Apricots are those beautifully orange colored fruits full of beta-carotene and fiber that are one of the first signs of summer.But these are not the only benefits of apricots.
Although dried and canned apricots are available year-round, fresh apricots with a plentiful supply of vitamin C and are in season in North America from May through August. Any fresh fruit you see during the winter months have been imported from either South America or New Zealand.
Relatives to peaches, apricots are small, golden orange fruits, with velvety skin and flesh, not too juicy but definitely smooth and sweet. Some describe their flavor as almost musky, with a faint tartness that lies somewhere between a peach and a plum.
This chart graphically details the %DV that a serving of Apricots provides for each of the nutrients of which it is a good, very good, or excellent source according to our Food Rating System. Additional information about the amount of these nutrients provided by Apricots can be found in the Food Rating System Chart. A link that takes you to the In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Apricots, featuring information over 80 nutrients, can be found under the Food Rating System Chart.
Apricot, fresh 1.00 whole (35.00 grams)
Calories: 17 GI: medium
NutrientDRI/DV
vitamin A22.4%
vitamin C4.6%
copper3.3%
fiber2.7%
potassium2.5%
Health Benefits
Nutrients in apricots can help protect the heart and eyes, as well as provide the disease-fighting effects of fiber. The high beta-carotene content of apricots makes them important heart health foods. Beta-carotene helps protect LDL cholesterol from oxidation, which may help prevent heart disease.
Apricots contain nutrients such as vitamin A that promote good vision. Vitamin A, a powerful antioxidant, quenches free radical damage to cells and tissues. Free radical damage can injure the eyes’ lenses.
The degenerative effect of free radicals, or oxidative stress, may lead to cataracts or damage the blood supply to the eyes and cause macular degeneration. Researchers who studied over 50,000 registered nurses found women who had the highest vitamin A intake reduced their risk of developing cataracts nearly 40%.
Apricots are a good source of fiber, which has a wealth of benefits including preventing constipation and digestive conditions such as diverticulosis. But most Americans get less than 10 grams of fiber per day. A healthy, whole foods diet should include apricots as a delicious way to add to your fiber intake.
Protect Your Eyesight
Your mother may have told you carrots would keep your eyes bright as a child, but as an adult, it looks like fruit is even more important for keeping your sight. Data reported in a study published in the Archives of Opthamology indicates that eating 3 or more servings of fruit per day may lower your risk of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), the primary cause of vision loss in older adults, by 36%, compared to persons who consume less than 1.5 servings of fruit daily.
In this study, which involved over 100,000 women and men, researchers evaluated the effect of study participants’ consumption of fruits; vegetables; the antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E; and carotenoids on the development of early ARMD or neovascular ARMD, a more severe form of the illness associated with vision loss. Food intake information was collected periodically for up to 18 years for women and 12 years for men.
While, surprisingly, intakes of vegetables, antioxidant vitamins and carotenoids were not strongly related to incidence of either form of ARMD, fruit intake was definitely protective against the severe form of this vision-destroying disease.
Three servings of fruit may sound like a lot to eat each day, but by simply tossing a banana into your morning smoothie or slicing it over your cereal, topping off a cup of yogurt or green salad with a half cup of berries, and snacking on an apricot, you’ve reached this goal.
Description
Apricots are small, golden orange fruits, with velvety skin and flesh: not too juicy but definitely smooth and sweet. Their flavor is almost musky, with a faint tartness that is more pronounced when the fruit is dried. Some people think of the flavor as being somewhere between a peach and a plum, fruits to which they’re closely related.
History
Apricots are originally from China but arrived in Europe via Armenia, which is why the scientific name is Prunus armenaica. The apricot tree came to Virginia in 1720 but its appearance in the Spanish missions of California around 1792 marked the fruit’s real arrival. The climate there is perfectly suited to apricot culture, and apricots in the United States are grown primarily in the sunny orchards of California.
Apricots are enjoyed as a fresh fruit but also dried, cooked into pastry, and eaten as jam. The fruits are also distilled into brandy and liqueur. Essential oil from the pits is sold commercially as bitter almond oil. Turkey, Italy, Russia, Spain, Greece, U.S.A. and France are the leading producers of apricots.
How to Select and Store
Apricot season in the U.S. runs from May through August. In the winter, apricots are imported from South America. Look for fruits with a rich orange color while avoiding those that are pale and yellow. Fruits should be slightly soft. If they are too firm they have not been tree-ripened, and tree-ripened fruits always taste best.
For the most antioxidants, choose fully ripened fruit:
Research conducted at the University of Innsbruck in Austria suggests that as fruits fully ripen, almost to the point of spoilage, their antioxidant levels actually increase.
Key to the process is the change in color that occurs as fruits ripen, a similar process to that seen in the fall when leaves turn from green to red to yellow to brown&mash;a color change caused by the breakdown and disappearance of chlorophyll, which gives leaves and fruits their green color.
Until now, no one really knew what happened to chlorophyll during this process, but lead researcher, Bernard Krutler, and his team, working together with botanists over the past several years, has identified the first decomposition products in leaves: colorless, polar NCCs (nonfluorescing chlorophyll catabolytes), that contain four pyrrole rings – like chlorophyll and heme.
After examining apples and pears, the scientists discovered that NCCs replace the chlorophyll not only in the leaves of fruit trees, but in their very ripe fruits, especially in the peel and flesh immediately below it.
“When chlorophyll is released from its protein complexes in the decomposition process, it has a phototoxic effect: when irradiated with light, it absorbs energy and can transfer it to other substances. For example, it can transform oxygen into a highly reactive, destructive form,” report the researchers. However, NCCs have just the opposite effect. Extremely powerful antioxidants, they play an important protective role for the plant, and when consumed as part of the human diet, NCCs deliver the same potent antioxidant protection within our bodies. . Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2007 Nov 19;46(45):8699-8702.
How to Enjoy
A few quick serving ideas:
- Add sliced apricots to hot or cold cereal.
- The next time you make whole grain pancakes add some chopped apricots to the batter.
- Give a Middle Eastern flavor to chicken or vegetable stews with the addition of dried, diced apricots.
- Serve fresh apricots in your green salad when they are in season.
Individual Concerns
Dried Apricots and Sulfites
Commercially grown dried apricots may be treated with sulfur dioxide gas during processing. They may also be treated with sulfites to extend their shelf life.
Sulfur-containing compounds are often added to dried foods like apricots as preservatives to help prevent oxidation and bleaching of colors. The sulfites used to help preserve dried apricots cause adverse reactions in an estimated one out of every 100 people, who turn out to be sulfite sensitive.
Sulfite reactions can be particularly acute in people who suffer from asthma. The Federal Food and Drug Administration estimates that 5 percent of asthmatics may suffer a reaction when exposed to sulfites. Instead of the bright orange color of sulfite-treated dried apricots, unsulfured dried apricots have brown color, but are a much healthier choice for sulfite-sensitive individuals.
Foods that are classified as “organic” do not contain sulfites since federal regulations prohibit the use of these preservatives in organically grown or produced foods. Therefore, concern about sulfite exposure is yet another reason to purchase organic foods.
Nutritional Profile
Apricots are an excellent source of vitamin A (in the form of pro-vitamin A carotenoids), and a good source of vitamin C, copper, dietary fiber, and potassium.
Apricots contain phytochemicals called carotenoids, compounds that give red, orange and yellow colors to fruits and vegetables. The powerful antioxidant Lycopene is one of the carotenoids found in apricots.
For an in-depth nutritional profile click here: Apricots.
In-Depth Nutritional Profile
In addition to the nutrients highlighted in our ratings chart, an in-depth nutritional profile for Apricots is also available. This profile includes information on a full array of nutrients, including carbohydrates, sugar, soluble and insoluble fiber, sodium, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids and more.
Introduction to Food Rating System Chart
In order to better help you identify foods that feature a high concentration of nutrients for the calories they contain, we created a Food Rating System. This system allows us to highlight the foods that are especially rich in particular nutrients. The following chart shows the nutrients for which this food is either an excellent, very good, or good source (below the chart you will find a table that explains these qualifications). If a nutrient is not listed in the chart, it does not necessarily mean that the food doesn’t contain it. It simply means that the nutrient is not provided in a sufficient amount or concentration to meet our rating criteria. (To view this food’s in-depth nutritional profile that includes values for dozens of nutrients – not just the ones rated as excellent, very good, or good – please use the link below the chart.) To read this chart accurately, you’ll need to glance up in the top left corner where you will find the name of the food and the serving size we used to calculate the food’s nutrient composition. This serving size will tell you how much of the food you need to eat to obtain the amount of nutrients found in the chart. Now, returning to the chart itself, you can look next to the nutrient name in order to find the nutrient amount it offers, the percent Daily Value (DV%) that this amount represents, the nutrient density that we calculated for this food and nutrient, and the rating we established in our rating system. For most of our nutrient ratings, we adopted the government standards for food labeling that are found in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s “Reference Values for Nutrition Labeling.” Read more background information and details of our rating system.
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Apricot, fresh
1.00 whole 35.00 grams Calories: 17
GI: medium |
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| Nutrient | Amount | DRI/DV (%) |
Nutrient Density |
World’s Healthiest Foods Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| vitamin A | 674.10 IU | 22.5 | 24.1 | excellent |
| vitamin C | 3.50 mg | 4.7 | 5.0 | good |
| copper | 0.03 mg | 3.3 | 3.6 | good |
| fiber | 0.69 g | 2.8 | 3.0 | good |
| potassium | 90.65 mg | 2.6 | 2.8 | good |
| World’s Healthiest Foods Rating |
Rule |
|---|---|
| excellent | DRI/DV>=75% OR Density>=7.6 AND DRI/DV>=10% |
| very good | DRI/DV>=50% OR Density>=3.4 AND DRI/DV>=5% |
| good | DRI/DV>=25% OR Density>=1.5 AND DRI/DV>=2.5% |
In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Apricots
Health benefits of Apricot Seeds
Apricot kernel refers to the seed of the fruit of Prunus armeniaca, more commonly known as the apricot tree. Because the seed is encased in an exceptionally hard shell, it is often called a “stone.” In any case, apricot kernels flavor baked goods and liquors, while oil extracted from the seed is used as cooking oil and in the manufacture of cosmetics. The kernel also yields active compounds that may have anti-cancer value, although clinical evidence is conflicting. Apricot kernel also contains a substance known to be toxic at high dosages. As with all pharmaceuticals, do not use apricot kernel preparations during pregnancy or to self-treat any condition without checking with your physician.
Medicinal Benefits
Apricot kernels contain a glycoside known as amygdalin, sometimes called laetrile. Although the two names are frequently used interchangeably, the American Cancer Society says that the latter term actually refers to a modified form of this substance promoted for the treatment of cancer, arthritis and high blood pressure. According to Drugs.com, the use of laetrile as a cancer treatment is currently banned in the United States and in Europe due to possible toxicity from another agent found in apricot kernels: cyanide. Despite this, research continues. A study published in the December 2002 issue of the “Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences” reported that standardized apricot extract inhibits the expression of P-glycoprotein in the intestines, which would otherwise prevent the absorption of certain drugs. The means that apricot kernel may one day benefit patients with multidrug-resistant cancer.
Culinary Use
Apricot kernel extract is used to flavor the traditional Italian liquor known as amaretto and to enhance almond biscotti cookies, while apricot kernel oil is used for cooking. According to the nutrient database compiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, apricot kernel oil contains vitamin E and a variety of essential fatty acids and plant sterols.
Cosmetic Use
Apricot kernel oil is used to make a variety of cosmetics, most notably skin lotions and creams. Applied “neat,” or undiluted, apricot kernel oil is readily absorbed into the skin without leaving a greasy residue. It is particularly beneficial for dry, mature skin. Although no oil can “nourish” skin from the outside, the fatty acids and sterols in apricot kernel oil help to moisturize the outer layer of the skin and minimize the effects of photo-aging, or sun damage.
Safety Issues
Some people have allergic reactions to apricot kernel. Poisoning occurs from ingesting the kernels because an enzyme called beta-glucuronidase converts amygdalin into hydrogen cyanide in the intestines. The risk of toxicity is increased by taking high doses of vitamin C or by eating foods high in beta-glucosidase, such as peaches, celery, carrots and bean sprouts.
References
- Cho E, Seddon JM, Rosner B, Willett WC, Hankinson SE. Prospective study of intake of fruits, vegetables, vitamins, and carotenoids and risk of age-related maculopathy. Arch Ophthalmol. 2004 Jun;122(6):883-92. 2004. PMID:15197064.
- Craig W. Phytochemicals: guardians of our health. J Am Diet Assoc. 1997;97(Suppl 2) S199-S204. 1997.
- Dorai T, Cao YC, Dorai B, et al. Therapeutic potential of curcumin in human prostate cancer. III. Curcumin inhibits proliferation, induces apoptosis, and inhibits angiogenesis of LNCaP prostate cancer cells in vivo. Prostate 2001 Jun 1;47(4):293-303. 2001. PMID:16280.
- Ensminger AH, Esminger M. K. J. e. al. Food for Health: A Nutrition Encyclopedia. Clovis, California: Pegus Press; 1986. 1986. PMID:15210.
- Hankinson SE, Stampfer MJ, Seddon JM, et al. Nutrient intake and cataract extraction in women: a prospective study. BMJ 1992;305(6849):335-9. 1992.
- Jacques PF, Chylack LT. Epidemiologic evidence of a role for the antioxidant vitamins and carotenoids in cataract prevention. Am J Clin Nutr 1991;53:352S-5S. 1991.
- Jian L, Lee AH, Binns CW. Tea and lycopene protect against prostate cancer. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2007;16 Suppl 1:453-7. 2007. PMID:17392149.
- Kohlmeyer L, Kark JD, Gomez-Gracia E, et al. Lycopene and myocardial infarction risk in the EUROMIC study. Am J Epidemiol 1997;146:618-26. 1997.
- Olszewska M, Glowacki R, Wolbis M, Bald E. Quantitative determination of flavonoids in the flowers and leaves of Prunus spinosa L. Acta Pol Pharm 2001 May-2001 Jun 30;58(3):199-203. 2001. PMID:16270.
- Papazian R. Sulfites: Safe for most, dangerous for some. US Food and Drug Administration. FDA Consumer. Dec 1996. 1996.
- Risasanen, T, Voutilainen S, Nyyssonen K et al. Low plasma lycopene concentration is associated with increased intima-media thickness of the carotid artery wall. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2000 Dec;20(12):2677-81. 2000.
- Wills RB, Scriven FM, Greenfield H. Nutrient composition of stone fruit (Prunus spp.) cultivars: apricot, cherry, nectarine, peach and plum. J Sci Food Agric 1983 Dec;34(12):1383-9. 1983. PMID:16280.
- Wood, Rebecca. The Whole Foods Encyclopedia. New York, NY: Prentice-Hall Press; 1988. 1988. PMID:15220.
- Wuthi-udomler M, Grisanapan W, Luanratana O, Caichompoo W. Antifungal activity of Curcuma longa grown in Thailand. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health 2000;31 Suppl 1:178-82. 2000. PMID:16270.
Sources:Whfoods.com, Healthbenefitstimes.com
In daily life, many people prefer to eat apricot kernel, include me. I think it is delicious although a little bitter. However, sometimes the price is a little expensive. In spite of this, apricot kernel and its product are very popular on the market.