Health & Beauty. delivery number 2: The apricot

Every day I will publish a fruit, vegetable or vegetable, highlighting its properties and benefits for health and beauty. In this way we will know more about the natural benefits that we can count on daily if we know more about the fruits, vegetables that we consume or that we see in the market and that we have not yet tested. In today's delivery I will talk about ...

Apricot (Prunus Armenica) is a fruit belonging to the Rosaceae family, the same as peaches and cherries, and it has been consumed for more than 4000 years! The plant is originally from China and was first taken to Armenia, then spread to Europe and America.

An interesting feature of the plant is its ability to adapt to different climates. However, it is preferable to grow it in temperate zones, where during flowering there is no risk of frost. Fruits, on the other hand, depending on the variety, are harvested between June and July.

The apricot, besides being an exquisite fruit, has many beneficial properties for the organism, since it has very few calories because it is made mainly of water, this fruit is very rich in fiber and has a high content of vitamins A and C therefore it is a great antioxidant. Let's see more details of the properties.

The nutritional principles that ennoble apricots are mainly beta-carotene and lycopene. These substances hinder the process by which low-density lipoproteins or LDL cholesterol (the so-called "bad" cholesterol) are formed.

Among the properties of apricots we also find the ability to prevent constipation. The presence of fibers helps to stimulate intestinal peristalsis, favoring the excretion of feces and the detoxification of toxins and foreign substances. The laxative function is completed with the presence of a sugar called sorbitol.

Thanks to its high calcium content, it strengthens bones and teeth.

The carotenoids contained in apricots are important to protect the eyesight, particularly the damage caused by advancing age. In particular, carotenoids help protect the retina, one of the most delicate parts of the eye. This is because the eye's retina has two important antioxidants, namely lutein and zeaxanthin, substances present in the fruit that can filter light and, therefore, protect the eye from phototoxic damage.

The potassium contained in apricots has a regulating action on body fluids, reducing water retention and blood pressure, and on heartbeat.

Apricots, thanks to the abundance of mineral salts and vitamins, are remineralizing and are a valid aid in case of exhaustion, perhaps due to excessive heat or during physical activity. They are excellent as a snack to find some energy.

The presence of soluble fiber in apricots helps keep blood sugar levels under control.

Apricots are rich in minerals essential for the production of sex hormones.

Thanks to its high iron content it can be a valid aid in case of anemia, chronic fatigue, depression and to increase the immune system.

In apricots there are many antioxidants, including vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. They are able to protect against the harmful effects of free radicals, which are responsible for aging and the formation of cancer cells.

From the seeds of the apricots we obtain an oil very used for natural cosmetics. It is used in natural cosmetics for its elasticizing action, to avoid wrinkles and stretch marks and for its protective and emollient properties, since it is capable of stimulating the production of sebum in dry and delicate skins. It can be used as a natural make-up remover, very delicate, to remove makeup products also resistant to water. It is used advantageously for its protective action, which exerts on delicate skin, which protects from external atmospheric agents (sun, cold, wind, etc.) especially in the presence of capillary and cuprous fragility.

Apricots are ideal for eating in purity, such as a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack. Thanks to the high fiber content they have an excellent power of satiety. They are also excellent for breakfast, for example, to enrich a natural yogurt, perhaps adding a bit of "dried fruit and / or whole grains". They are an excellent ingredient for the preparation of tasty homemade cakes, even in salads, in syrup, sweets, cakes, juices.