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Apricotsare fruits that we eagerly reach for throughout the year. Thanks to their beautiful color, we associate them with the sun and holidays. In the summer, we choose mainly fresh pieces, and in the other months, dried apricots. They are tasty both as a snack and as an addition to dishes. What properties do apricots have? How many dried apricots can you eat per day? You will find answers to these and other questions about apricots in the article.

FRESH APRICOTS - NUTRITIONAL VALUES

Apricot is a low-calorie product. 100 g of apricots provide 50 kcal, and 1 medium apricot approx. 25 kcal. This is really little compared to the daily energy requirement of an adult. This means that fresh apricots can also be eaten by people on a slimming diet.

The main nutrient of apricots are carbohydrates. Their content is about 12%. They are also a source of dietary fiber (over 2% content), a small amount of protein (1.5%) and fat (approx. 0.5%).

Fresh apricots provide our body with various vitamins (A, C, E, K, B vitamins) and valuable bioactive compounds. They are a source of minerals, including: potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and iron.

DRIED APRICOTS - NUTRITIONAL VALUES

Dried apricots is a more nutritionally concentrated product. As a result of drying, the caloric content of apricots increases 6 times (up to 304 kcal per 100 g).

100 g of dried apricots provide:

as much as 62 g of assimilable carbohydrates,
about 5.5 g of protein,
1.2 g of fat,
10.2 g of dietary fiber.

Dried apricots are also characterized by an increased content of minerals compared to fresh ones. It is also worth mentioning the impressive content of potassium (1666 mg per 100 g of the product). The situation is similar in the case of vitamin A and β-carotene. Dried apricots are one of the best plant sources of these ingredients.

So how many dried apricots can you eat a day? The optimal amount will be 2-3 medium pieces. This will allow you to enrich your diet with valuable nutrients and at the same time will not be a source of very large amounts of energy.

APRICOTS – HEALTH PROPERTIES

Apricots have very large amounts of antioxidant compounds that fight free oxygen radicals, protecting our body from their harmful effects. Among these compounds, it is worth mentioning β-carotene. It regulates the level of cholesterol in the blood, supports the proper functioning of the brain and is an important component in the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases.

A large dose of potassium has a positive effect on the functioning of muscles and the circulatory system. It reduces the risk of diseases within this system, lowers blood pressure.

Consuming apricots improves the condition and color of the skin, brightens discolorations, supports the healing of wounds, acne lesions and has anti-aging properties.

In apricots, we will find numerous phenols (e.g. resveratrol, catechin), which have anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and anti-atherosclerotic effects.

The high content of dietary fiber in dried apricots is also important for humans, which has a multidirectional positive effect on health.

WHICH DRIED APRICOTS TO CHOOSE?

Dried apricots with an intense color are most often available in stores. It is worth remembering that naturally dried fruit does not look so beautiful. Apricots owe this color to additives with preservative properties. We are talking about sulfur dioxide, which is a strong allergen. For this reason, it is better to avoid products preserved with sulfur dioxide, especially in the case of small children and people prone to allergies. A better choice will be dried apricots without its addition, which can be recognized by their dark color.

APRICOTS IN THE DIET

You have no idea for a dish with apricots? You can prepare, for example, a pie with apricots, pancakes or oatmeal. A cocktail made of fresh apricots and raspberries or dried apricots, oranges and spinach is a great idea. Dried apricots are also used to stuff meat.

It is worth enriching your diet with products as nutritionally valuable as apricots. Menus based on ingredients of high nutritional value are available at the Sofra Health Institute. The use of such a diet is especially beneficial for people with metabolic syndrome, cholesterol and blood glucose disorders, atherosclerosis and hypertension.