Apricot, known as khubani in Urdu, belongs to the Rosaceae family and is very popular worldwide. They are enriched with carbohydrates and are an excellent source of fibre, minerals and vitamins. They are drupes like mangoes, peaches and plums as they have fleshy outside with a hard stone seed inside them. The apricot dry fruit and kernels of apricots are widely popular among the Chinese as a cure for constipation, cough and asthma.
Nutritional value
Apricot (Khubani) has a high nutritional content such as containing sugars (greater than 60%), crude fat (2%), proteins (8%), vitamins- A, C, and K, natural fibre (11.50%) and B-complex, total minerals (4%), and enough percentage of organic acids (malic and citric acid).2 In 100 grams, the following nutrients are present in apricot:
- 74.5 calories
- 0.7-gram fat
- 3.2 grams fibre
- 2.3 grams protein
- 0.9-milligram niacin
- 0.1-milligram copper
- 0.1-milligram manganese
- 403 milligrams potassium
- 17.5 grams carbohydrates
- 1.4 milligrams of vitamin E
- 15.6 milligrams of vitamin C
- 5.1 micrograms of vitamin K
- 2,990 international units of vitamin A
The apricot price is around 120 per kg in Pakistan. For dried fruit, it is around PKR 550 per kg.
How can you add apricot to your diet?
- You can eat them directly as appetisers.
- You can make jams out of them.
- You can enjoy apricot fresh juices.
- You can also use it as dried fruit and fresh fruit.
- They can be used in medicine to cure issues like cough and asthma.
- They can be used in bakery products,
- Processed or canned apricots are also available, which you can eat.
- They can be used for garnishing.
- Not just in this form; in fact, their oil can be used in cosmetics.
- Apricot oil can be used as Ayurvedic medicine
- Apricot oil has an amazing effect on hair, skin and health.
Potential Benefits of Apricot
Apricots are known as the powerhouse of nutrition. As per the popular author and Ayurvedic doctor said:
Apricots are a powerhouse of nutrition, and they contain zinc, which is believed to sharpen your thinking process. They can be a great snack for students to sharpen their mental acuity.
Apricot as an antioxidant
Oxidative stress is a phenomenon that occurs due to an imbalance between the production and gathering of reactive oxygen species in cells and tissues and the inability of the body to detoxify these reactive compounds.6 Oxidative stresses produce reactive oxygen species and free radicals that can damage macromolecules (lipids, nucleic acids, and proteins) and cause tissue injuries. These processes might lead to chronic diseases like cancer, ulcers, diabetes, heart-related conditions, and inflammation. Due to its rich phytochemical composition, apricot might exhibit antioxidant properties.
Apricots for infections
There are different types of apricots available in the market all over the world. Japanese apricots are famous in helping the body’s digestive tract from colonisation of H. pylori. They also exhibit antibacterial activity as provision from organisms like Bacillus subtills and Staphylococcus aureus.
Apricots for heart health
Heart diseases are prevalent these days. The risk factors which cause heart attacks and strokes are high cholesterol levels, atherosclerosis and many other conditions. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties are present in apricots, which are good for heart health. It reduces the risk of heart-stroke attacks and prevents cholesterol from forming layers in your arteries.
Apricot for liver
Fatty liver disease, also called hepatic steatosis, is fat accumulation in the liver. Hepatic steatosis might lead to steatohepatitis (liver inflammation with fat accumulation), cirrhosis (healthy liver tissue replaced with scar tissue leading to permanent liver damage), and advanced fibrosis. Apricot might affect hepatic steatosis, as seen in animal models.
Apricot for Immune system
Apricots are enriched with elements like anti-inflammatory and antioxidants, which offer essential vitamins and protein to your body and enhance your immune system. Apricots boost the innate and adaptive immune system, which protects the body from harmful pathogens.
Other benefits of apricots
Anaemia: Apricot is rich in vitamin C and copper iron, which help the body in iron absorption, which helps in fighting anaemia.
Strengthen bones: Apricot is enriched with calcium and phosphorous, which helps strengthen the bones.
Erection Problem: Eating apricots regularly in the right amount can help you get rid of erectile dysfunction, which helps in bringing back pleasure in your sexual life.
Skin: Apricot oil helps clean the skin and make it look healthier. It cures diseases of the skin like scabies, eczema and itching.
Side Effects of Apricot
Following are some side effects of apricots:
- Bitter apricot seed can cause mild cyanide toxicity; its symptoms are dizziness, nausea, headache and vomiting, which can lead to ptosis, loss monitoring, cyanosis, and arterial hypotension.
- Weight gain and a spike in blood sugar as it contains high calories and carbohydrates.
Conclusion
In conclusion, you can benefit from apricots in any form, whether fresh fruits, dried fruits or oils. You can enjoy their tart taste and have tons of healthy effects on your body. But within limit otherwise, they can cause severe issues in your body.
Also, buying them at affordable rates can be a task, so that you can buy them from a trusted online platform in Pakistan, Leyjao. PK, there you can buy dried apricots and badam onlineand not just this, you can avoid issues like dry fruits shop near me as you can buy anything from them online 24/7.
