Health benefits of apricots
Fresh
fruits are low in calories, composing just 50 calories per 100 g weight.
Nonetheless, they are rich source of dietary fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and
minerals. The fruits are enriched with numerous health promoting
phyto-chemicals; that helps prevent heart disease, reduce LDL, ("bad
cholesterol") levels and offer protection against cancers.
Apricots
are excellent sources of vitamin-A, and carotenes. 100 g fresh fruits have 1926
IU or 64% of daily-required levels of vitamin A. Both 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 the body from lung and oral
cavity cancers.
Fresh
fruits contain vitamin-C, another natural anti-oxidant. Vitamin-C helps the
body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful
oxygen-free radicals.
They are
an 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 help regulate 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, zea xanthin and beta cryptoxanthin.
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.
Further,
zea-xanthin, 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 zea-xanthin helps eyes protect from age-related macular disease (AMRD),
especially in the elderly people.
Dr.S.Senthil Karunakaran,
M.D(Siddha)
AVIZTHAM SIDDHA HOSPITAL
No 6, Mounasamy Mutt Street,
Ambattur O.T, Chennai – 53
Contact no: 9444403023
Email; drkarunakaran@gmail.com
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