Sulfur-containing compounds are often added to dried foods like apricots as preservatives to help prevent oxidation and bleaching of colors. The sulfites used to help preserve dried apricots cause adverse reactions in an estimated one out of every 100 people, who turn out to be sulfite sensitive.
At the end of 18 months, however, the pear-shaped people had gained back half of the weight they had lost on either diet. Apple-shaped people gained back almost 1.4 of the 2.3 kg they lost on the low-fat diet but kept off all the weight they lost on the low-glycemic diet.
Fresh pears are so low in calories and high in fiber, you could eat one before every meal and still lose weight. But even better, pears are loaded with catechins and flavonols -- two antioxidants that appeared to hinder the storage of belly fat in a 14-year study.