Apricots - A Delicious Fruit Or Natural Medicine

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

Apricot is a fruit known to people for millennia. Archaeological excavations in the ancient Armenian city of Shenchovit, near Yerevan, have uncovered layered apricot excavations dating back to 6,000 BC. The first written mention of apricots was 4,000 years ago in a letter from a Chinese resident.

Well known to us apricot originates as a variety from the Hindu Kush highland region - Central Asia, where today the borders of China, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan meet. Natural forest and very old apricot trees can still be found in northeastern China and the Caucasus.

It is believed that the ancient nation of the Tajiks were the first to cultivate this tree. Apricot was their only source of sugar, so over the centuries they developed a good selection and created varieties such as Amery and Hodgendi, which when dried contained up to 85% sugar.

It is a well-known fact to derontologists that the Hunzi nation that inhabited the highlands of northern Pakistan, not far from where apricots originated, are the healthiest and longest-lived people in the world. According to researchers and medical scientists who studied the life of the Huns in their natural environment in the 1950s and 1960s, 100% of them had perfect eyesight, and cancer, heart attack, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and even appendicitis and gout were unknown. conditions for them.

Older women and men had the opportunity to enjoy life. You must be wondering what they ate to be so strong and healthy at the age of 100 or even 120. Surprisingly for everyone, nothing special was found in their ordinary food. The only thing that distinguished the Huns' food from traditional Western diets was that they did not consume animal fats.

Throughout the year, their diet was rich in dried fruits and nuts, with apricots and apricot kernels predominating, and their main source of fat was apricot seeds. Apricots were such an important part of the Huns' life that, in fact, in their valley, a person's wealth was measured by the number of apricot trees he owned.

Apricot kernels contain an average of 21% protein and 52% vegetable oil and are widely used as a substitute for almonds in the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. Due to its high content of amygdalin, apricot seeds are a source of vitamin B17 and are used in alternative medicine in cancer therapy.

However, it should be noted that apricot seeds must be well roasted before direct consumption, as they can be poisonous if taken raw in large quantities. In addition, this fruit itself is a bit of a natural pharmacy. The American Cancer Society notes that apricots, like other fruits rich in carotene, reduce the risk of cancer of the larynx, esophagus and lungs.

Only a handful of apricots contain 100% of the recommended daily dose of beta carotene - a powerful antioxidant that transforms our body into Vitamin A. It strengthens our immune system and is good for the eyes, hair, skin, gums and glands. Cobalt and copper, found in apricots and especially their high iron content, make them useful in the fight against anemia and make this fruit an indispensable ingredient in baby food.

Apricots are too and a source of potassium and has been clinically proven that fresh and dried fruits, as well as nectars, are a very good alternative to chemical diuretics. The chemical element boron, which is also found in apricots, has recently been identified as one of the main factors in preventing osteoporosis by helping menopausal women maintain their estrogen levels.

The endless list of remarkable food and medicine ingredients of apricots and their nuts can be extended further. Not surprisingly, dried apricots, rich in minerals, macro and micronutrients, were number one on NASA astronauts' list of provisions.

Apricots are an extremely useful fruit for relieving constipation. This property is due to the high amount of fiber that supports digestive processes and stimulates intestinal movement. In addition to constipation, apricots successfully fight bloating, as well as unpleasant gas in the intestines, which create a feeling of heaviness and discomfort.

Apricots are believed to have excellent anti-inflammatory properties. For this reason, it is good to consume for arthritis and gout.

The fruits relieve high fever. This is due to the combination of vitamins, minerals and valuable detoxifying fluids in the fruit.

According to some studies, apricots can relieve asthma symptoms and asthma attacks. For this purpose, the use of apricot essential oil is recommended.

Undoubtedly apricots are an extremely healthy food for every age, but they must also be delicious to be an integral part of our diets. Unlike other types of fruit, however, apricots cannot develop their organic ingredients after being picked.