Fresh Apricots

What is an apricot?

Apricots are one of the first signs of summer. They are beautiful orange fruits that are full of beta-carotene and fiber. Even though dried and canned apricots are available all year, the best time to get fresh apricots, which are full of vitamin C, is from May to August in North America. During the winter, any fresh fruit you see came from either South America or New Zealand. Fresh apricots are related to peaches. They are small, golden-orange fruits with velvety skin and flesh. They are not too juicy, but they are smooth and sweet. Some people say that their taste is almost smoky, with a hint of tartness between a peach and a plum.  

How do I use dried apricots?

The salad topper. Add some dried apricots to your favorite low-fat chicken, seafood, or pasta salad to up your daily intake of potassium and vitamin A. Additionally, dried apricots are high in vital elements such as calcium, potassium, phosphorus, vitamin C, and vitamin A. They include a respectable quantity of fiber as well.

Fresh Apricot Benefits:

Apricots are full of antioxidants like beta-carotene and the vitamins A, C, and E. Also, they have a lot of flavonoids, which are a type of polyphenol antioxidant that has been shown to protect against diabetes and heart disease (5, 6, 7).

◉ Apricots boost digestive health: The soluble fiber in the fruit helps keep your bowels healthy by giving your stools more bulk. Also, the fiber breaks down the fatty acids quickly, which makes digestion better. The fiber in the fruit also helps with constipation and stomach bloating.

◉ Can aid diabetes treatment: One apricot has only 17 calories and 4 grams of carbs, which is good news for people with diabetes. They can be a good part of a diet for people with diabetes. And the fiber in them can help control how much sugar is in the blood. Apricots also have a low glycemic index, which means they don't raise your blood sugar levels too quickly and keep them steady for a long time. The fruit is also full of vitamin E, which helps lower blood sugar levels by acting as an antioxidant. A Spanish study found that nuts and dried fruits are good for people with diabetes to eat. Apricots, which are dried fruits, serve this purpose without a doubt.

◉ Help fight inflammation: Not only the fruit, but also the seeds, have been shown to help reduce inflammation. In fact, one study on animals showed that apricot seed oil extract helped protect against ulcerative colitis, a disease that causes the bowel to become inflamed. A report from the Arthritis Foundation says that apricots have a lot of beta-cryptoxanthin, a chemical that can help prevent osteoarthritis and other inflammatory types of arthritis. The fruit's magnesium can also help ease pain from inflammation.

◉ Protect the heart: Because of the potassium in the fruit, blood pressure can be lowered, which can stop heart attacks. And the fiber in the fruit lowers your cholesterol and keeps heart diseases like atherosclerosis from happening.

Where can I buy fresh apricots?

Buy fresh apricots from the health food store in Brooklyn, USA, Alive Herbals.

Fresh Apricots Information (at a glance):