The benefits and harms of apricot for the human body

Apricot is the fruit of a woody garden plant belonging to the Rosaceae family. He comes from Northeast China, from where it later spread to Armenia and Central Asia, and then to our country. Its fruits are dryish and fleshy drupes, characterized by excellent taste and aroma. In addition to its well-known taste, this “sunny fruit” is very nutritious, and the topic of the benefits and harms of apricot deserves a separate discussion.

Apricots have been used in cooking for hundreds of years. Their use helps to quench appetite, saturate the body with useful trace elements and vitamins, add vigor, efficiency and strength, contribute to the treatment of an abundance of various diseases.

Therefore, apricot is not only tasty, but also a healthy fruit, but in some cases it can negatively affect human health. Let’s talk about the properties of apricot for human health in more detail.

The benefits of apricot

• Strengthens the cardiovascular system… Potassium, magnesium and iron – all these components of apricots allow them to increase the tone of blood vessels, improve the state of the body during the period of severe anemia and increase the level of hemoglobin in the blood. Apricots are especially useful for high blood pressure, arrhythmias, angina pectoris and myocardial infarction. It should be noted that dried apricots contain 6 times more potassium than fresh fruits. Apricot is also useful for flavonoids, which help get rid of varicose veins, making blood vessels stronger. The positive effect of apricot is also in the fiber, which the fruit is rich in. It allows you to reduce the absorption of cholesterol in the intestines, which gets there with food, and also removes its excess from the body. Regular consumption of the fruit also helps prevent atherosclerosis;
• Has a diuretic effect… Potassium also has a diuretic effect, which makes it possible to use apricot fruits not only for people with heart problems, but also for those with kidney and bladder diseases. In this regard, the effectiveness of apricots is observed in nephritis and urolithiasis;
• Activates the brain… Magnesium and phosphorus contained in the “sun fruit” normalize the functioning of the brain, improve memory and stimulate the conduction of nerve impulses;
• It has expectorant and antimicrobial properties… Apricots are recommended to be consumed during colds, with bronchitis, laryngitis and bronchial asthma, increasing expectoration and phlegm with dry cough, and when infected with an infection, the fruit can be used as a natural antibiotic and a means that increases overall immunity;
• Effective for general chronic intoxication… Regular intake of apricots helps to reduce the harm from toxic substances and exhaust gases for people whose work is related to the chemical industry, or for those who live in industrial cities;
• It is characterized by a laxative and emollient effect… Both dried and fresh, apricot helps prevent digestive disorders in children and those suffering from serious illnesses. The laxative properties of apricots are also helpful in treating frequent constipation. Decoctions from the fruit are recommended for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, accompanied by inflammatory processes – they soften inflammation of the mucous membranes and remove toxins from the body with the help of pectin. Apricot juice maintains the optimal acidity of gastric juice, stimulating the glandular apparatus of the stomach for a long period and improving the functioning of the gallbladder and liver, making it an effective remedy against colitis;
• Improves skin condition, visual acuity and prevents cancer… Vitamin A, also known as beta-carotene, has a rejuvenating effect on the skin and neutralizes pathological changes in the visual organs, supplying the eyes with nutrients and exerting a universal effect on them to maintain good vision. But vitamin A is also a well-known antioxidant that prevents cancer of the stomach, esophagus, lungs and throat – a proven fact;
• Indicated for metabolic disorders and gastric diseases… Strengthens the processes of metabolism, absorption and digestion of food in the intestines. These properties are also provided by the previously mentioned fiber. For the desired effect, you need to eat 100 grams of fruit daily;
• Apricot juice is rich in calcium and iron, which are so badly needed by the body of pregnant women, because these trace elements accelerate the growth of the fetus… The same components of the fruit have a positive effect on dysbiosis;
• Strengthens the nervous system… Apricot is an excellent product for relieving stress, irritability and improving mood;
• Widely used in cosmetics… Apricot oil is a part of many anti-aging creams and shampoos, as its components protect the skin from aging processes and strengthen hair;
• Contains calcium, which provides favorable neuromuscular excitability;
• It is used as an antipyretic and thirst-relieving agent;
• Provides full physical and mental development of children and strengthens their immune system.

Apricot harm

As you have already seen, tasty can also be useful, but in some cases, apricot can harm the human body. The harmful properties of the fruit are mainly associated with its seeds.

• Contains a large amount of sugar (in some varieties about 80%)… For this reason, those who have diabetes mellitus should refrain from eating fruit;
• Poisonous apricot kernels… The nuclei of the fetus contain amygdalin, which, when it enters the intestine, breaks down and releases hydrocyanic acid – a substance very harmful to the body. To avoid poisoning, it is recommended to eat no more than 20 grams of seeds per day;
• Has no benefit for hypothyroidism and hepatitis… These diseases are associated with insufficient production of thyroid hormones, which is why the body is not able to assimilate provitamin A. In addition, in the process of eating apricot in people with these ailments, there is an excessive load on the body due to the absorption of carotene.

Having familiarized yourself with the benefits and harms of apricot, you can understand why this fruit is one of the most popular. Possessing excellent taste, it is able to improve and maintain the proper operation and normal condition of many systems and organs. In general, there are very few such sweet and at the same time delicious natural products, which adds value to this product. Apricot is recommended to all those who have no contraindications to its use.

Nutritional value and chemical composition of Apricot

Video about the benefits and harms of apricot