Apricot Fruit 12 Health Benefits And Facts You Should Know
Apricots are small drupes that resemble peaches or plums. They have a soft, tangy flesh beneath a thin outer skin. In the middle of the apricot is a large pit, which is inedible, so being careful when taking that first big bite! They are typically yellow or orange, with a slight tinge of red on one side. They can be enjoyed in a wide variety of ways, and every culture treats apricots differently. One of the reasons they have been so popular throughout history is that they can be directly linked to a number of health benefits, due to their unique organic compounds, nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, which are listed below.
Benefits Of Apricots
The health benefits of apricot include its ability to treat indigestion, constipation, earaches, fevers, skin diseases, cancer and anemia. Apricot oil is useful for treating strained muscles and wounds. It is also believed that apricot is good for skin care, especially for women. This is why you find it added in various cosmetics. Furthermore, apricots have the ability to improve heart health, reduce cholesterol levels, prevent the deterioration of vision, and help you to lose weight, treat respiratory conditions, boost bone strength, and maintain electrolyte balance in the body.
Apricots can be consumed directly, or dried and then eaten as a variety of dried fruit. It is also used in the preparation of various juices, jams, squash and jellies. Apricot oil can also be obtained from its kernel, and those powerful essential oils also have a lot of important impacts on health.
Apricots, scientifically known as Prunus Armeniaca, are closely related to plums. It is difficult to understand the exact order of cultivation around the world, since it was both found wild and grown in prehistoric times. The scientific name is derived from Armenia, which is where most scientists believe apricots originated. However, they were also present in ancient Greece and Rome. The disputed origins are not important, but the impact of apricots on human health certainly is.
Apricots Nutrition
The impressive health benefits of apricots are due to the content of vitamins, including vitamins A, C, K, E, and niacin in significant amounts, as well as a number of other essential vitamins in trace amounts (less than 5% of daily requirement), as well as their mineral content, which includes potassium, copper, manganese, magnesium, and phosphorous. Apricots are also a very good source of dietary fiber, like most fruits.
Since apricots are tiny, each one only has 17 calories. A serving of fresh apricot is one cup, and even that only has 74 calories. One cup of apricot halves contains:
One Cup Of Apricot Halves Contains: | |
1 Apricot | 17 Calories |
1 Cup Halves | 74 Calories |
Fiber | 3g |
Protein | 2g |
Vitamin A | 60% |
Vitamin C | 26% |
Calcium | 2% |
Iron | 3% |
Vitamin E | 7% |
Vitamin K | 6% |
Potassium | 11% |
Health Benefits of Apricots
The health benefits of apricots include the following:
1. Treats Constipation
Apricots are rich in fiber and are therefore good for smooth bowel movements. It is often recommended to patients who regularly suffer from constipation due to its laxative properties. Fiber is a way to bulk up the stool. In this way, it becomes easier to transport through the bowels to its eventual excretion from the body. Fiber stimulates the gastric and digestive juices that help absorb the nutrients and break down the food for easier processing. Furthermore, fiber also activates the peristaltic motion of the digestive tract, and those smooth muscles movements are what keep your bowel movements regulated.
2. Improves Bone Health
Apricots have either significant or moderate amounts of all the minerals necessary for healthy bone growth. Calcium, phosphorous, manganese, iron, and copper all play a certain role in the creation of bone matter. Therefore, eating apricots can ensure the healthy growth and development of your bones, as well as preventing various age-related conditions, including osteoporosis.
3. Improves Heart Health
Apricots are a wonderful way to protect your heart from a wide variety of diseases, including atherosclerosis, heart attacks, and strokes. The high amount of vitamin-C, as well as potassium and dietary fiber, all contribute to good cardiovascular health. Vitamin-C protects the heart from free radicals; potassium lowers blood pressure by relaxing the tension of blood vessels and arteries, while dietary fiber scrapes the excess cholesterol from the lining of the vessels and arteries, thereby clearing them and reducing the strain on the heart. All together, these properties of apricots make it ideal for boosting heart health.
4. Controls Fluid Levels and Metabolism
Fluid levels throughout the body are dependent mainly on two minerals, potassium and sodium. The high amounts of potassium in apricots has been linked to maintaining fluid balance in the body, and ensuring that energy is properly distributed to the right organs and muscles. By maintaining a healthy balance of electrolytes, you can have more energy, reduce cramping, and keep blood and usable energy pumping through your body as you need it.
5. Good For Earaches
Apricot oil is good for earaches, although the exact mechanism is still being studied. Dripping a few drops into the affected ear canal should prove to be a fast remedy. Scientists assume it has something to do with the antioxidant materials that apricot essential oil contains.
6. Treats Fevers
Apricot juice is often given to patients suffering from fever because it provides necessary vitamins, minerals, calories and water to the body, while also detoxifying various systems and organs. Some people also use steamed apricot to relieve fevers. In this way, apricot is a soothing, anti-inflammatory substance that can also impact the body’s overall temperature level when you aren’t sick. Furthermore, it can reduce inflammation in other parts of the body, like for people who suffer from arthritis or gout.
7. Maintaining Healthy Skin
Apricot oil is good for skin care. It is quickly absorbed by the skin and does not keep the skin oily after it is applied. Apricots are not just useful for maintaining the smooth and shiny appearance of the skin; it also aids in treating a number of skin diseases including eczema, itching, scabies, and a number of other irritating conditions. This is specifically due to the antioxidant compounds found within apricots. Not only does it have a healthy amount of vitamin A (60% of your daily requirement per serving), which has long been associated with healthier skin, but the antioxidants in apricots protect the skin from the effects of free radicals, which can lead to skin deterioration and signs of premature aging.
8. Fights Anemia
Owing to the presence of iron and copper, apricots help in the formation of hemoglobin when you consume them. This property helps in treating anemia. Anemia is basically iron deficiency, and it can lead to weakness, fatigue, light headedness, digestive issues, and general metabolic function. Without red blood cells, the body can’t re-oxygenate itself properly, and organ systems begin to malfunction. Iron is a key part of red blood cell formation, as is copper. Both of these minerals are present in apricots, making it a great tool to boost metabolism and keep the body functioning properly.
9. Cancer Prevention
The seeds of apricot are believed to aid in the treatment of cancer. Between the carotenoids and the other antioxidant compounds that apricots have, it is no surprise that they are a threat to free radicals. Free radicals are the dangerous byproducts of cellular metabolism that can cause healthy cells to mutate their DNA into cancerous cells. Antioxidants neutralize these harmful compounds and ensure that the body doesn’t contract conditions like cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and aging skin. Apricots have been directly linked to reducing the risk of cancer.
10. Helps Asthma
It is also believed that apricot oil is anti-asthmatic in nature and helps in treating the disease and its related symptoms. It has certain expectorant and stimulant qualities due to its essential oils. One of these can help to relieve pressure and stress on the lungs and respiratory system, thereby preventing asthma attacks before they begin.
11. Better Digestion
Apricots are small-but-mighty sources of soluble and insoluble fiber. Fiber fights constipation and helps improve your gut flora by feeding the good bacteria we need to properly digest our food. A single apricot provides one gram of fiber, and you get three grams from a one-cup serving. Three grams may not sound like much, but that’s 12 percent of your daily fiber needs. Not too shabby!
12. Improves Eyesight
You probably already know that vitamin A is associated with improved vision, but there are other essential vitamins and minerals that support good eyesight. Vitamins C and E also support better vision, and apricots are good sources of both of these. Apricots provide 6 percent of your copper and 2 percent of your zinc.
How To Buy Apricots?
- Look for apricots that have a golden color and are firm to the touch.
- Avoid apricots that are pale yellow or greenish-yellow, rock hard, very soft or shriveled.
- Apricot season is late spring and summer usually runs from May through August, and there’s nothing quite like a ripe, fresh apricot.
How To Store Apricots?
- Ripen apricots in a paper bag at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
- Unripe apricots can be stored at room temperature up to 5 days.
- Refrigerate ripe apricots in a sealed container up to one week. (Be sure that they are ripened first, as they will not ripen in the refrigerator.)
- Recycled egg carton and fruit boxes are also great for storing apricots.
- Try placing them in basements or places where it is dark and cool, which also contributes to a longer storage time.
Cautions About Apricots
There are no inherent dangers of eating apricots, except for normal allergies that some people might have. However, there is some concern about the healthy nature of dried fruit, which apricot is frequently made into. Sulphites have been found in most dried foods, and that is not a good thing. Sulphites can seriously impact asthma and induce asthmatic attacks. Therefore, as an asthma medicine, use fresh apricots, rather than dried versions.
Other than that friendly caution, enjoy the tangy, sweet taste of apricots and see all the good it can do.
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