Have you ever tried dried cherries? Wow, are they good. Truth be told, I couldn't stop eating them.

I kept telling myself that it was just to taste them for research. I tried not to be fooled by the health halo: It's a fruit, so it's healthy. But I wasn't mentally prepared, and so I overindulged. I wanted to find out if dried fruit is really healthy — and here's what I discovered.

WHY DRIED FRUIT?

Before the invention of chemical additives to keep foods fresh, drying was one way to preserve food. Organisms that create food spoilage need water to survive. The drying process removes most of the moisture from the fruit, thus preserving it. The three most common methods of drying are solar, oven and an electric dehydrator.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE

Even though many supermarkets put dried fruit in the candy section, it can be an excellent source of fiber, nutrients, antioxidants and complex carbohydrates.

FRESH VS. DRIED FRUIT

In terms of weight control, there is no comparison. Fresh fruit is the better choice. You get much more for fewer calories. For instance, 1 cup of sweetened dried blueberries (296 blueberries) has 600 calories, whereas 1 cup of fresh blueberries has only 84 calories. The problem with dried fruit is that when the water is removed, it becomes less filling without losing any calories. Dried fruit just becomes sweeter, more concentrated and easier to over-consume. Plus, many producers of dried fruit add sugar.

WHAT ABOUT ANTIOXIDANTS?

In terms of the antioxidants in dried fruit, research published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition reported that dried figs and plums have the best nutrient score. Additionally, the researchers concluded, "Dried fruits have a greater nutrient density, greater fiber content, increased shelf life, and significantly greater phenol antioxidant content compared to fresh fruits. The quality of the antioxidants in the processed dried fruit is the same as in the corresponding fresh fruit." However, vitamin C that is present in many fresh fruits is destroyed by heat in the drying process.

Bottom line: Dried fruit is high in fiber and carbohydrates and low in fat. It has significant antioxidant value; however, because it's dried, its nutrients are very concentrated, and so are its calories. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the recommended serving size for dried fruit is half that of fresh.

DRIED FRUIT VS. JUICE

Juice is less filling than dried fruit, and it contains less fiber (whose health benefits include reducing the risk of some cancers, lowering cholesterol and keeping you "regular").

For instance, 1 cup of pineapple juice is 120 calories with little or no fiber, whereas 10 pieces of dried pineapple chunks are about 140 calories, and the dried pineapple rings are about 65 to 70 calories each, each with about 1 gram of fiber. Compare that with the fruit itself, which is about 70 calories per cup with about 2 grams of fiber.

Bottom line: Juice may have many of the antioxidants, but it isn't as filling and is missing the fiber. Dried fruit is the better bet when compared with juice.

DRIED FRUIT VS. POTATO CHIPS

A potato chip is a vegetable, right? The problem is that potato chips are fried and have about 150 calories per ounce compared with about 100 calories per ounce for, say, banana chips. If you choose baked chips, yes, the calories are lower (130 calories per ounce), but the dried fruit is still better. It's lower in calories, can be more filling (because of the fiber) and has many valuable health perks (such as antioxidants and fiber) lacking in potato chips.

DRIED FRUIT VS. FREEZE-DRIED

Freeze-drying food removes the water almost entirely, which lowers the weight, and while you don't get the same feelings of fullness you do from dried fruit (which is about 25 percent water vs. 6 percent for freeze-dried), it can be a satisfying snack that still has health perks. The antioxidants found in the fresh fruit are maintained after freeze-drying. Sensible Foods (www.sensiblefoods.com) has a freeze-drying process that removes the water while maintaining the product's cell structure and nutritional value and intensifying its natural flavor.

Freeze-dried food also tends to come in lower-weight packages than dried — which means fewer calories if you eat the whole package. Other benefits of freeze-dried fruit are that it has a long shelf life and can be stored and/or easily packed for on-the-go eating.

And freeze-dried fruit, unlike regular dried, is often made without any added sugar.

Charles Stuart Platkin is a nutrition and public-health advocate, and author of "Breaking the FAT Pattern" (Plume, 2006). Sign up for the free Diet Detective newsletter at www.dietdetective.com.