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.
Pears are an excellent source of dietary fiber, and fiber is good for the heart. Studies have shown that fiber can lower levels of bad cholesterol by binding to bile saltsâwhich are made from cholesterolâand carrying them out of the body. Eating pears can also reduce risk of stroke by up to 50 percent.