Such a thing as dried fruits is familiar to everyone. To this also applies dried apricots. It is made from ripe juicy apricots, and even in dried form this product has valuable for human health qualities. They can be used by adults and children, they help to overcome various diseases and bring significant benefits to pregnant and lactating women. What are the useful properties of dried apricots, and in what cases can it be recommended for use? Let's find out!
What is dried apricots?
Dried apricots are dried fruits, which are dried apricots without pits. They are produced by natural drying, which occurs under the influence of direct sunlight for 7-8 days.
Note! In order to get 1 kg of dried apricots you need about 4 kg of fresh apricots!
The best is a large dried apricots with medium elastic flesh of a faint hue. Nobody will argue that bright orange dried fruits look pretty attractive, so you always want to buy them. But in fact, the juicy color indicates the presence of chemicals, which were used in the processing to give the dried apricots a presentation. How apricot looks usable can be seen in the following photo.
About the benefits of dried apricots
The benefits of dried apricots are in the vital components that make up its composition. They make it so demanded.
- Pectins - have a unique ability to remove from the body salts of heavy metals and radionuclides;
- vegetable fibers are substances that are responsible for the purity of the intestines;
- dried apricot will track the level of cholesterol. For this reason, it is an excellent tool for preventing cardiovascular diseases;
- cleansing of the kidneys is also included in the list of useful properties of this product - brew compote from it and get the maximum benefit, while enjoying the taste of the drink;
Important! Medicine is recommended to give compote from dried apricots even to small children - it fills the growing body with vitamins and prevents the development of spring vitamin deficiency!
- these dried fruits take an active part in the process of hematopoiesis, increasing the number of blood cells. Therefore, dried apricots are very useful to include in your diet at a low level of hemoglobin and with anemia;
- experimentally proved that this product contains special substances that can slow down the development of cancer cells;
- sour varieties of dried apricots will help to overcome colds and save from a headache.
. What else is the use of dried apricots? Its regular use positively affects the condition of the skin and hair, it improves eyesight and prevents hypertension. A thick broth on the basis of this product shows a diuretic effect, so it is often prescribed for diseases of the heart and kidneys.
Thyroid dysfunction is also included in the list of indications for eating dried apricots. In addition, it is included in some homeopathic preparations, which makes it possible to reduce the need for the use of synthetic drugs and seek help from natural remedies.
Dried apricots weakens or strengthens? There is an unambiguous answer to this question - these dried fruits stimulate intestinal peristalsis and have a mild laxative effect. And to prepare a remedy for constipation is very simple: 6 dried fruits in a glass of boiling water and drink in the morning on an empty stomach.
Pregnancy Period
And what is the use of dried apricots for women? In fact, dried apricots are very important for the maintenance of the female body, especially during pregnancy.
- Orange dried fruit is a source of calcium, which is necessary for the normal formation of the fetal skeleton.
- They greatly facilitate the manifestation of toxicosis and prevent digestive problems.
- Dried apricot during pregnancy replenishes the need of the female body in the sweet. After all, as you know, chocolate and sweets during this period to use is not desirable, so doctors recommend to replace them with sweet and healthy dried apricots.
Important! For pregnant women, the daily norm of dried apricots should not exceed 100 grams!
Lactation period
Can I breastfeed a mother feeding dried apricots? And even in such an equally responsible period, these dried fruits must be introduced into your diet. All the beneficial substances contained in this product enter the body through the mother's milk and work for many organs and systems:
- supports the work of the heart muscle;
- removes excess sodium from the body;
- stimulates the work of the nervous system;
- improve the condition of muscle tissue.
For the most nursing mother of dried apricots is also very useful. It helps to restore strength after childbirth, normalizes blood pressure and relieves fatigue, and normalizes kidney function and is an excellent prevention of constipation.
For weight loss
There is an opinion that dried apricots can help in losing weight. Let's figure it out.
- The caloric content of dried apricots is about 232 kcal per 100 g, which is quite a lot, but at the same time less than in sweets, chocolate and flour products.
- These dried fruits are very nutritious, so you can not eat a lot of them.
Note! For the two reasons described above, nutritionists recommend using dried apricots for snacks - they help to quickly restore strength, overcome the feeling of hunger without stuffing your stomach!
- The main part of dried apricots is carbohydrates, which provide energy and are quickly consumed.
- It contains sugar - glucose and fructose - which make it sweet, but it does not harm your health.
- It exhibits a diuretic effect that helps to get rid of accumulated fluid in the body.
- Thanks to a large amount of fiber, the intestines are cleared, metabolism and digestion are improved.
Caution - damage possible!
Apparently, dried apricots bring a lot of benefit to the body, but it should be remembered that in some cases its use can cause harm.
- In hypotension, the use of dried apricots should be limited.
- Abuse of these dried fruits can lead to stomach upset or an allergic reaction.
- If you have diabetes before eating dried apricots, especially sweet varieties, you need to consult a doctor.
After buying, dried apricots should be processed. Rinse it in several waters, and if you bought bright dried fruits, it would be superfluous to soak them for half an hour in water.