June 13, 2016 · Written by Foodtolive Team

The Best Fruits for You: Health Benefits of Apricots

All fruits are delicious, nutritious, and good for you, but each has some unique special trait that sets it apart. Apricots have a few of them, which is the reason why they are considered one of the best food choices for dessert or a snack. Health benefits of apricots are quite numerous, so everyone should benefit from including this fruit in their diet.

Apricots are grown in many countries, though the main exporters of this delicious fruit are Turkey, Italy, Greece, France, Spain, and the US. As a plant, apricot tree isn’t particularly demanding. However, fruits require lots of sunshine and warmth to develop their deliciously sweet flavor.

They are usually added to desserts or eaten raw as a snack. You can also use them to make some exceptionally delicious jams, and dried apricots would be a great addition to any dietary meal plan as they are highly nutritious.

Top 5 Health Benefits of Apricots

They protect your eyes

They protect your eyes
Numerous studies prove that consuming apricots regularly reduces the risk of some serious eye diseases, including age-related macular degeneration, neovascular ARMD, and Stargardt’s disease. This also helps alleviate the unpleasant symptoms of dry eyes, which is becoming a more common condition due to excessive use of electronic gadgets. Apricots are packed with carotenoids, the elements that play a huge part in eye health.

 

They give you potassium

They give you potassium
This mineral is essential for maintaining your overall health as it affects the levels of electrolyte fluids in the body. This substance is used by the nervous cells for transmitting electric signals to and from the brain. Potassium also helps normalizing blood pressure, which reduces the risk of stroke. Eating about half a cup of apricots per day would provide you with a quarter of the required dose of this element.

 

They give you iron

They give you iron

One of the most important health benefits of apricots is their ability to protect you from developing anemia induced by iron deficiency. This condition is the most common type of nutritional deficiency in the world, and its dangers are often underestimated. If left untreated, anemia weakens the body greatly and can cause tragic accidents because it makes people faint and feel dizzy as well as slows down their reactions.
Apricots have one of the highest content of iron among fruits, and they retain it in dried for as well. Dried fruits are good for your health by default, but if you plan this kind of snack, you definitely should include apricots into your meal.

 

They enhance your beauty

They enhance your beauty
Apricots are rich in potent antioxidants, so they help to slow down aging. However, their effect on the skin is so strong that oil made from their seeds is used in a variety of cosmetic products.

 

They help you lose weight

They help you lose weight
Health benefits of apricots also extend to those trying to lose weight without endangering their bodies by starvation diets. This fruit has a high content of dietary fiber and research indicates that eating them regularly improves both digestion and the metabolism rate.