What health benefits do apricots have

APRICOTS A BOUNTY OF BETA - CAROTENE

HEALING POWER CAN HELP:

Protect the eyes

Prevent heart disease

At one time, Chinese brides nibbled on apricots to increase fertility. It sounds funny today, until you realize that these fruits are, in fact, high in a mineral needed for the production of sex hormones. These days, of course, few people are likely to rely on apricots to influence family size. Yet this sweet, velvety fruit contains a variety of compounds that research shows can fight infections, blindness, and heart disease.

Most of apricots' health benefits are due to their copious and exceptionally diverse carotenoid content. Carotenoids are the pigments in plants that paint many of our favorite fruits and vegetables red, orange, and yellow and that in humans have a wide range of health -protecting properties. Researchers have identified at least 600 different carotenoids, with some of the most powerful, including beta -carotene, being found in apricots.

"Apricots are one of the best foods to look to for carotenoids,” says Ritva Butrum, Ph.D., vice president for research at the American Institute for Cancer Research in Washington, D.C. 

FRUIT FOR THE HEART

The apricot's unique mix of healing compounds makes this food a powerful ally in fighting heart disease. Along with beta -carotene, apricots contain lycopene, and both compounds have been shown in studies to fight the process by which the dangerous low -density lipoprotein (LDL) form of cholesterol turns rancid in the bloodstream. This is important because when LDL goes bad, it's more likely to stick to artery walls.

"Lycopene is currently considered one of the strongest antioxidants we know about," says Frederick Khachik, Ph.D., research chemist at the Food Composition Laboratory at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Beltsville, Maryland.

A 13 -year study found that those with the highest intakes of carotenoids had a one-third lower risk of heart disease than those with the lowest intakes. In an 8 –year study of 90,000 nurses, those with diets richest in carotenoids had a one -quarter lower risk.

Apricots are a good source of beta -carotene. Three fruits contain 2 milligrams, about 30 percent of the recommended daily amount.

GOOD FOR THE EYES

Even if you don't have the spinach -loving personality of Popeye, you can get lots of vitamin A by eating apricots. (The beta -carotene in apricots is converted to vitamin A in the body.) This nutrient helps protect the eyes, and as it turns out, the eyes need all the help they can get.

Every time light passes through the eyes, it triggers the release of tissue damaging free radicals. Left unchecked, these destructive oxygen molecules attack and damage the lenses of the eyes, possibly setting the stage for cataracts. Free radicals can also attack blood vessels supplying the central portions of the retinas, called the maculas. If the blood supply gets cut off, the result can be macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss in older adults.

Vitamin A has been shown in studies to be a powerful antioxidant—that is, it helps block the effects of free radicals. A study of more than 50,000 nurses, for example, found that women who got the most vitamin A in their diets reduced their risk of getting cataracts by more than one-third. Three apricots provide 2,769 international units of vitamin A, 55 percent of the Daily Value (DV).

HELP FROM FIBER

It's almost impossible to exaggerate the benefits of getting enough fiber in your diet. High -fiber foods can help you lose weight, control high blood sugar, and lower cholesterol levels. They're also essential for keeping digestion regular.

So here's another reason to add apricots to your fruit bowl. Three fruits contain 3 grams of fiber, 12 percent of the DV. Better yet, that's at a minimal calorie cost—just 51 calories for all three. When you're eating apricots for fiber, however, be sure to eat the skin, which contains a substantial amount of the fruit's fiber.

Getting the Most

Eat them firm. Even if you enjoy your fruit nice and soft, it's best to eat apricots while they're still slightly firm. Apricots contain the most nutrients when they're at their peak of ripeness; once they start getting soft, these compounds quickly begin to break down.

Shop for color. Unlike most fruits, apricots can be yellow or orange and still be ripe. Both colors are acceptable when you're trying to get the most healing benefits. However, apricots that have green in them were picked early and may never ripen, which means that you lose out on much of their healing goodness.

Store them carefully. It's important to keep apricots cool to prevent them from getting overripe. Unless you're going to eat them within a day or two, it's best to store them in the fruit bin in the refrigerator, where they'll keep for about a week.

Here's another storage tip. Because apricots are such a soft, delicate fruit, they readily pick up flavors—from other fruits they're stored with, for example, or even from refrigerator smells. It’s a good idea to store them in a paper or plastic bag.

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