Apricot Benefits: Why People Love the Peach-Like Fruit

Apricots and peaches are stone fruits from the botanical family Rosaceae. Both fruits are highly nutritious and range in color from yellow to orange, with reddish tones.

Apricots are smaller, though, about a quarter of the size of a peach. Peaches are sweeter and have more water, making them juicier than apricots. One small peach has about 10.9 grams (g) of sugar, while a typical apricot has about 3.23 g.

Almost 90% of the world's apricots come from the United States, mainly California. Apricots are a functional food packed with essential nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants that promote good health.

This article discusses the nutritional breakdown and health benefits of apricots.

Apricot: A Stone Fruit With Generous Benefits

Apricots are the "golden fruit" for their sweet/tart taste and abundant health benefits. Apricots, in their natural state, are a nutrient-dense, low-calorie food.

High in Fiber

Soluble fiber binds to cholesterol in the intestines and removes it from the body. Eating 5 to 10 grams of soluble fiber daily can lower total and low-density lipiprotein (LDL) cholesterol by 5 to 11 points or more. Lowering cholesterol can influence heart and liver health.

Soluble fiber also helps maintain blood sugar and reduce body weight. A high-fiber diet may also benefit the gut microbiome and lower the risk of conditions such as:

• Constipation
• Diverticular diseases
• Type 2 diabetes
• Heart disease
• Breast cancer and benign breast disease
• Colorectal cancer

Anti-Inflammatory Properties

Apricots contain compounds that can reduce inflammation. The seeds and kernels also have anti-inflammatory properties. Adding more anti-inflammatory foods to your diet is essential because systemic chronic inflammation is a risk factor for conditions such as:

• Heart disease
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Kidney disease
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
• Autoimmune and neurodegenerative disorders
  

Abundant Antioxidants

Apricots contain antioxidants such as beta-carotene and vitamins A, C, and E. They're also high in flavonoids and other antioxidants that help reduce oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is detrimental to health and linked to cardiovascular disease, neurological conditions, and cancer.

The antioxidants in apricots provide many health benefits, including:

• Improving LDL cholesterol
• Fighting heart disease
• Improving neurodegenerative processes that trigger diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases
  

Promotes Eye Health

Apricots are a good source of vitamins C and E, plus lutein and zeaxanthin. These all promote eye health and may reduce the risk of eye problems such as cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.

Promotes Skin Health

Vitamins C and E and beta-carotene in plant-based foods are linked to skin health, helping to:

• Lower inflammation
• Promote structural support and elasticity
• Reduce the appearance of wrinkles
  

Nutritional Breakdown

Apricots are high in nutritional value. The nutrition breakdown of a single apricot is:

• Calories: 16.8
• Carbohydrates: 3.88 g
• Sugars: 3.23 g
• Protein: 0.4 9g
• Fat: 0.13 g
• Fiber: 0.7 g
• Cholesterol: 0 milligrams (mg)
• Sodium: 0.35 mg
• Potassium: 90.6 mg
• Vitamin A: 33.6 micrograms (mcg)
• Phosphorus: 8.05 mg
• Calcium: 4.55 mg
• Vitamin C: 3.5 mg
• Vitamin E: 0.311 mg
  

Though apricots contain natural sugars, they're not a high-sugar fruit. One cup of fresh apricots has about 14.3 g of sugar. By comparison, a cup of fresh peaches has 12.9 g of sugar.

What Are the Healthiest Forms of Apricots?

Research suggests that the key nutrients in canned and frozen apricots are close, though not the same, as fresh apricots. However, it's important to check if canned and frozen apricots contain other ingredients that increase sugar and calories.

Because the water is removed, dried apricots are much more concentrated than fresh apricots. That means you might be tempted to eat a lot more.

Ounce for ounce, dried apricots have more sugar, calories, and fiber than fresh. There's also some loss of vitamin C during the drying process. And some dried fruit products contain sorbitol, an artificial sweetener with laxative properties.

Apricot Intolerance and Allergy Symptoms

A food intolerance can cause symptoms such as upset stomach and diarrhea.

Oral allergy syndrome is a food allergy to uncooked fruits, among other things. Symptoms start quickly once you eat the fruit and typically last a few minutes. Symptoms include itching and tingling of the mouth, throat, and lips.

Fewer than 5% of people develop a serious, whole-body allergic reaction.

Cyanide Risk of Apricot Kernels (the Pit)

If you crack open the pit of the fruit, you'll find individual kernels. The kernels have separate compartments containing amygdalin and catabolic enzymes. When these two substances come together, they release cyanide. This can happen when you chew or grind the kernels. Gut microbiota can also release cyanide in your intestinal tract.

Eating the fruit won't give you cyanide poisoning. Adults may eat three small apricot kernels or less than half a larger kernel without exceeding safe levels. Toddlers should not consume more than half of one kernel.

Because you have to crack open the pit to get to the kernels, they don't affect the fruit.

Apricot on Glycemic Index

The glycemic index (GI) tells you how different carbohydrates affect blood glucose levels. Foods with a high GI score cause a spike in blood sugar, followed by a crash.

Low GI foods are more beneficial because you digest them slowly, which helps keep blood sugar levels even. A single fresh apricot has a low GI score of about 34.

Dried fruits, including dates, raisins, and apricots, have a low to medium GI score. Research shows that dried fruits have a lower GI score than white bread.

If you have diabetes, you may be advised to limit dried fruits because they're highly concentrated. However, fresh, frozen, or canned apricots without added sugars can be part of a healthy diet.

Summary

When it comes to size, apricots are a fairly small fruit. But ounce for ounce, they're a nutritional powerhouse. Loaded with fiber, antioxidants, and nutrients, they provide a host of health benefits. Yet they're low in fat and calories and score low on the glycemic index.

A delicate blend of sweetness and tartness make apricots highly versatile. You might enjoy them fresh, dried, frozen, or canned. If you're aiming for a high-fiber, anti-inflammatory diet, apricots bring a lot to the table.