What Are the Health Benefits of Apricots?
June 10, 2016
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Apricots are rich in many plant antioxidants. Some of these are the vitamin antioxidants so familiar to regular users of this site. Others are more difficult to obtain from other foods, and may be responsible for specific health benefits. Overall, consider the apricot to be a great food that provides you with the protective effects of antioxidants while adding very few calories to your daily total.
Apricot has high mineral content, that makes it beneficial in cases of anemia, tuberculosis, asthma, bronchitis, and toxemia.Apricot is high in vitamin A, that is why it is very helpful in the removal of skin pimples and other skin disorderApricot contain lycopene, this substance can help prevent cancer and help to protect LDL cholesterol from oxidation, which may help prevent heart disease.It helps destroy intestinal worms.It may help remove gallstones.It is it helps in preventing cancer in organs lined by epithelial tissue, due to its high vitamin A content.
Protect Your Eyesight
Apricots are rich in the carotenoids and xanthophylls, nutrients that researchers believe may help protect eyesight from aging-related damage To give an example of how this works, one of these nutrients (lutein) appears to be able to protect the retina the part of the eye that picks up the visual image from the environment from damage caused by blue light.
Additionally, researchers have linked regular intake of fruit with less risk of vision loss with aging. This benefit is found in people who eat three or more servings of fruit each day.Three servings of fruit may sound like a lot to eat each day, but by simply snacking on an apricot, tossing a banana into your morning smoothie, and topping off a cup of yogurt or green salad with one-half cup of berries, you've reached this goal.
Protect Against Inflammation
Apricots are a strong dietary source of catechins, a broad family of flavonoid phytonutrients (you may be familiar with these phytonutrients since they are often cited for the benefits provided by green tea). A single apricot will provide you with 4-5 grams from catechins. These phytonutrients are potent anti-inflammatory nutrients and researchers have looked extensively at their health effects. Researchers have discovered that catechins can inhibit the activity of an enzyme called cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), one of the critical steps in the process of inflammation.
Much of this research on catechin benefits involves animal rather than human studies. But we have seen human research where diets rich in catechins not specifically from apricots but from other catechin-rich foods like tea or cocoa have led to significant beneficial changes. For instance, multiple studies have shown that catechin-rich foods can protect blood vessels from inflammation-related damage, leading to better blood pressure control.
How to Enjoy
A few quick serving ideas:
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Apricots are small, golden orange fruits, with velvety skin and flesh not too juicy but definitely smooth and sweet. Apricots are those beautifully orange colored fruits full of beta-carotene and fiber that are one of the first signs of summer. Their flavor is almost musky, with a faint tartness that is more pronounced when the fruit is dried. Some people think of the flavor as being somewhere between a peach and a plum, fruits to which they're closely related.
Health Benefits of Apricots
Apricots are rich in many plant antioxidants. Some of these are the vitamin antioxidants so familiar to regular users of this site. Others are more difficult to obtain from other foods, and may be responsible for specific health benefits. Overall, consider the apricot to be a great food that provides you with the protective effects of antioxidants while adding very few calories to your daily total.
Apricot has high mineral content, that makes it beneficial in cases of anemia, tuberculosis, asthma, bronchitis, and toxemia.Apricot is high in vitamin A, that is why it is very helpful in the removal of skin pimples and other skin disorderApricot contain lycopene, this substance can help prevent cancer and help to protect LDL cholesterol from oxidation, which may help prevent heart disease.It helps destroy intestinal worms.It may help remove gallstones.It is it helps in preventing cancer in organs lined by epithelial tissue, due to its high vitamin A content.
Protect Your Eyesight
Apricots are rich in the carotenoids and xanthophylls, nutrients that researchers believe may help protect eyesight from aging-related damage To give an example of how this works, one of these nutrients (lutein) appears to be able to protect the retina the part of the eye that picks up the visual image from the environment from damage caused by blue light.
Additionally, researchers have linked regular intake of fruit with less risk of vision loss with aging. This benefit is found in people who eat three or more servings of fruit each day.Three servings of fruit may sound like a lot to eat each day, but by simply snacking on an apricot, tossing a banana into your morning smoothie, and topping off a cup of yogurt or green salad with one-half cup of berries, you've reached this goal.
Protect Against Inflammation
Apricots are a strong dietary source of catechins, a broad family of flavonoid phytonutrients (you may be familiar with these phytonutrients since they are often cited for the benefits provided by green tea). A single apricot will provide you with 4-5 grams from catechins. These phytonutrients are potent anti-inflammatory nutrients and researchers have looked extensively at their health effects. Researchers have discovered that catechins can inhibit the activity of an enzyme called cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), one of the critical steps in the process of inflammation.
Much of this research on catechin benefits involves animal rather than human studies. But we have seen human research where diets rich in catechins not specifically from apricots but from other catechin-rich foods like tea or cocoa have led to significant beneficial changes. For instance, multiple studies have shown that catechin-rich foods can protect blood vessels from inflammation-related damage, leading to better blood pressure control.
How to Enjoy
A few quick serving ideas:
- Add sliced apricots to hot or cold cereal.
- The next time you make whole grain pancakes add some chopped apricots to the batter.
- Give a Middle Eastern flavor to chicken or vegetable stews with the addition of dried, diced apricots.
- Serve fresh apricots in your green salad when they are in season.
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