8 Surprising Benefits of Dried Apricots

There are divided opinions about the origins of the apricot fruit. But there are no doubts that it’s one of nature’s elixirs.

This stone fruit, that looks like a peach but actually tastes like purple plums, is sometimes referred to as Armenian fruit. It usually weighs around 35 grams and can be about 4-5cm in diameter. It has a single pit located in the middle and surrounded by its edible flesh which has a crunchy and aromatic taste. The seed is encased in a stony shell which is commonly known as a “stone.”

Apricots are packed with life-giving nutrients including vitamin C, vitamin A, and Potassium among other nutrients. They provide an excellent source of dietary fiber, a number of health-promoting phytochemicals, and minerals. And they comprise only 48 calories for every 100 grams.

Fresh Fruits vs. Dried Fruit

Fresh fruits have some pluses and minuses when you compare them with dried fruit. However, the fundamental difference is that you take out the water from the fruit. Depending on the method used for drying, both options have their pros and cons. The first, and perhaps obvious advantage is that you immediately extend the shelf life.

Of course, the percentage of the water, minerals, and vitamins will vary from one fruit to the other. But in terms of differences, let’s consider apricots for instance. Drying the water would concentrate the nutrients as well as the calories.

One cup of fresh apricots, sliced into halves, contains about 86 percent water and 74 calories. A similar cup of dried apricots on the other hand contains 76 percent water and 212 calories. Similarly, fresh apricots contain roughly 3.1 grams of fiber while dried ones contain about 6.1 grams of fiber.

Therefore, dried apricots can provide a higher concentration of nutrients per fruit when compared to the fresh variety. So if you are exercising or undertaking physical activity such as hiking, dried apricots would be a plus because they are energy-dense.

However, on the minus aspect, having more calories concentration could prove a stumbling block if you are trying to lose weight. The heat from the drying process could also affect heat-sensitive nutrients like vitamin C which would decrease in number.

Surprising Benefits of Dried Apricots

Dried fruits tend to preserve the nutrients even longer, especially when the fruits are fragile or go bad quite fast. Even though some of the nutrients may degrade, especially the water-soluble ones, the rest of the nutrients become more concentrated.

But there are more surprising benefits of apricots you may want to know. They include:

1. Increased Concentration of Nutrients

As earlier mentioned, dried fruits have a higher concentration of nutrients than the fresh ones. Apricots are no different and the concentration of nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber becomes significantly when they are dried. The only exceptions would perhaps be the water soluble nutrients such as vitamin C.

2. Promoting Eye Health

Dried apricots are a natural source of vitamin E and vitamin A, which has numerous amazing health benefits. Apricots contain beta-carotene, the inactive form of vitamin A, which the body breaks down into the active form.

Studies show that vitamins A and E play an important role preventing or mitigating age-related eye disorders. Other studies have shown that other caretonoids found within apricots can help reduce oxidative stress on the retinas and lenses of our eyes. This would promote great eye health even as we age.

3. Improving Bone Mineral Density

Post-menopausal women and many aging adults experience low bone density. It’s actually one of the most common causes of many bone disorders such as osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and other similar disorders.

Dried apricots contain boron, a natural mineral with amazing health benefits. Research studies have found Boron to have diverse and important roles in functional properties of bone health. They’ve found evidence that it increases bone health, bone healing, and bone metabolism.

Therefore, it can have a profound effect on your bone health, and allow for changes in the composition, structure, and overall strength of your bones. According to these studies, Boron may prevent or mitigate bone disorders such as osteoporosis.

4. Skin Damage and The Effects of Aging

Vitamins and dietary carotenoids have been known to play a vital role in overall skin health and appearance. In fact, many nutricosmetic products ensure their products feature the vital vitamins and natural carotenoids.

Studies show that proper nutrition is critical for skin health and appearance and apricots may be as close as you can get to that perfect skin nutrition. Dried Apricots contain these vital nutrients in spades. They contain beta-carotene, which your body converts into vitamin A (retinol). Research shows that it may offer extra protection against the potential dangers of UV rays such as sunburns.

5. Treatment of Anemia

Pregnant and menstruating women often face the greatest risk of anemia. This is the condition in which your blood doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells to transport the required amount of oxygen to body’s tissues, you are considered to be anemic.

This can be a temporary condition or a long term condition which results from a deficiency of iron. Eating iron-rich foods is the best way to prevent and treat anemia. Dried apricots are a great, natural source of iron. You can get about 3.5 milligrams of iron from a cup of dried apricot (halves).

While they may not exactly meet your daily nutritional requirements for iron, they have the added benefit of vitamin C. Research shows that vitamin C enhances the absorption of iron in our bodies.

6. May Help Reduce Blood Pressure

Dried apricots are a rich source of Potassium, a mineral linked with promoting healthy blood pressure. You can get around 259mg of potassium out of every 100 grams of apricots.

A study conducted in 2013 showed high quality evidence that consuming potassium may reduce high blood pressure in individuals suffering from hypertension. The study further inferred that a higher intake of potassium was linked to a 24 percent reduction on the risk of stroke.

Potassium is also an electrolyte which works closely with other minerals such as sodium to providing fluid balance to your body. It’s also responsible for regulating nerve signals and muscle contractions.

7. Promoting Gut Health

Dried apricots contain about 2 grams of dietary fiber for every 100 grams of fruit. Dietary fiber is known to delay the movement of food as it goes through your digestive tract. Dietary fiber feeds the good gut bacteria, which leads to a healthier gut.

Trillions of bacteria live in your body, mostly in your intestines. They are incredibly important for your health and the foods you eat determine the type of bacteria that get to live in your body. Research shows that a healthier gut microbiome may lower the risk of obesity.

Dried apricots contain both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber. As studies show, dietary fiber may provide more health benefits such as maintaining healthy blood sugar levels as well as cholesterol levels.

8. Rich in Antioxidants

Apricots contain many antioxidants, which include beta carotene and other vitamins with antioxidant properties. However, apricots also contain flavonoids, which is a group of antioxidants linked with positive effects on illnesses such heart diseases and diabetes.

Flavonoids work by neutralize free radicals in our bodies, which are responsible for causing oxidative stress and damaging our cells. What’s more, consuming flavonoids may help lower inflammation. A 2015 study found growing evidence that flavonoids have an anti-inflammatory effect in relation to certain chronic diseases.

Therefore, adding dried apricots to our daily diets can help provide a healthy, natural supply of these vital compounds.

What’s the Recommended Intake of Dried Apricots?

There isn’t a specific information about the right dosage of dried apricots. However, when it comes to fruit intake, the (general) rule of thumb is that, a half cup of dried fruit is considered a full cup of fresh fruit.

While dried apricots are packed with nutrients and vital compounds, they are also calorie-dense. So you may want to go easy on the portion sizes and start with a cup of dried apricots per day.

Our Dried Apricot Products

Our range of dried apricot products provide varied and easy ways to add the amazing benefits of dried apricots to your daily diets. They include organic dried seeds, pits, seed meals, and other extracts.

Fresh apricots start to lose their efficacy if not consumed quicker. But dried apricots provides a much longer shelf life which ensures you get to consume the same vital nutrients for a much longer period.

Order any of our dried apricot extracts today and begin to enrich your diet with their amazing nutrients.