What are the beneficial properties and harm of apricots for health and how to use them correctly
Apricot fruits are valued for their special taste and value. Fruits begin to appear in household plots at the end of June, and fruiting continues until late summer. Many people have heard about the usefulness of fresh fruits, but only a few think that overuse of the fruit can be dangerous. To get the full picture, you should find out what the benefits and harms of apricots are.
Composition and main components
The calorie content of 100 g of apricots is 43 kcal. When eating one fruit, a person receives no more than 12 kcal. The fruit is famous for its rich content of folic acid, vitamins of groups A, B and H. The product is prized due to its high potassium content. It contains a large list of various mineral compounds, including iodine and iron. Apricot is rich in sucrose and dietary fiber, the latter helping to improve the functioning of the food system and accelerate metabolism.
Benefits and harm to the body
Apricot is considered a valuable product for the whole human body. The peculiarity of the fruit lies in its versatility, it can be consumed fresh and dried, made decoctions and jams from it, used as an ingredient in decoctions and teas. Recipes for winter preparations are very popular with housewives, with the help of which the valuable qualities of the product can be preserved for a long period of time.
For women
For women who control body weight or want to lose weight, apricot is considered an indispensable product. The insignificant calorie content of the product allows it to be included in the diet of those who are losing weight. The pleasant taste and natural sweetness of the fruit helps to reduce the stress level that inevitably arises when a person needs to abandon previously available products. It is a great substitute for traditional sweets and sweets.
For women suffering from painful and heavy menstrual cycles, the use of apricots is a direct indication. During the period of the onset of menstruation, their hemoglobin drops sharply, the level of which can be easily raised by eating fruit. Fruits contribute to the normalization of blood composition, elimination of dizziness and relieve spasms.
For men
Due to the high content of B vitamins in apricots, its use has a positive effect on the functioning of the nervous system, allowing you to be more focused when solving complex problems. Phosphorus and magnesium are natural stimulants that can improve the functioning of brain cells.
The fruit is recommended to be included in the diet in case of great mental and physical exertion, feeling of apathy or chronic fatigue.
The use of apricots helps to increase potency, as this increases blood flow in the groin area.They act as a prophylactic agent against prostate ailments. Men over the age of 45 are at risk of developing heart pathologies, fruits help prevent pathological processes, atherosclerotic manifestations and thrombosis.
Use during pregnancy
Apricot contains a lot of iron. For pregnant women suffering from anemia while carrying a child, it becomes a valuable source of replenishment of the mineral deficiency in the body. Its regular use helps to normalize the production of erythrocytes and normalizes blood.
Women during pregnancy often suffer from edema, which negatively affects their well-being. Apricot fruits are diuretic and promote the natural elimination of excess fluid. In women, at the same time, blood pressure normalizes, headaches cease to bother them and vomiting decreases. Due to the rich composition of apricot, its use has a positive effect on the development of the baby and allows you to preserve the beauty of a woman.
Apricot is beneficial for breastfeeding as it stimulates milk production and quality, increasing its fat content. The fruit helps to remove bitterness from it, which often appears in women with improper diet.
Children
For children, apricots are a delicious treat that can quickly eliminate hunger and replenish energy. Fruits help to increase immunity, which has a beneficial effect on the child's ability to resist viral and infectious diseases. Natural source of minerals and vitamins in the form of apricot helps children to develop normally physically and mentally.
The healing properties of apricot help to cope with the problem of seizures in children. Dry fruits - kaisa, apricots, dried apricots have such properties. The juice contains special substances that can influence the processes of brain excitability, thereby affecting convulsive states.
Old people
Elderly people often suffer from various types of digestive disorders. To solve problems of this kind, it is enough to eat apricots every day, you can eat up to 100 g of pulp per day in order to feel an improvement in well-being. Apricot fibers gently affect the gastric mucosa, contribute to the normalization of gastric acidity and normalization of the pancreas.
The complex effect has a positive effect on the functioning of the gallbladder and liver.
Due to the presence of carotenoids in the composition, apricot has a positive effect on the function of vision. It is recommended to be included in the diet for problems with eye muscles, as a prophylactic agent for the threat of cataract or glaucoma.
What is the best form to consume
Apricot can be eaten fresh and dried, as both forms contain a large amount of nutrients. Making jams and desserts is a good way to preserve the value of the product for the winter, but the amount of vitamins in the product is reduced due to heat treatment.
Ripe fruit
The advantage of fresh apricots is the ability to get a valuable source of vitamins directly into food. A fresh harvest makes it possible to immediately use the fruit for food, without requiring time for additional processing. When using, the list of contraindications should be taken into account, which will not harm the body.
Dried apricots
Experts, speaking about the benefits of dried apricots, put it in first place in comparison with fresh fruits. This is due to the fact that the dried product contains more nutrients for each gram of fruit mass. Dried apricots are especially suitable for those who need an additional source of vitamins and minerals during the recovery period after surgery.For pregnant women, it becomes a valuable product when there is a shortage of fresh fruit in the cold season.
Why apricot juice is useful
Apricot juice contains a full list of vitamins and minerals that are present in fresh fruits. It is also able to remove waste and toxins from the body. When consumed, the risk of developing cholesterol plaques is reduced, and tannins help strengthen the intestinal walls. The antibacterial properties of the product help fight bacteria.
In addition to a positive effect on all important organs of the body's vital activity, it helps to cope with vitamin deficiencies and anemias. When using 10 ml of juice per day, there are improvements in the work of the stomach, and the stool is normalized. For problems with blood pressure, it should be taken 0.5 cups 3 times a day before meals.
Is it ok to eat green apricots
Unripe apricots are not recommended to be eaten, since they do not contain the proper useful components that the human digestive system would be able to accept. The use of such fruits can cause poisoning, accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea, fever and other characteristic signs of intoxication.
For what diseases is the apricot diet recommended?
With the help of apricots, you can easily lose weight, and most importantly, it is pleasant. The problem of weight is often not only aesthetic, excessive excess body weight, compared to the norm, can be the cause of various kinds of diseases. The main ones include:
- diseases of the cardiovascular system;
- pressure problems;
- joint diseases;
- violation of hormonal levels;
- gynecological problems.
The apricot diet is often prescribed when necessary to improve the functioning of the digestive system. The therapeutic effect of the inclusion of fruits in the diet is obtained in the form of normalization of kidney function. Due to the ability of apricots to improve blood composition, it is often used to prevent various heart diseases.
The apricot diet involves following a number of rules. The diet includes fresh fruits, prepared from them salads, fresh juices, or consumed fresh. In this case, the main products are excluded from the diet. Such a restriction in food intake should last no more than 5 days, otherwise negative stress for the body will be obtained. During the diet, it is necessary to eat in small portions, before meals and after meals, take clean water without gas. Up to 1.5 kg are eaten per day, as a result, the loss can be from 3 to 5 kg.
If you want to resort to a less severe restriction in food, you can include in the menu foods that contain a lot of iron and potassium. Regardless of the type of diet chosen, you can resort to the benefits of apricot no more than 1 time per month.
Who Should Avoid Fruit
Apricot should not be taken uncontrollably, as it has a number of contraindications. It can harm people with chronic gastritis symptoms and peptic ulcer disease. The fruit should be eaten with caution if the thyroid gland is disrupted and hepatitis is present. The body with such diseases poorly assimilates the keratin contained in apricots, so it is more expedient for them to organize the intake of vitamin A in its pure form.
It is worth excluding such fruit from the diet for patients with diabetes mellitus. Some varieties of apricot contain up to 80% sucrose, the intake of which in such a disease should be controlled.
Some people like to eat apricot kernel nuts, which can be dangerous. Nuts contain amygdalin, exceeding the permissible norm of which is dangerous to humans. The permissible amount per day for an adult is the number of grains in the amount of 20 g. Reducing the concentration of a hazardous substance allows the heat treatment of the bones and their contents.
The use of fruit pulp in cosmetology
At home, from apricot and its oil, you can prepare cosmetic and care products, including masks for the face, body and hair. The fruit is considered a "savior" for problem skin, as it normalizes the sebaceous glands and helps to cleanse the pores. The oil possesses unique biological activity, and when it enters the tissue cells, the prevention of aging is ensured. It is suitable for all skin types, improves its appearance and improves tone.
Apricots are often found in traditional creams, masks and shampoos. Due to the large amount of organic substances, a rejuvenating effect is provided when using such funds. Carotene helps to moisturize the skin, while the retinoid prevents flaking and inflammation. When applied to the surface of the skin, a protective film appears, and due to ascorbic acid, the effect of smoothing wrinkles is provided.
What fruits are worth choosing and how much apricot is stored
When choosing apricots, you need to pay attention to the appearance of the fruit. Quality fruits meet the following criteria:
- uniform color of fruits, the presence of any color of spots and blotches is unacceptable;
- pleasant fruit aroma;
- elastic pulp that does not deform when pressed;
- no cracks, rot or signs of bumps.
Apricots with a dark orange color or with a brownish matte skin surface are more valuable. The presence of shine indicates the processing of fruits with glycerin.
The shelf life depends on environmental factors, the method chosen and the degree of maturity of the product. Fresh fruits at a temperature of 0 C and humidity 90% are stored from 7 to 14 days. When stored under conditions over +20 C the fruit darkens and loses its nutritional value.
Dried apricots at room temperature retain their qualities for 30 days, while they must be tightly sealed in a bag. In the refrigerator, the period is extended up to 6 months. Apricot jam can be stored from 1 to 5 years, depending on the quality of the sterilization of the jars and their tightness.
