Apricots are more than just a sign of summer. These little, sunny gems are amongst some of the favourite foods of pursuers of a healthy lifestyle. Not a surprise, as apricots are chockablock with health enhancing benefits!

 

 

Relatives of the peach family, apricots are small, golden orange fruit, with furry skin and flesh. They are not excessively juicy, but certainly smooth and sweet. Low caloric, apricots are full of

beta-carotene and fibre, and are rich in Vitamins A, B2, B3 and C, as well as useful natural sugars. An apricot when raw is fairly acidic. But, the acidity decreases as it ripens and its sugar content increases, along with its content of Vitamin A within which also doubles.

 

The healing and therapeutic properties of apricots make them highly popular in the milieu of natural medicine. For instance, blending fresh apricot with honey makes it a refreshing, cooling concoction to ease body heat brought about by fever. The kernel yields oil that is similar to that of the almond and is widely used for bringing relief to strained muscles.  Other common ailments that the apricot helps to address include –

Constipation: Apricots are rich in fibre, rendering them highly useful in preventing constipation.

 

Digestion trouble: Eating an apricot before meal is believed to boost digestion. Apricot juice is said to relieve increased acidity in stomach, as well as alleviate the symptoms of colitis, flatulence and bacterial imbalances.

Eyesight improvement: Apricots have remarkable effects on our vision. The high amount of Vitamin A in dried apricots promotes better eyesight.  Vitamin A deficiency can cause night blindness and impair sight.

 

Apricots can be eaten fresh or dried. However, there are more delectable ways of enjoying them!

 

• Add sliced apricots to hot or cold cereal.
• The next time you make pancakes add some chopped apricots to the batter.
• Add a Middle Eastern touch to chicken or vegetable stews with the addition of dried apricots.
• Serve fresh apricots in your green salad when they are in season.
• Have your morning toast with apricot jam.