Health DescriptionHealth consultation description: What are the health benefits of apricots in
Chinese medicine?
Expert ReplyCondition analysis:
Apricot is a medium-sized deciduous tree that grows best in well-drained mountain slope soils. During the spring, it bears plenty of beautiful pinkish-white flowers that attract bees. The fruits have almost uniform size, 4-5 cm in diameter, and weigh about 35 g. In structure; the fruit is a drupe, consisting of a centrally located single pit surrounded by crunchy, aromatic edible flesh. The seed enclosed in a hard stony shell often called as "stone."
Fresh, ripe apricots have a sweet flavor similar to plums. Sundried organic apricots are nutritiously denser than fresh ones, although they have less in vitamin-C content. Its seed-kernel is also edible and taste like that of almond nut. Oil extracted from these kernels employed in cooking.
Instructions:
Health benefits of apricots:
Fresh fruits are low in calories, composing just 50 calories per 100 g weight. Nonetheless, they are an excellent source of dietary fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. The fruits enriched with numerous health promoting phytochemicals that help prevent heart disease, reduce LDL, ("bad cholesterol") levels and offer protection against cancers.
Apricots are excellent sources of vitamin-A and carotenes. 100 grams of fresh fruits carry 1926 IU or 64% of daily required levels of vitamin-A. These compounds known to have antioxidant properties and are essential for vision. Vitamin-A also required for maintaining healthy mucosa and skin. Consumption of natural fruits rich in carotenes helps protect the body from lung and oral cavity cancers.
Fresh fruits contain vitamin-C, another natural antioxidant. Vitamin-C helps the human body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen-free radicals.
They are an also good source of minerals such as potassium, iron, zinc, calcium and manganese. Potassium is a heart-healthy mineral; an important component of cell and body fluids that help regulate heart rate and blood pressure.