The benefits and harms of apricot
Apricot is the name not only of the tree itself, belonging to the genus of plum, but also of the fruits that it gives. It was not possible to establish where the apricot comes from with 100% accuracy. Both Tien Shan and Armenia claim to be called his homeland at the same time. At this point in time, the tree grows successfully in countries where climatic conditions are suitable for it. Apricot prefers a temperate warm climate.
The life span of a tree is long and can reach 100 years. It takes its roots deep, although it itself does not reach large sizes. The apricot is not afraid of frost, it is able to withstand temperatures down to -30 ° C.
Edible is the apricot of the same name, which has a yellow or orange flesh located around the stone. The barrel of an apricot can be pink. Apricots can be eaten both fresh and after drying. A person uses the bone of the fetus for food, which must first be prepared. Milk and butter are also extracted from it.
Content:
- Composition and calorie content of apricot
- The benefits of apricot fruit
- The benefits of apricot bark
- The benefits of apricot juice
- Health recipes
- Apricot pits
- Apricot masks
- Apricot oil in cosmetology
- Contraindications and harm of apricot
- How to choose and store an apricot?
- Apricot salad recipes
- How to dry an apricot?
- How to grow an apricot from a stone?
Composition and calorie content of apricot
The orange color of apricot is due to its beta-carotene content. It is believed that the champion in the content of this useful provitamin is carrots, but there is also a lot of it in the fruits of apricot trees.
- Fats: 0.1 g
- Proteins: 0.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 11.12 g
- Water: 86.2 g
- Ash: 0.7 g
- Cellulose: 2.0 g
Vitamins (per 100 g): |
amount |
% RDA |
| Beta carotene | 1094-1600 mcg | 32% |
| Vitamin A (retinol) | 96 μg | 12% |
| Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) | 10 mg | eleven% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 1.1 mg | 7% |
Minerals (in 100 g): |
amount |
% RDA |
| Boron | 125 mcg | 179% |
| Vanadium | 25 mcg | 63% |
| * Strontium | 350-560 mcg | 52% |
| Magnesium | 57-104 mg | 20% |
| Cobalt | 2 μg | 20% |
| Silicon | 5 mg | 17% |
| Copper | 140 mcg | fourteen% |
| Potassium | 305 mg | 12% |
| Manganese | 220 mcg | eleven% |
| Molybdenum | 8 μg | eleven% |
Complete chemical composition ➤
* It should be borne in mind that apricot fruits are capable of concentrating the toxic trace element strontium - they contain 52.5% of its maximum daily value in 100 g.
Other important connections:
- Phytosterols - 18 mg (6% of the RDI)
- Purines - 8 mg (6.7% of the RDI)
- Oxalic acid - 10 mg (2.5% of the RDI)
The calorie content of apricots is low, only 44 kcal per 100 g. However, the fruits should be used with caution by people with diabetes, as they contain quite a lot of sugars (5.87% sucrose and 2.37% glucose).
But the Armenian varieties of apricot, due to the high content of iodine, can be used as a preventive measure for diseases of the thyroid gland.
The benefits of apricot fruit
The benefits of apricot are quite diverse, among the useful properties are:
- Stimulation of the gastrointestinal tract;
- Stimulation of the function of hematopoiesis, which is necessary for people suffering from anemia;
- Increasing the body's endurance and stress resistance;
- Mucolytic effect, which is especially noticeable in diseases of the respiratory system, accompanied by dry cough;
- Relief for constipation;
- Help with diseases of the cardiovascular system;
- Normalization of body temperature;
- Normalization of the functioning of the liver, stomach, gallbladder, kidneys;
- Quenching thirst;
- Normalization of the acidic environment of the stomach;
- Help the body cleanse itself of toxins;
- Providing an antioxidant effect (for this purpose, it is enough to eat no more than 7 fresh or 10 dried fruits);
- Improving memory and brain function in general.
The beneficial properties of apricot have been known for a long time. Ancient Chinese and Arab healers, including the famous healer Ibn Sina, argued that the fruits are especially beneficial for women. They help to get rid of extra pounds, strengthen hair and nails, add beauty and radiance to the skin. In addition, ancient healers prepared decoctions and lapping from apricots, which were used to get rid of fetid sweat, stomach pains, and also to treat respiratory diseases.
The fruits have a pleasant taste and aroma, contribute to the fast-coming satiety. But this does not mean that only sweet apricots have such an impressive list of useful properties. Even wild fruits with sourness and bitterness possess them.
A decoction based on apricot leaves (both cultivated and wild trees) can help the body to eliminate toxins and poisons. It is consumed on an empty stomach, before the first meal in a volume of 200 ml. Such a drink will be useful for people working in hazardous industries: in printing houses, in textile factories, wherever one has to deal with toxic chemical components.
The benefits of apricot bark
The benefits of apricot bark are not as diverse as the positive effects of ingestion of the fruits of this tree, but their significance is no less important. Scientists have determined that it contains substances that have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart and central nervous system. Their action can be compared to the effect of taking Piracetam. This fact determines the recommendations regarding the intake of a decoction of the cortex after the postponed strokes, as well as with other circulatory disorders in the brain of a chronic course.
In addition, a decoction of the bark is useful for women who have gone through the difficult process of childbirth, as it allows them to quickly restore the lost strength.
The resin that can be found on the bark of apricots has the properties of gum arabic (acacia resin, known as a food additive E 414). It knits and envelops well, and also has a healing effect.
The benefits of apricot juice
The body processes and absorbs the juice faster than the pulp of the fruit, therefore, since ancient times, it has been used to nurture seriously ill patients. It is useful in childhood and should be consumed by pregnant women as a source of calcium and iron.
Enough 0.15 liters of juice to fill the body's daily need for beta-carotene. If you drink 0.1 liters of apricot juice eight times a day, you can get rid of excess fluid in the body, thereby reducing swelling. A decoction of dried fruit will have a similar effect.
Health recipes
- You can drink freshly squeezed juice in case of dysbacteriosis with flatulence, with inflammation of the mucous membrane of the large intestine.
- A decoction of apricots can reduce inflammation of the stomach, improve the condition in various diseases of the digestive system.
- Infusion of apricots helps to reduce swelling. To do this, you need to take 100 g of dried fruits and pour them with a liter of boiling water. The container is covered with a thick blanket and left for 12 hours. Then strain the infusion and drink between meals 1/3 cup 7 times a day.
- The flour of the kernels, which are in the bones, helps with respiratory diseases - with laryngitis, tracheitis and bronchitis, accompanied by a cough. First, the flour must be diluted with water or milk. You need to take such a remedy three times a day.
- If you mix a decoction of apricots with a decoction of dioscorea, then such a remedy can be used to treat atherosclerosis. Combinations of decoctions "apricot and periwinkle" and "apricot astragalus" are also useful.
- Dried apricots help to get rid of edema, improve blood circulation. To have a positive effect, it is enough to eat 100 g of dried fruits per day. Already after 14 days, positive results will be felt. To consolidate them, the course must be extended to 12 weeks.
- With edema of the lower extremities, fasting days on apricots help well. To do this, you need to allocate one day a week, during which you will need to drink 0.5 liters of juice and eat 300 g of pre-soaked dried apricots. This volume must be divided into four parts, nothing else is consumed on this day. The duration of the course is 3 weeks.
- You can reduce the discomfort from burns after prolonged exposure to the sun by applying apricot gruel to the affected areas. For its preparation, you should choose only ripe fruits.
- Juice based on fresh fruits helps to regulate stomach acidity. Suitable for people with low gastric acidity.
- A glass of fresh juice in a volume of 0.2 liters once a day will saturate the body with vitamins. It is useful to drink it with diagnosed vitamin deficiency.
- To get rid of a cough, you need to take 20 apricot kernels and pour 250 ml of boiling water over them. Withstand the infusion in a thermos for 90 minutes, then strain and use a tablespoon three times a day.
- It is possible to use juice to eliminate the symptoms of dysbiosis, since it has antimicrobial properties.
- To improve intestinal motility, to quickly rid the body of toxins will allow the joint intake of prunes with dried apricots.
- Elimination of disturbances in the process of digestion of food, getting rid of superficial gastritis is possible with the help of dried apricots. To do this, you need to take it in an amount of 8 pieces, wash it and place it in a glass with clean warm water. After 12 hours, dried apricots should be eaten, and water should be drunk (0.1 l). Do not pour out the rest of the water, but drink it in the morning the next day. This should be done for 2 weeks.
- Apricot kernel powder allows you to get rid of constipation. More than 10 g of powder cannot be consumed per day, since it can cause poisoning of the body due to the poison that is part of it.
- Dried apricot leaves should be kept in the home as they help relieve diarrhea. To do this, 10 g of dried raw materials are ground into powder, diluted with water and consumed once.
- Also, apricot leaves allow you to rid the body of worms, but for this you need to take a decoction based on them.
- Even apricot flowers can be useful if a person has a tendency to internal bleeding. To do this, a decoction is prepared from the flowers and drunk in unlimited quantities, replacing all other drinks with the decoction.
- If you make a compress from a fresh apricot leaf on the bruised area, then the hematoma will go faster. Beforehand, the sheet must be crumpled.
- Leaves can be chewed fresh. This will not only get rid of plaque, but also make it possible to reduce the symptoms of stomatitis.
- An apricot flower infusion can help stop nosebleeds. To do this, a cotton cord is moistened in the infusion and inserted into the nasal passage. If there is a wound on the skin that does not stop bleeding, then a bandage soaked in the same infusion should be applied to it.
- To help the work of the heart and blood vessels in atherosclerosis, dried apricots gruel can help. To do this, take 100 dried apricots and pass through a meat grinder, or grind in a blender. You need to eat the resulting mass three times a day for a month. The volume for a single dose is a tablespoon. At the end of the course of maintenance therapy, you need to take a break for 14 days, and then you can repeat it again. The number of repetitions of such a course of treatment is not limited.
- Fresh apricots can help relieve symptoms of an uncomfortable condition such as flatulence.
- For 2 months, you should drink 50 ml of fresh juice daily. This should be done three times a day in order to improve the functioning of the organs of vision.
Apricot pits
Apricot seeds should be eaten in limited quantities, as they contain a dangerous substance called amygdalin (vitamin B17). When it enters the digestive tract, this poison is converted into senic acid, which can provoke severe poisoning. However, if you consume amygdalin in small doses, then it will have an extremely positive effect on the body.
Scientists have become seriously interested in amygdalin in recent years, as there is evidence that it is able to fight cancer cells. Vitamin B17 works in the same way as chemotherapy, but it does not harm the body. The principle of treatment is based on the fact that healthy cells of the body are able to break down this substance and transform it into senic acid, while cancer cells do not have the enzymes necessary for cleavage, therefore the poison from apricot pits destroys them.
The same component can be found not only in apricot pits, but also in plum pits, as well as cherry and peach pits. Moreover, knowledge regarding anti-cancer properties was learned over 30 years ago. It is believed that if you use small amounts of amygdalin daily, then oncology will never develop.
In the Himalayas, in the Hunza tribe, the inhabitants daily eat precisely apricot pits and the apricots themselves. This is their main food, so they cook apricots in different ways: dried, dried, and eaten fresh. Moreover, members of this tribe never suffer from cancer. Scientists believe that they do not develop cancer precisely because of the apricot pits. In addition, members of the tribe live for a long time, their average life expectancy is equal to 120 years. For them, it is not nonsense, but quite normal when a woman at the age of 60 becomes a mother.
Therefore, researchers and scientists recommend eating 10 apricot kernels throughout the day, but not at one time, but dividing them into equal portions. This is an excellent prevention of cancer, pellagra and scurvy. You should not immediately start with the maximum dose, at the initial stages of treatment, while the body gets used to amygdalin, it is enough to eat 2 bones a day, gradually increasing their number to 10.
In addition, bones can be not only healthy, but also incredibly tasty if prepared according to a recipe that came from Central Asia. The bones must be chipped and boiled in water with a large addition of salt. Then they are dried in the oven, after which they open slightly, and the kernels will be very easy to get out. These kernels taste very much like pistachios.
Apricot masks
Cosmetology actively uses not only the juice of the fruit, but also the pulp itself, as well as the oil that is extracted from the seeds. Apricot can be used for face and body care both independently and by purchasing ready-made products based on it.
You need to take a ripe fruit, peel it, crush the pulp and apply it to a previously cleansed face. After a quarter of an hour, the mask is removed, and the face is not treated with anything else. With the help of such a tool, you can saturate the skin with useful substances, moisturize it. You need to repeat the procedure every other day.
For oily skin, the following options are suitable:
- Once every three days, apply apricot pulp to your face with the addition of kefir. The exposure time is 20 minutes, the rest time from the mask is 3 days.
- Add a tablespoon of lemon juice to the pulp of two fruits, apply the mixture to the skin and cover with a cloth on top. The exposure time is 15 minutes.
- Moisten a handkerchief with apricot juice and apply it on your face. The holding time is not limited, you need to wait until the scarf is half dry. Most often, 30 minutes is enough for this. After the procedure, the face is rinsed with warm water.
For dry skin prone to aging, the following options are suitable:
- Take one part of high fat cottage cheese and one part of apricot pulp, mix everything and apply it on your face. The exposure time is 15 minutes, after which the face is cleansed and rinsed with warm water.
- Apricot juice should be mixed with honey in the proportion - 3 tablespoons of juice to a teaspoon of honey. To this mixture add semolina with milk (a tablespoon), salt (1/2 teaspoon), raw egg yolk. The exposure time is a quarter of an hour.
Treatment options for flaky skin:
- Take a teaspoon of apricot oil and mix it with the yolk. Using massage movements, apply the mixture to the face, then rinse with cool water.
- Take a tablespoon of vegetable oil and mix it with the pulp of two apricots. Apply to skin and cover with a cloth. The exposure time is 15 minutes.
Homemade shampoo
Take and mix six strawberries, raw milled rice (100 g), soaked in boiling water, 200 g of mashed apricot pulp. Apply the resulting mixture to the hair, rubbing it into the roots and the rods themselves for a long time. Rice will remove excess sebum, and the remaining components of the shampoo nourish the hair and scalp, moisturize it. After the procedure, the hair is thoroughly washed with a stream of running water. You can complete this beneficial shampoo by rinsing your hair with a mild solution of apple cider vinegar.
Apricot scrub
The seeds in the form of flour are mixed with the puree-like pulp of the fruit, a teaspoon of ground coffee and a tablespoon of honey. After using this product, the skin becomes hydrated, velvety and soft. Another positive point from using a scrub is a pleasant body odor after the procedure.
To prepare masks, it is not necessary to wait until fresh apricots ripen. Canned fruits are also suitable for this purpose. Here is a recipe for such a cosmetic product: dilute sorbitol with water (2 tablespoons per 50 ml), add glycerin (2 tablespoons) and apricot puree (200 g). The mask can be stored in the refrigerator for a long time, but the lid should fit snugly so that there is no air access. Only glass containers are suitable for these purposes.
Apricot oil in cosmetology
For the manufacture of oil, the kernels of apricot seeds are taken. It is possible to add cherry plum and plum seeds. The output oil is very fatty and is used as a base oil. The composition contains a variety of acids: myristic, stearic and linoleic. Although it is liquid, it can stretch. The color of this oil is close to straw, the aroma is very subtle.
It is possible to use apricot oil, both alone and in combination with oils of similar composition. After adding such a product to cosmetics, it is enriched with vitamins: A, B, C. If this product is used for the skin, it makes it soft, elastic and moisturized.
In addition, the oil has an anti-inflammatory effect and can be used both for the care of baby's skin and for the elderly. It can often be found in anti-cellulite creams. In addition to all the positive effects, this oil evens out the skin tone.
Oil is used in the composition of medicines for the treatment of the heart, blood vessels, brain, and immunity disorders. It also serves as the basis for the manufacture of cosmetic products for the care of lips and skin.
Effects that can be obtained when using apricot oil:
- Increased skin tone;
- Even out skin color;
- Rejuvenation effect;
- Moisturizing and softening the skin;
- Deep cleansing like chemical peeling;
- Elimination of peeling.
The components that make up the apricot oil will help to sharpen the contours of the face, increase the elasticity of the skin, and stimulate the production of collagen and elastin.
The oil can even be applied to the current skin of the eyelids, not to mention other areas of the body that need care. To enhance the effect of the product, it needs to be slightly warmed up. The oil can be used even by those people who have delicate and vulnerable skin, which is characterized by increased sensitivity.
The oil can be found in shampoos, balms, shower gels and other cosmetic products for hair, body and face care. However, do not count on the oil to be found in inexpensive cosmetics. The price for it is quite high, so it can be present exclusively in high-quality cosmetics.
Upon contact with oxygen, the oil rapidly oxidizes, therefore it is used as a base for drugs administered intravenously or intramuscularly.
- To fight acne, the following composition will help: a drop of tea tree oil + a drop of lemon oil + a drop of lavender oil + apricot oil in the amount of two tablespoons.
- Composition of anti-cellulite massage oil: 2 drops of essential oils (rosemary, lemon, orange, juniper) + two tablespoons of avocado oil + 2 tablespoons of apricot oil.
- Means for strengthening the nail plates, for moisturizing the skin of the hands: apricot oil + jojoba oil + wheat germ oil. All components must be taken in the size of a tablespoon, after preparation, the composition should be stored in the refrigerator in a closed glass container.
- Moisturizing the skin: two tablespoons of almond and apricot oil + two drops of sandalwood, lavender, ylang-ylang oil. You need to apply the resulting product after cleansing the body.
- Composition for eyelid skin: Aevit vitamin capsule + rosehip oil + apricot oil + olive oil. Oils should be taken in the amount of one teaspoon. The tool can be used daily before bedtime.
- Cleansing and nourishing the dermis: vitamin E (10 drops) + apricot oil + castor oil. Oils should be taken in the amount of one tablespoon. The composition is suitable for dry skin care.
- Elimination and prevention of shallow wrinkles: apricot oil + jojoba oil + avocado oil in the amount of a tablespoon. Add incense oil (3 drops) and rosewood oil (4 drops) there. Apply to face morning and evening.
The oil can be used to care for the skin of women carrying a baby and during breastfeeding.
Contraindications to use and harm of apricot
- The development of diarrhea can occur if, after eating fresh apricots, immediately drink water.
- Do not eat apricots on an empty stomach or after eating heavy food.
- There is no need to get too carried away with apricots in any form if there is a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus or obesity.
- Unripe apricots are heavy food. They can cause an increase in gastric acidity, heartburn and belching, so they should not be consumed.
- With bradycardia, you should stop eating apricots in any form.
- Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract in the stage of exacerbation should be the basis for using apricots with caution.
How to choose and store an apricot?
Green apricots with crumpled sides are unsuitable for food. The apricot should have a firm skin without spots. The pulp of the fruit is juicy, but not mushy, the bone is easily separated. If there are more than 10 points on an apricot, this indicates that it is overripe. It is not worth eating wormy apricots, but if such a fruit is caught in the purchase, then this is a good sign indicating the environmental safety of the entire batch of products.
If the fruit has a thin skin, and it is dry inside, then this indicates that it was picked unripe, and it ripened in the process of transportation to its destination. Such apricots will not have the full range of nutrients.
The apricots of the pineapple and banana varieties will have the maximum taste. They are easy to distinguish by their appearance: the fruit is yellow, oblong and large in size. If you plan to preserve apricots, then it is better to choose those that have a rich orange color. They taste sweet, but at the same time they have some sourness. Small apricots, in turn, can even taste bitter.
The shelf life of fruits without a refrigerator is 3 days, in a refrigerator - 20 days. To preserve apricots longer, they need to be preserved, frozen or dried.
Apricot salad recipes
You can use apricots for baking and for making various desserts, but if a person follows the figure, then the following recipes are suitable for him:
- Dried apricots (2 cups) + fresh carrots (3 pcs) + lemon pulp. Grind all components and season with sour cream in the amount of 100 g. To improve the taste, you can add sugar and parsley.
- Fresh apricots (200 g) + fresh cabbage (100 g) + apples (100 g) + turnips 80 g) + carrots (80 g). Chop all components, mix and add sour cream with sugar as a dressing. Garnish with mint leaves and drizzle with lemon juice.
- Take a glass of dried apricots and the same volume of walnuts, mix and add honey there. Eat in small portions, since the calorie content of the salad is very high. At the same time, this dish will help normalize the level of hemoglobin in the blood. Honey can be replaced with a mixture of cognac and powdered sugar.
- Peel a pound of fresh apricots and cut into wedges, place them in bowls and sprinkle with lemon juice. Separately, beat the cream with powdered sugar (2 tablespoons) and place on top of the apricots. Put the resulting low-calorie dessert in the refrigerator.
- Place the apricots in sugar syrup and boil for 10 minutes. To prepare the syrup, you need a glass of water and sugar (100 g). Then remove the seeds from the fruits and fill them with cottage cheese. First you need to grind cottage cheese with sugar and liqueur. After stuffing, the dessert must be refrigerated to cool. Garnish with whipped cream before serving.
- 200 g of dried apricots is part of a festive salad with the following components: chicken breast + boiled eggs (3 pcs) + 2 pickles + onion. Cut all the ingredients and season with low-calorie mayonnaise.
- Cut the pears and apricots, pour over the honey, stir and let it brew. Stir again before serving.
How to dry an apricot?
Dried apricots are apricots that have been cut in half and dried. Kaisa is a boneless apricot dried whole. Apricot is a dried apricot with a stone inside. Whispering is a dried apricot. For the preparation of dried fruits, the fruits must be large.
For cooking dried fruits at home, fruits should be chosen more mature. The temperature for drying in the oven is 60 ° C, after a while it can be increased to 70 ° C and then lowered again by opening the cabinet door.
If dried in the sun, then they must be kept in the shade in the wind in advance. You can understand that the apricots are dry simply by pressing on the fruit. Juice will not come out of it, but the fruit itself will remain soft.
If you dry apricots in a dryer, then they should be deboned. One kilogram of fresh fruit will yield 200 g of dried apricots.
How to grow an apricot from a stone?
Apricot pits must be washed, kept in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. For planting, only those fruits are suitable that did not float, but settled at the bottom. Before planting, the bones must be kept in the cold for the winter, for this they should be placed in wet sand, and the container must be refrigerated.
Thus, they will survive the winter, and in March the first shoots will appear. You need to keep them on the windowsill, periodically watering. In May, you can move the seedlings to the garden. It will be possible to plant and water them abundantly in the fall.
Not all plants will survive the winter, but the surviving saplings will be strong and frost-hardened young trees.
The author of the article: Kuzmina Vera Valerievna | Endocrinologist, nutritionist
Education: Diploma of the Russian State Medical University named after NI Pirogov with a degree in General Medicine (2004). Residency at Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry, diploma in Endocrinology (2006).
