Health Benefits Of Dried Apricots
As a whole food, dried apricots offer a healthy food source of many different nutrients and as a result they may have some health benefits for the body. They offer a rich source of trace minerals, some important vitamins, polyphenols and healthy carbohydrates. Apricots are popular fruits throughout the globe.
Polyphenols are becoming increasingly popular in the wellness community and it is thought that dried apricots may offer a good source of these. Because of their plant phytochemical contents, apricots are becoming increasingly popular as a functional health food.
If you are looking to get a bit healthier and to also replace some of your snacks with healthier fruits, then dried apricots could be a really good choice for you. If you are looking to make lean gains in the gym, the natural carbohydrate content of dried apricots can support the calorific maintenance of healthy muscle tissue.
While this fruit is abundant in possible health promoting nutrients, the health benefits of dried apricots focus around its antioxidant contents. We will now look at the plant phytochemicals and other compounds within dried apricots in more detail to assess their potential health benefits within the body.
Potential Health Benefits of Dried Apricot Polyphenols
One unique analysis of dried apricots found that they were rich in specific polyphenols. Polyphenols are strong antioxidants providing support for the body’s natural antioxidant systems. Antioxidants are compounds that are able to neutralize free radicals. Free radicals are high energy molecules that are able to damage your DNA and other important cell structures, causing cancer.
Without sufficient levels of antioxidants in the body your cell survival rate drops significantly. Antioxidants cancel out free radicals, preserving the optimal state of the whole body. They are very important for life. The free radical reducing activity of dried apricots was also measured alongside polyphenol content. This was found to be quite significant and dried apricots are thought to be a valuable source of natural antioxidants.
Gallic Acid
The most abundant polyphenol in dried apricots is gallic acid, while dried apricots also contain anthocyanins and beta-carotene. Gallic acid is considered to be a very strong antioxidant in its own right. You can find gallic acid in high amounts in various berries and fruits. It is also considered to be an antiviral compound.
Many potential benefits for reducing risk of heart disease have been identified through studies with gallic acid. This includes an ability to naturally lower blood pressure. Gallic acid was observed to have anti-cancer properties through promoting the healthy regulation of cell growth.
Rutin
Another polyphenol found in high amounts in apricots is rutin. Elevated levels of the flavonoid polyphenol rutin may offer inflammatory and heart protecting effects because of its strong antioxidant abilities. The effects of rutin are so strong that it’s derivatives have been assessed as a potential medicinal drug. Dried apricots also contain polyphenolic kaempferol and quercetin, which will also contribute to their overall antioxidant capacity.
The polyphenol compounds found in dried apricots offer immunoprotecting effects, helping to conserve the antioxidants in the body like vitamin C that is essential to normal immune functioning. These are a couple major health benefits of consuming fresh dried apricots.
Polyphenolic compounds are also considered in many cases to be strong anti-microbials, anti-cancer and anti-allergic compounds. Their actions within the body also contribute to the reduction of risk in developing cardiovascular diseases.
Vitamin C In Dried Apricots
Dried apricots are also a natural source of vitamin C. This is apparent because of the bright orange colouration. Bright colourations are often an indicator of a rich abundance of antioxidants within fruits. Vitamin C seems to be more abundant than vitamin E or beta-carotene in apricots.
Vitamin C has so many potential health benefits and effects within the body. As we have mentioned it is important both as an antioxidant in the body and also as a supporting nutrient for the optimal function of the immune system.
Vitamin C is widely regarded to be a supporting nutrient for proper wound healing. While it also improves collagen production in the body, this supports the healing of damaged connective tissues. Healthy collagen levels are also thought to improve youthfulness of the skin and promote antiaging.
Beta-Carotene In Dried Apricots
After vitamin C, beta-carotene is the next most abundant vitamin within apricots. In 100 grams of dried apricots there is 2163µg of beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is also a potent antioxidant and a preform to vitamin A in the body. Beta-carotene is one of many different carotenoids. When in the right concentrations in the body, beta-carotene is able to lower risk of heart diseases, cancers and also enhance the immune system.
One of the most important roles of vitamin A is its role in normal eyesight. Deficiencies in vitamin A and it’s preforms will increase the risk of degeneration of eye sight. This is often seen in individuals who have age related sight loss. These are other potential health benefits from consuming dried apricots.
Vitamin E In Dried Apricots
After vitamin C and beta-carotene, the next most abundant vitamin in dried apricots is vitamin E. In 100 grams of dried apricots there is 4.33mg of vitamin E. You need at least around 15mg of vitamin E a day.
Vitamin E is recognised as a cell membrane antioxidant that helps in the prevention of lipid peroxidation or oxidation. The antioxidant vitamin E helps to prevent this type of oxidative stress from occurring in the body.
Because of the role that vitamin E has on preventing cell membrane oxidative stress, it is associated with optimal skin health. Consuming foods rich in vitamin E can help to protect the skin from inflammatory diseases. Vitamin E also prevents the skin from having cancer causing events, especially through excessive exposure to the sun. The antioxidant effects of vitamin E are quite essential in the body. This is another potential health benefit from the consumption of dried apricots.
Potassium Content Of Dried Apricots
As mentioned, apricots are also abundant in essential trace minerals such as potassium. With the increase in the consumption of processed foods, potassium levels in the general global population have lowered. The consumption of healthy fruits like apricots is thought to help with improving levels of potassium in the body.
Apricots are really abundant in potassium, per 100 grams of dried apricots there is 1162mg of potassium. For men, the RDA for potassium is 3400mg, while for women it is around 2600mg. For natural potassium nutrient density, apricots are amongst the best foods you can eat.
Potassium is an essential electrolyte required for the normal functioning of the muscles and nervous system. This mineral might also be able to help to improve bone mineral density. Elevated potassium levels help to reduce blood pressure too. This would assist with the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and atherosclerotic plaque build ups in the circulatory system. Potassium is an essential trace mineral that the body needs in good quantities every day.
Summary
Dried apricots are an important whole food that are very popular throughout the globe. They are a nutrient dense source of various trace minerals, some important vitamins and also plant polyphenols. These nutrients and plant compounds could offer potential protective health effects. This could be your next ideal healthy snacking food.
The assessed potential health benefits of dried apricots seem to focus around their antioxidant contents. Dried apricots are abundant in polyphenols. These are strong antioxidants, providing support for the body’s natural antioxidant systems. Gallic acid and rutin seem to be strong natural antioxidants in apricots.
Antioxidants cancel out free radicals, preserving the optimal state of the whole body. Dried apricots also contain high levels of the vitamins C and beta-carotene. These are also important antioxidants involved in maintaining normal immune system functioning and also optimal eyesight. Dried apricots also contain adequate levels of vitamin E, that encourage optimal skin health and help to manage the prevention of cancerous events in the skin. These protective effects result from its antioxidant abilities.
There are also high potassium levels in dried apricots, as there are in various berries and fruits. Potassium is an essential electrolyte required for optimal nervous system and muscle functioning.
Overall, dried apricots offer potential health benefits from cancer prevention to protection from heart diseases as a result of their antioxidant contents. As with most fruits, they do have a high natural sugar content. Some caution must be exercised with their consumption for healthy weight management.
For more interesting articles, see the main articles page below.
