Apricots: benefits and harms to human he alth, properties and contraindications

Apricot fruits are valued for their special taste and value. Fruits begin to appear on household plots at the end of June, and fruiting continues until the end of summer. Many people have heard about the usefulness of fresh fruits, but only a few think that the abuse of fruit can be dangerous. To present the full picture, you should find out what are the benefits and harms of apricots.

Composition and main components

Calorie content of 100 g of apricots is 43 kcal. When using one fruit, a person receives no more than 12 kcal. The fruit is famous for its rich content of folic acid, vitamins A, B and H.The product is valued due to its high potassium content. It contains a large list of various mineral compounds, including iodine and iron. Apricot is rich in sucrose and dietary fiber, the latter contribute to the improvement of the food system and the acceleration of metabolism.

Benefits and harms to the body

Apricot is considered a valuable product for the entire human body. The peculiarity of the fruit lies in its versatility, it can be consumed fresh and dried, prepared from it decoctions and jams, used as an ingredient in decoctions and teas. Recipes for winter preparations are very popular with housewives, with the help of which the valuable qualities of the product can be preserved for a long period of time.

For women

For women who control body weight or want to lose weight, apricot is considered an indispensable product.The low calorie content of the product allows you to include it in the diet of losing weight. The pleasant taste and natural sweetness of the fruit can reduce the level of stress that inevitably arises when a person has to give up previously available products. It is a great substitute for traditional sweets and candies.

For women suffering from painful and heavy menstrual cycles, the use of apricots is a direct indication. During the period of the arrival of menstruation, their hemoglobin drops sharply, the level of which can easily be raised by eating fruits. The fruits contribute to the normalization of blood composition, the elimination of dizziness and the removal of spasms.

For men

Due to the high content of B vitamins in apricots, its use has a positive effect on the functioning of the nervous system, allowing you to be more focused when solving complex problems. Phosphorus and magnesium are natural stimulants that can improve the functioning of brain cells.

Fruit is recommended to be included in the diet with great mental and physical stress, a feeling of apathy or chronic fatigue.

The use of apricots helps to increase potency, as it increases blood flow in the groin area. They act as a prophylactic against diseases of the prostate gland. Men over the age of 45 are at risk of developing heart pathologies, fruits help prevent pathological processes, atherosclerotic manifestations and thrombosis.

Use during pregnancy

Apricot contains a lot of iron. For pregnant women suffering from anemia while carrying a child, it becomes a valuable source of replenishing the mineral deficiency in the body. Regular use of it helps to normalize the production of red blood cells and normalizes the blood.

Women during pregnancy often suffer from edema, which negatively affects their well-being.Apricot fruits have a diuretic effect and contribute to the natural removal of excess fluid. In women, pressure normalizes, headaches stop bothering them and vomiting decreases. Due to the rich composition of apricot, its use has a positive effect on the development of the baby and allows you to preserve the beauty of a woman.

Apricot is useful when breastfeeding, as it stimulates the production and quality of milk, increasing its fat content. The fruit helps to remove bitterness from it, which often appears in women with malnutrition.

Children

For children, apricots are a delicious treat that can quickly eliminate hunger and replenish energy. Fruits help to increase immunity, which has a beneficial effect on the child's ability to resist viral and infectious diseases. The natural source of minerals and vitamins in the form of apricot helps children develop normally physically and mentally.

Healing properties of apricot help to cope with the problem of seizures in children. Such properties are possessed by dry fruits - kaisa, apricots, dried apricots. The composition of the juice includes special substances that can affect the processes of excitability of the brain, thereby affecting convulsive states.

Elderly people

Older people often suffer from various types of digestive disorders. To solve problems of this kind, it is enough to consume apricots daily, you can eat up to 100 g of pulp per day in order to feel better. Apricot fibers gently affect the gastric mucosa, help normalize the acidity of gastric juice and normalize the pancreas.

The complex effect has a positive effect on the functioning of the gallbladder and liver.

Due to the presence of carotenoids, apricot has a positive effect on the function of vision. It is recommended to include it in the diet for problems with the eye muscles, as a prophylactic for the threat of developing cataracts or glaucoma.

What is the best way to use

Apricot can be consumed fresh or dried, as both forms contain a large amount of nutrients. Preparing jams and desserts is a good way to preserve the value of the product for the winter, but the amount of vitamins in the product is reduced due to heat treatment.

Ripe fruit

The advantage of fresh apricots is the ability to obtain a valuable source of vitamins immediately in food. A fresh harvest makes it possible to immediately eat fruits, without requiring time for additional processing. When using, you should take into account the list of contraindications, which will not harm the body.

Dried apricots

Specialists, speaking about the benefits of dried apricots, put it in first place compared to fresh fruits.This is due to the fact that the dried product contains more nutrients per gram of fruit weight. Dried apricots are especially suitable for those who need an additional source of vitamins and minerals during the recovery period after surgery. For pregnant women, it becomes a valuable product during the period of shortage of fresh fruits in the cold season.

What is the benefit of apricot juice

Apricot juice retains a complete list of vitamins and minerals found in fresh fruit. It is also able to remove toxins from the body. With its use, the risk of developing cholesterol plaques is reduced, and tannins help strengthen the intestinal walls. The antibacterial properties of the product help in the fight against bacteria.

In addition to a positive effect on all important organs of the body, it helps to cope with beriberi and anemia.With the use of 10 ml of juice per day, improvements in the work of the stomach are observed, and the stool is normalized. For pressure problems, it should be taken 0.5 cup 3 times a day before meals.

Can I eat green apricots

Unripe apricots are not recommended for eating, as they do not contain the proper beneficial components that the human digestive system would be able to accept. The use of such fruits can cause poisoning, accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea, fever and other characteristic signs of intoxication.

For what diseases is the apricot diet recommended

With the help of apricots, you can easily lose weight, and most importantly, it's pleasant. The problem of weight is often not only aesthetic, excessive excess of body weight, in comparison with the norm, can be the cause of various kinds of diseases. The main ones include:

• diseases of the cardiovascular system;
• pressure problems;
• diseases of the joints;
• hormonal imbalance;
• gynecological problems.

Apricot diet is often prescribed when necessary to improve the functioning of the digestive system. The therapeutic effect when fruits are included in the diet is obtained in the form of normalization of kidney function. Due to the ability of apricots to improve blood composition, it is often used to prevent various heart diseases.

Apricot diet involves a number of rules. Fresh fruits are included in the diet, preparing salads, fresh juices, juices or eating them fresh. At the same time, the main food products are excluded. Such a restriction in food intake should last no more than 5 days, otherwise negative stress for the body will be obtained.During the diet, you need to eat in small portions, before meals and after meals, take clean water without gases. They eat up to 1.5 kg per day, as a result, the loss can be from 3 to 5 kg.

If you want to resort to a less severe restriction on food, you can include foods in the menu that contain a lot of iron and potassium. Regardless of the type of diet chosen, you can resort to the benefits of apricot no more than 1 time per month.

Who should abstain from fruits

Apricot should not be taken uncontrollably, as it has a number of contraindications. It can harm people with symptoms of chronic gastritis and exacerbations of peptic ulcers. With caution, the fruit should be consumed in violation of the thyroid gland and the presence of hepatitis. The body in such diseases does not absorb the keratin contained in apricots well, so it is more expedient for them to organize the intake of vitamin A in its pure form.

It is worth excluding such fruit from the diet for patients with diabetes. Some varieties of apricot contain up to 80% sucrose, the intake of which in such a disease should be kept under control.

Some people like to eat apricot kernel nuts, which can be dangerous. Nuts contain amygdalin, the excess of which is dangerous for humans. The allowable amount per day for an adult is the number of grains in the amount of 20 g. The concentration of a hazardous substance can be reduced by heat treatment of the seeds and their contents.

Use of fruit pulp in cosmetology

At home, apricot and its oil can be used to prepare cosmetics and care products, including masks for the face, body and hair. The fruit is considered a "savior" for problem skin, as it normalizes the sebaceous glands and helps cleanse pores.The oil has a unique biological activity, and when it enters tissue cells, aging is prevented. Suitable for all skin types, it enhances the look and tone of the skin.

Apricots are often included in traditional creams, masks and shampoos. Due to the large amount of organic substances, the effect of rejuvenation is ensured when using such products. Carotene helps to moisturize the skin, while retinoid prevents flaking and inflammation. When applied to the surface of the skin, a protective film appears, and due to ascorbic acid, the effect of smoothing wrinkles is provided.

Which fruits to choose and how long an apricot can be stored

When choosing apricots, you need to pay attention to the appearance of the fruit. Quality fruits meet the following criteria:

• uniform coloring of fruits, the presence of any color spots and inclusions is unacceptable;
• pleasant fruit flavor;
• elastic pulp that does not deform when pressed;
• no cracks, rot or signs of impact.

Apricots of dark orange color or with a brownish matte surface of the skin are of greater value. The presence of shine indicates the processing of fruits with glycerin.

The length of the shelf life depends on environmental factors, the method chosen and the degree of maturity of the product. Fresh fruits at a temperature of 0 C and a humidity of 90% are stored from 7 to 14 days. When stored above +20 ^{C the fruit darkens and loses its nutritional value.}

Dried apricots at room temperature retain their qualities for 30 days, while it must be tightly sealed in a bag. In the refrigerator, the period is extended up to 6 months. Apricot jam can be stored from 1 to 5 years, depending on the quality of the sterilization of the jars and their tightness.

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