Benefits of Apricot

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Relatives to peaches, apricots are small, golden orange fruits, with velvety skin and flesh, not too juicy but definitely smooth and sweet. Some describe their flavor as almost musky, with a faint tartness that lies somewhere between a peach and a plum.

Apricot

Apricot is a moderate, light, or strong orange to strong orange yellow colored edible fruit of the Prunus armeniaca – a deciduous Asian tree, which have alternate leaves and clusters of usually white flowers. The fleshy fruit encloses a hard nut surrounding a droplet-shaped, reddish-brown seed or pit. Its’ size ranges from small (about 25-30 g per fruit) to large (100-130 g).
The fruit can be consumed fresh, dried, frozen, or processed as canned product, as juice, or as baby food (pureed). It is similar to the peach in shape but with little to no hairiness when ripe. Apricots are cultivated generally throughout the temperate regions of the world and used fresh, cooked in pastries, or preserved by canning or drying.

Apricot nutrition
A powerful antioxidant, apricots combat the damage caused to cells by free radicals. These free radicals can also injure the lenses of the eyes and regular consumption of apricots will prevent this from happening.

Free radicals can also cause cataracts or these can damage the supply of blood to the eyes and can cause macular degeneration. Regular consumption of apricots, which are rich in vitamin A can prevent this.

Not only does an apricot contain a healthy amount of fiber, which is key for good colon health (helps to clean out the “gunk” that builds up over time), it’s also on the starting lineup for fighting heart disease. Apricots contain a couple other powerful substances which you may know as Vitamin C, and also Lycopene. When you combine the above two, the resulting compound is an excellent way to protect yourself from heart disease, stroke, and even many forms of cancer.

Rich in beta-carotene, apricots have antioxidant qualities that reduce the risk of cardiac problems, strokes and even cancer to some extent.

Since dried apricots have lots of potassium, eating some of these fruits can prevent hypertension.

The soluble fiber in apricots controls the sugar levels and prevents constipation. Dried apricots

are good for treating constipations.

Health benefits of apricot include building up of energy and iron resources in the body.

Apricot calories

114 gm of apricot contains:

Calories: 60

Calcium: 15 mg

Total fat: 1 g

Carbohydrate: 11 g

Sodium: 2 mg

Protein: 2 g

Sugars: 14.3 g

The main powerhouse nutrients and vitamins in apricots are vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, iron, phosphorus, calcium, and perhaps best of all (and a great asset to colon health), fiber. It is also an excellent source of minerals like calcium, phosphorus, iron and traces of sodium, sulphur, manganese, cobalt and bromine Not to mention they’re one of the healthier fruits you can eat calorie and fat wise.

Health tips for Apricot

Just remember the next time you are in the shop, don’t pass these babies up. Pick up a few for good health. Avoid the green ones (which will never ripen), and make sure you refrigerate them when you get home to keep them fresh. They’re a great after school snack that will help keep everyone healthy!

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