Dried Apricots – Health Benefits, Uses and Important Facts

Dried apricots are a type of fresh apricots that have been dried. Even though they are dried, dried apricots are just as healthy as fresh ones. People know that they are good for your health and skin.

Dried apricots are just as healthy as fresh apricots, but don't have as much water. They have vitamins A, C, and E, as well as iron, fibre, and potassium. Also, they have a lot of energy in them. You can get 313 calories from a cup of these dried fruits.

Dried apricots help ease constipation because they have a lot of fibre. They are also good for your eyes because they have antioxidants like zeaxanthin and lutein in them.

What are dried apricots?

The apricot is in the Rosacea Family. It is also called Prunus Armeniaca. It is said to be a small fruit that is orange and yellow and tastes sour. Fresh ones are often very fragile, though. Fresh apricots are easy to damage, so they wouldn't be able to make the trip after they are picked. Some apricots are dried because of this.

How are apricots dried?

The dried kind comes from a process that involves letting the water in the fruit evaporate. But it is a gentle process that won't change the apricot's nutritional value. It would just break down the vitamins in the fresh fruit because they are water-soluble and sensitive to heat. It will have more of the other nutrients that it has.

Difference between dried and fresh apricots:

One cup of fresh apricots that have been cut in half has about 74 calories and 86 percent water.

On the other hand, the same amount of dried apricots has much less water and about 212 calories.

About 3.1 grams of fibre are in fresh apricots, while 9 grams of fibre are in dried apricots.

So, apricots that have been dried can have more nutrients per fruit than apricots that have not been dried. Dried apricots are high in energy, so they are a good choice if you are working out or going on a physical activity like a hike.

But if you are trying to lose weight, foods with more calories per serving could be a problem. Heat from the drying process could also affect nutrients that are sensitive to heat, like Vitamin C, by making less of it in dried apricots.

Health benefits of dried apricots: 

Dried apricots improve vision

Vitamins E and A are naturally found in dried apricots. Both of these vitamins have a lot of great health benefits. Beta-Carotene is found in apricots, and the body turns it into the active form. More and more evidence suggests that vitamins A, E, and beta-carotene may help prevent or lessen eye problems that come with age.

Dried apricots increase the mineral density of bones

Women who have gone through menopause and many other older adults lose bone density. It's one of the most common reasons why people get bone diseases like osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and others.

Boron, a natural mineral with amazing health benefits, is found in dried apricots. Studies have shown that Boron may be important for the health and function of bones in many different ways. Boron may help with overall bone health, bone healing, and the way bones use energy.

Dried apricots rejuvenate skin

Vitamins and dietary carotenoids have long been known to be important for the health and appearance of the skin as a whole. In fact, a lot of nutricosmetics have important vitamins and natural carotenoids that may be good for your skin.

There is now a lot of evidence that good nutrition is important for the health and look of the skin. Many of these important nutrients can be found in dried apricots. For example, they have beta-carotene, which your body turns into Vitamin A. (retinol). There is a lot of evidence that it may give you more protection from sunburns and the long-term risks of UV rays.

Dried apricots treat anaemia

Women who are pregnant or have their periods often have a high risk of getting anaemia. This is a condition in which your blood doesn't have enough healthy red blood cells to carry enough oxygen to the body's tissues.

Anemia can be either short-term or long-term. Both types are caused by not getting enough iron. The best way to avoid or treat anaemia is to eat foods that are high in iron. About 3.5 mg of iron can be found in a cup of dried apricots (halves).

Dried apricots lower blood pressure

Potassium is a mineral that helps keep blood pressure in a healthy range. Dried apricots have a lot of this mineral. For every 3.5 ounces of apricots, you can expect to get about 259mg of potassium (approximately half a cup of fruits).

Potassium is also an electrolyte that works with other minerals, like sodium, to keep your body's fluids in balance. It might help the body keep track of nerve signals and muscle contractions.

Dried apricots keep gut healthy

About 2 grammes of fibre can be found in every 100 grammes, or 1/2 cup, of dried apricots. Food takes longer to move through your digestive tract when you eat foods with fibre. So, it gives food to the good bacteria in your gut, which may make your gut much healthier.

Your body is home to billions of bacteria, most of which live in your gut. They are very important to your health, and the types of bacteria that live in your body depend on what you eat. Studies show that a healthier microbiome in the gut may lower the risk of becoming obese.

Apricots that have been dried have both soluble and insoluble fibre. New studies show that dietary fibre may have other health benefits, such as helping to keep blood sugar and cholesterol levels at healthy levels.

Dried apricots is packed with antioxidants

Apricots have a lot of antioxidants, like beta carotene and other vitamins that also have antioxidant properties. Flavonoids are also found in apricots. Flavonoids are a group of antioxidants that may help with diseases like heart disease and diabetes.

Flavonoids work by getting rid of free radicals in our bodies. Free radicals are what cause oxidative stress and cell damage. Also, flavonoids may help reduce inflammation if you eat them. A 2015 study found that there is more and more evidence that flavonoids may help fight inflammation in some chronic diseases.

If we eat dried apricots every day, we might get a healthy, natural source of these important compounds.