Apricot

Fruity Box | Apricot |  Apricots is the most beautiful fruit with orange colored. Apricot full of beta-carotene and fiber that are one of the first signs of summer. Although dried and canned apricots are available year-round, fresh apricots with a plentiful supply of vitamin C.

The fruits have almost uniform size, 4-5 cm in diameter, and weigh about 35 g. In structure; it is a drupe; a single seed is surrounded by flesh. The seed is enclosed in a hard stony shell, often called a "stone".

Apricot Health Benefit :

• Fresh fruits are low in calories; but are rich source of dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. They are packed with numerous health promoting phyto-chemicals; that helps prevent heart disease, reduce LDL, ("bad cholesterol") levels and offers protection against cancers.

• Apricots are excellent sources of vitamin-A and carotenes. Both of these compounds are known to have antioxidant properties and are essential for vision. Vitamin-A is also required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin. Consumption of natural fruits rich in carotenes helps protect body from lung and oral cavity cancers.

• Fresh fruits contain vitamin-C, another natural anti-oxidant. Vitamin C helps body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen free radicals.

• They are also good source of minerals such as potassium, iron, zinc, calcium and manganese. Potassium is a heart-healthy mineral; an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure.

• The total anti-oxidant or ORAC value of raw apricots is 1115 umol TE/100 g. Much of this in these fruits comes from some important health promoting flavonoid poly phenolic anti-oxidants such as lutein, zeaxanthin and beta cryptoxanthins. Altogether these compounds act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging, cancers and various disease process.

• Zeaxanthin, a carotenoid selectively absorbed into the retinal "macula lutea" in the eyes where it is thought to provide anti-oxidant and protective light-filtering functions. Thus, consumption of fruits like apricots rich in zeaxanthin helps eyes protect from age-related macular disease (AMRD), especially in the elderly people.