Full of fragrance and sweet, golden-orange apricots are another summer season delicacies of Asian origin. Dried apricots are obtained from sun drying the fruit, the nutrients are not harmed in the process and you yield even more benefits of dried apricots than the fresh ones. Dried apricots contain Calcium, Potassium, Phosphorus, Vitamin A, Iron, and Vitamin C. These dried fruits supply many nutrients that are required for a healthy body along with combating many diseases. Sun dried organic fruits have concentrated nutrient values than fresh ones, although they are lesser in vitamin-C content.
Nutrition Value:
Apricots are an excellent source of vitamin A (in the form of pro-vitamin A Carotenoids), and a good source of vitamin C, copper, dietary fiber, and potassium. Apricots contain phytochemicals called Carotenoids, compounds that give red, orange and yellow colors to fruits and vegetables. The powerful antioxidant Lycopene is one of the Carotenoids found in apricots.
Apricots Fun Facts:
• Apricots are akin to peaches. The apricot is just minus the fuzzy skin that a peach has. Both the apricot and the peach are members of the rose family.
• One apricot tree can produce fruit for as many as 25 years, its fruit picked by hand when firm.
• In ancient times, the Persian called apricots “seed of the sun.”
• The apricot tree was called by the Romans ‘Armeniaca’, the tree of Armenia, where it is believed to be originated.
• In Hunza, a small kingdom on the Himalayas, the long life and the robust health of the people to be due to apricots.
Health benefits:
1. Protect your eyesight: Dried apricots contain nutrients like Vitamin A which is a requirement for good vision.
2. Cures Constipation: Dried apricots contain pectin and cellulose that is a mild laxative and treats constipation. Cellulose acts as an insoluble fiber and pectin maintains water levels in the body during constipation.
3. Good for Digestion: Dried apricots are consumed before a meal to stimulate digestion. This contains the alkali that neutralizes acids.
4. Cleans digestive tract: Dried apricots help to treat the digestive tract by acting as a mild laxative to flush out the unwanted wastes. This is useful to react with the body’s digestive juices and produces more of an alkaline environment to clean the digestive tract.
5. Skin Benefit: Dried apricots juice can be used to treat itching due to sunburn, eczema and scabies. This also helps to clear acne and many other skin problems. Apricot scrub is often used to exfoliate the skin.
6. Good for pregnancy: Dried apricot has been used as herbal medicine since long in pregnancy and can cure infertility, hemorrhage and spasms. The paste of this dried fruit can cure vaginal infections. This must be consumed moderately by pregnant and lactating mothers. During pregnancy, dried apricot fruits serve as excellent snacks instead of eating sweets and other snacks.
8. Regulates heartbeat: Dried apricots provide a very good source of potassium. Potassium is a mineral and electrolyte which is useful to regulate proper fluid balance. This helps in proper muscle function and regulates the heartbeat.
10. Haemoglobin: Dried apricots can be used for production of haemoglobin that can treat anaemia. This is because dried apricots contain minerals like iron and copper which produces haemoglobin.
11. Relieves asthma: Dried apricots’ health benefits also include the ability to cure the symptoms of tuberculosis, asthma and bronchitis.
12. Good for Skin glow: Dried apricot oil is very useful for skin care. This can make your skin glowing and smooth. This is also a good remedy to cure sore ears.
13. Regulates High blood pressure: Dried apricots contain three times more potassium than bananas and contain only a trace of salt that helps to keep down blood pressure. Potassium has water-retaining properties than sodium, which lowers blood volume pressure. Potassium in dried apricots also protects against heart disease.
14. Good for Muscle building: Dried apricots contain potassium which is necessary for bodily functions like improving metabolism and roles of the tissues, organs and other cells. Thus, it is important for muscle-building and normal body growth. It helps to regulate the levels of acid in the body and useful for protein synthesis.
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