of the Cleveland Clinic’s Wellness Institute, is in sugar content.
- A cup of fresh or frozen blueberries has about 85 calories and 14 grams of sugar. One half cup of dried blueberries, on the other hand, has roughly 270 calories and 25 grams of sugar.
- “That’s a significant increase,” Ms. Kirkpatrick said. “It makes a difference because it affects blood sugar and it affects insulin.”
