Apricots: calories, properties and health benefits

Hello my dear readers,

Last week we have discovered the apricots, their origins, cultivation and we’ve seen also how to use them in the kitchen.

Discovering our food: apricots

Now let’s find out their calories, properties and health benefits.

Apricots are among the most loved fruits of the summer and in this season they are useful for protecting our skin that is exposed to the sun longer than at other times of the year. The consumption of apricots is recommended above all for their fiber and beta-carotene content.

The pulp of apricots is soft and their skin is velvety and thin. Is recommended that you have organic or untreated fruits at your disposal to be able to taste the apricots directly with the peel. You can taste apricots as they are or add them to your fruit salads, use them as ingredients for smoothies, homemade juices and ice cream or to prepare jams.

Let’s find out what are the main properties and health benefits of these very precious fruits.

Apricots, properties and benefits

Apricots are a fruit rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber. They are precious for the skin and eyes, since they are a source of vitamin A and vitamin C.

In addition, apricots are a valuable source of antioxidants that are necessary for our body to protect organs and tissues from the action of free radicals. Diets rich in antioxidants, including polyphenols and flavonoids, help us to fight aging and keep the circulatory system healthy.

The carotenoids contained in apricots are important for protecting eyesight, in particular from damage caused by advancing age. In particular, carotenoids help us protect the retina, one of the most delicate parts of the eye. 

Apricots also contain catechins, flavonoids that help our body fight inflammation. 

Nor should we underestimate the presence of soluble fiber in apricots that help keep blood sugar levels under control.

The vitamin and nutritional profile of apricot is the harbinger of numerous benefits for our body. In this case, the good supply of potassium helps to regulate blood pressure and the correct functioning of the cardiovascular system.

Vitamins, and in particular Vitamin C, contribute to maintaining the skin with a healthy and vigorous appearance, while Beta-Carotene promotes both vision and correct pigmentation of the dermis: they are therefore great allies for summer tanning.

In addition to representing an excellent food for those who practice physical activity, apricots help in case of energy drops, promote proper functioning of the digestive system and are excellent for preventing cell oxidation processes. Indeed, lutein and zeaxanthin (substances contained in the apricot pulp) are indicated in the prevention of cancer.

Instead, regarding apricot seeds, the debate is open between those who consider them a powerful anti-tumor and those who warn against their consumption due to the cyanide content.

Apricots, nutritional values

Apricots are considered beneficial especially for its high potassium content. In fact 100 grams of fresh apricots contain 320 mg of potassium.

It is also useful to know that apricots, like any other plant-based food, do not contain cholesterol. 

This fruit is a source of water and mineral salts. With over 86% of water in the edible part, apricots are also a great source of water in the diet.

The energy that apricots provide us derives above all from the natural sugars they contain.

Apricots are also a valuable source of vitamins with particular reference to vitamin A (360 micrograms) and vitamin C (13 milligrams) always with reference to 100 grams of the edible part of fresh apricots.

Apricots, calories

Apricots are a very light and low-calorie fruit given that 100 grams of edible part of these fresh fruits bring only 28 calories to our body.

However, the glycemic index of apricots is higher than, for example, cherries, and ranges between 46 and 57 points, remaining in an average range, which makes their consumption advisable in moderation in at-risk individuals.

Apricots, side effects and contraindications

Despite the apricot alone does not present any particular contraindications, its consumption can and must be kept under close observation in some subjects with potential risk.

In particular, people with kidney stones should consume apricots with extreme moderation, since the fruits contain a lot of vitamin C (ascorbic acid, in fact, is responsible for the synthesis of the stones).

In other cases, moreover, the consumption of apricots can be linked to the so-called cross allergies, or to symptoms that, through the interaction with other allergens (such as pollens for example), can generate important allergic reactions.

Finally, apricot is a fruit with an important laxative potential: it is therefore important to consume it without exaggerating!

Legends

A legend tells that originally it was only an ornamental plant with beautiful white flowers; when Armenia was invaded by enemies, was ordered to cut down all the trees that did not produce fruit to obtain timber and this would also have been the fate of the apricot tree if a girl had not cried under her foliage all night; in the morning golden fruits have grown on the tree: apricots. 

In other legends it is also referred to as the forbidden fruit tasted by Adam and Eve instead of the apple. 

Another news comes from Arab medical treatments: here it seems that it was used to treat earache. 

In the English folk tradition, dreaming apricot brings luck, while elsewhere it symbolizes shyness in love; according to another version, if you dream of it dry it announces losses and damages.

Thank you all for reading.

Did you enjoy reading this post? Then you may also like…

Cherries properties and benefits

Mint properties and benefits

Raspberries nutritional values and health benefits

And if you would like to discover more about our food, you may enjoy my previous posts.

Bye bye for now.

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