Have you ever considered that somewhere down the fruits isle there is a small, unassuming fruit with surprising secrets that could revolutionize both your dessert recipes and your overall health? Meet the humble apricots. Some might think of these bright colored fruits as just a tasty dessert, treat or ingredient, but this little wonder fruits are packet with incredible health benefits, we will explore inside this article.

Imagine a single little fruit that is not only capable of to satisfy your sweet cravings but also brings health benefits for your eyes and heart and has immense cancer and chronic disease fighting benefits. This fruit, is of course the apricot.

Apricots health benefits

Here is a list of the most important 10 health benefits of apricots and how eating apricots can positively influence your health and well-being.

1. Excellent for eye health - Because they contain good amounts of carotenoids, similar to carrots and xanthophylls, apricots have give us immense health benefits to our eyes. They combat macular degeneration and contribute to maintain an overall good vision.

2. Boosts immunity - We are constantly bombarded with factors that diminish our natural body immunity because our day to day stressful life. Because the high levels of vit. C these little fruits contains, our body will be able to fight diseases more effectively.

3. Calorie management - Because these little fruits are low in calories (about 15-19 calories each, depending on the size and ripening of the fruit) and contain fibers in good amounts, eating them makes us feel full for longer and resist the urge to eat other more calorie dense foods such as sugary treats or over processed foods.

4. Strong and healthy bones - Dissecting the inner parts of apricots one could find iron, calcium, magnesium and other essential minerals that are dearly needed for our bone formation, maintenance and overall health.

5. Healthy skin and radiance - Natural occurring vitamins and minerals in apricots provide them with important health benefits. Combine that with the plethora of antioxidants these fruits contain and one could find himself that by adding only a handful of apricots to his died he could benefits from a healthier skin and radiant complexion. Other skin health benefits of apricots may be reduced aging signs, protection against sun damage and so on.

6. Rock hard digestion - Full of dietary fiber and other digestion aiding elements, apricots could be a great ally for your digestion and regular bowel movement.

7. Antioxidant rich - Like all fruits and vegetables, a big part of the health benefits of apricots come from it's antioxidant complex. These antioxidants in the form of vitamin C, A and E offer a great deal of protection against the oxidative stress produced by our body natural activity and day to day life styles. Because of this apricots help us ward off cancer, chronic disease risk and so on.

8. Fights inflammation - As mentioned above, apricots are packed full of antioxidants, this means adding them to your diet, alongside other healthy foods and a healthy overall lifestyle could massively improve your health. Apricots have anti aging and have anti-inflammatory health benefits because of all the phytochemicals and antioxidants they contain.

9. Hydration help - Not many think of apricots that way but they do have a high water content which support normal day to day healthy body functions.

10. Metabolism boost - Because of all the essential elements we discussed above apricots help improve our metabolism when consumed in moderation. Feel more energetic and be more healthy by incorporating these little wonders into your diet.

What are the health benefits of raw apricot kernels

Just like a double edged sword, eating apricot kernels can provide important health benefits when consumed accordingly and in moderation but can also bring risks to the table when eaten too much.

If you want to eat apricot kernels do so in moderation and only after you have already discuses with a trained professional. Eating to many raw apricot kernels can have severe negative effects to your health.

What are the health benefits of eating dried apricots

The health benefits of dried apricots are similar to those of eating apricots in fresh form, as both forms provide important health benefits such as: good vision, healthy gut, reducing the effects of sun exposure and age, healthy bones and overall healthy died and lifestyle. The main difference between dried apricots and fresh apricots come from sugars and water they contain in different forms. Dried apricots are a more condensed form of normal apricots providing less water and reduced hydration and much more sugars.

A surprising fact about dried apricots is that they usually contain more antioxidants than their fresh form. This is due to the fact that the drying process the apricots go through increase the levels on antioxidants such as beta carotene.

Little known fact about apricots

Here is a little known fact about apricots. Did you know that apricots have been used for centuries in traditional medicine, especially Chinese medicine for their important health benefits?

What to cook with apricots

Apricots are easy to integrate in both sweet dishes like jams, tarts, sorbets and muffins, savory dishes like: salads, platters and meets and can also be integrated into smoothies and drinks. This is another reason to have this little savory fruit in your chitchen in what form you desire.