Dried apricots are a type of dried fruit made from apricots that have had most of the water content removed through drying methods such as sun drying or mechanical dehydration. Dried apricots are a convenient and nutritious snack that is easy to store and portable. They are a good source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and have a sweet, slightly tangy flavor.
Dried apricots can be enjoyed on their own or used in a variety of dishes, such as cereals, trail mixes, baked goods, and salads. They can also be rehydrated by soaking them in water or adding them to recipes that include liquid.
Composition, calorie content, and nutritional value of dried apricots
The composition of the product is very rich, and the benefits and harms of dried apricots for the human body depend on it. Dried fruits contain:
- mineral components – copper and iron, calcium and phosphorus, cobalt;
- elements magnesium, potassium, and manganese;
- vitamins C and A and B1, B2 and B5;
- fiber and starch;
- organic acids;
- ash;
- fructose and glucose.
In terms of nutrients, dried apricots are mainly carbohydrates – 51g of the total. Dried fruits have about 5g of proteins, and there are few fats – only about 0.3g.
The calorie content of the product is average – 100g of dried fruit is 215 kcal.
Useful properties of dried apricots
Dried apricots are a nutritious and flavorful food that can offer a variety of health benefits. Here are a few potential health benefits of dried apricots:
- Helps to cleanse the body and remove toxins, toxic substances, and even heavy metals;
- Strengthens the cardiovascular system and improves the condition of blood vessels;
- Improves skin condition;
- Improves digestion and bowel emptying;
- Improves the functioning of the pancreas and thyroid gland;
- Helps to get rid of dysbiosis during the use of antibiotics;
- Works to prevent cancer and benign tumors;
- Helps balance blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease;
- The calcium and potassium in dried apricots may help to support healthy bones;
A good source of a variety of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, and iron;
Dried apricots are good for the kidneys – they allow you to remove excess fluid from the body. Due to the high iron content, dried fruits are recommended for use after serious illnesses and previous procedures.
For women
The use of dried apricots in a woman’s body is that dried fruits have a positive effect on the gynecological area. Funds based on it help with urinary diseases, and dried fruits eliminate swelling, and protect the female body from malignant tumors. The product effectively regulates the hormonal level, and dried apricots are also actively used in diets aimed at weight loss.
For men
The benefits of dried apricots for men’s health are that dried fruits improve heart function and strengthen blood vessels, thus reducing the risk of ischemia in adulthood. The properties of the product also have a favorable effect on reproductive capacity and increase potency, protecting against prostate tumors.
Dried apricots increase endurance and supplement the body’s energy reserves. Therefore, it is recommended to use dried fruits for athletes.
For children
It is difficult to overestimate the benefits of dried apricots for children – dried fruits are responsible for the healthy development of bone and muscle tissue, good blood circulation, and active brain activity. Dried apricots tone and improve mood, so it is especially necessary for a child during intensive development.
For the first time, you can add dried fruits to the infant’s diet after six months of life. The first portions should be very small, no more than 1 teaspoon. Later, the amount of the product can be increased – for example, the daily dose of dried fruit for school children can be around 15 g.
Attention! Since dried fruits have their own contraindications, it is possible to offer them to a child for the first time only after consultation with a pediatrician.
Is it possible to have dried apricots for pregnant and lactating women
The benefits of dried apricots during pregnancy are quite large – the product has a mild laxative effect and prevents constipation. Dried fruits compensate for the lack of nutrients in the body and eliminate anemia, strengthen the expectant mother’s heart, and have a positive effect on the fetus.
But at the same time, pregnant women should remember the increased calorie content of dried fruits. It is better not to exceed the recommended servings, otherwise, dried fruits will harm the figure, and it will be more difficult to restore the shape after childbirth.
As for breastfeeding, the properties of dried fruits during breastfeeding do not harm, but only have a strengthening effect on the body of the mother and the baby. It is especially useful to use the product together with buckwheat porridge and walnuts. But, of course, you need to monitor the baby’s reaction, if the baby is allergic to dried fruits, you need to abandon dried apricots.
Are dried apricots useful for weight loss?
The benefits of dried apricots for weight loss are the high fiber content. Dried fruits stimulate peristalsis and help get rid of toxins, remove edema and regulate appetite. All this contributes to rapid weight loss.
You need to eat dried fruits in the diet in small quantities – no more than 80g per day. Otherwise, a high-calorie product will damage the image, because the excess carbohydrate is deposited in the fatty tissue.
Many women spend fasting days on dried apricots – a portion of 200g is divided into 6 parts and consumed during the day, washed down with plenty of water. With a strict diet, you can lose weight very quickly, but it should last no more than a day, and fasting days should be used no more than once a week.
Benefits and harms of dried apricots for diabetes
The benefits and harms of dried apricots for human health in diabetes mellitus are unclear. On the other hand, dried fruits contain a lot of valuable components that are very useful in this disease. But on the other hand, it contains quite a lot of sugar, and this can lead to an increase in blood sugar and be harmful.
In general, dried apricots for diabetics are still allowed, but in very small amounts, no more than 50-100g per day. It should be used fresh without heat treatment; it is recommended to add dried fruits to the main dishes. Before taking the product into the diet, it is better to consult a doctor.
How many dried apricots can you eat per day?
Healthy people cannot eat healthy dried fruits uncontrollably, otherwise, their properties will be harmful. It is recommended to eat no more than 150g of the product per day.
Is it possible to eat dried apricots at night?
There are no strict rules for the consumption time of dried apricots, but it is recommended to eat them in the morning. Until 4:00 p.m., the product is absorbed faster and better, and towards the evening the properties are no longer able to bring maximum benefit.
Dried apricots in folk medicine
The useful properties of Dried apricots have been used in folk medicine for centuries and are thought to have a variety of health benefits. Dried apricots prepared in special ways can effectively strengthen the body and alleviate the symptoms of many diseases.
Improves immunity
Since dried fruits are full of valuable vitamins and microelements, it is very useful to use them during the cold seasons of autumn and winter. It is recommended to make such a mixture – 200g of dried apricots, raisins, plums, and walnuts should be chopped, and mixed with 200g of honey.
The healing mixture is consumed in 3 large tablespoons a day, washed down with tea or water. The drug not only strengthens immune resistance but also has a tonic effect and improves mood.
For constipation
The high fiber content of dried fruits can effectively cope with the problem of constipation. Usually, several fruits are soaked overnight in a glass of boiling water and infused until morning. In the morning, the fruit is eaten shortly before breakfast, and then the infusion formed during the night is drunk. The advantage of dried apricots filled with boiling water is that on the same day, intestinal peristalsis returns to normal.
If you use the drug constantly, you can basically speed up digestion significantly and get rid of slow bowel syndrome.
Increasing hemoglobin
The dried fruit contains a significant amount of iron, so it is recommended for use with anemia and symptoms of anemia. You can make a rich and healthy mixture of several vitamin foods. For example:
- Dried apricots and walnuts are taken in a volume of 200g;
- Chop and pour 2 large spoons of honey;
- Consumed in the morning in the amount of one large spoon.
If desired, you can add dates, figs, raisins, and other dried fruits to the healing mixture. First of all, you need to remove the seeds from them, and it is recommended to calcine the walnuts in a pan.
Improves heart function
Dried apricots are good for the heart and blood vessels; they should be taken together with plums and walnuts. These products contain a huge amount of magnesium, potassium, beta-styrene, and calcium – components that protect blood vessels from destruction and thus support normal heart function.
To prepare the medicine, it is recommended to take all the ingredients to 200 grams each, rinse and grind, and then pour natural honey into the volume of 8 large spoons. Then add chopped lemon pulp without seeds to the product. A useful composition is required in the refrigerator for 10 days, and then taken three times a day, a large spoonful on a full stomach.
The strengthening course must be continued until the entire prepared mixture is over, it will be stored in the refrigerator for a long time. Then you need to take a break, and after another three weeks, the course can be repeated.
Back mixture
The benefits of dried fruits and honey have a positive effect on the joints and discs of the spine. You must take one piece of figs, 1 pc plums and 5 pcs dried apricots, chop the fruits with a blender, and pour 2 large spoons of honey. The medicine is taken shortly before sleep with a large spoon, and the treatment must be continued for 45 days.
Healthy recipes
Many tasty and healthy dishes are prepared based on or added to dried fruits. Cooking takes little time, and the health effect of the delicacies is very good.
Cooking dried apricots
Boiling dried apricots is very useful for indigestion, constipation, and vitamin deficiency. Prepare it like this:
- 100g of dried fruits are soaked in clean water for 10 minutes and then thoroughly washed under the tap;
- Dried apricots are poured into 1 liter of water and put on the stove;
- When the dried fruits have boiled, reduce the heat to the lowest, cover the pan with a lid and cook for a quarter of an hour.
You need to drink the mixer in a glass twice a day, you can use it sometimes after a meal.
Infusion of dried apricots
Another healthy and tasty recipe is a water infusion based on dried fruits. Its special feature is that the beneficial properties of dried apricots are preserved even more than in broth because it is minimally heat treated.
100g of washed fruits are poured into 100 ml of water and infused for 6 hours. After that, the product can be drunk 2 or 3 times a day in the volume of a glass. The benefits of a drink made from dried apricots are greater only if you add a teaspoon of honey to it.
The properties of the infusion are useful for the lack of vitamins in the body, stomach problems, and weakened blood vessels. Dried apricots are useful for the liver, have a cleansing effect on the body, and help the body to recover faster.
Rice with dried apricots
A very easy-to-prepare but healthy dish is rice with added dried fruits. To prepare it you will need:
- Rinse several times and soak about 100g of grain in water for 10 minutes;
- Wash and dry 40g of dried apricots;
- Wash and heat with boiling water, then dry 25g of raisins;
- Rinse the rice again, pour 200 ml of water over it and boil.
After cooking, the rice is boiled on low heat to cook and the dried apricots are cut into pieces. When the cereal is completely ready, all you have to do is remove it from the stove, transfer it to a plate and add the prepared dried fruits.
Eating such a dish is beneficial for digestive problems and strengthening the heart. Rice with dried apricots is often given to children, the dish not only saturates well and replenishes the number of vitamins, but also helps regulate stools.
Cottage cheese with dried apricots
Homemade curd with dried apricots is an excellent delicacy that has a positive effect on joints, teeth, skin, and hair, and improves the condition of the stomach. Prepare the dish as follows:
- 400g of crumbly cottage cheese is ground through a sieve to make the cottage cheese airy;
- Add 50g of granulated sugar and grind it properly with the curd;
- Mix the workpiece with 3 large tablespoons of natural yogurt or sour cream;
- 100 g of dried apricots, previously soaked in water, cut into small pieces;
- The dried fruits are added to the sweet curd and mixed well again.
Sprinkle a delicious touch of vanillin on top. The benefits of sugar-dried apricots appear if you use such food in the morning or instead of an afternoon snack – the delicacy does not harm the image, but it has a positive effect on health.
Kefir with dried apricots
One of the simplest and lowest-calorie dishes is dried apricots with kefir. It can be prepared in a rudimentary way – about 50g of dried fruits are cut into 1 liter of low-fat kefir, poured into a fermented milk drink, and mixed properly. If you cut the dried apricots very finely and add a small amount, you can drink kefir.
The delicacy benefits people suffering from stomach problems. A fermented milk drink with added dried fruit has a strengthening effect on the joints and helps to improve the condition of the facial skin.
Dried apricot puree
The most useful dish in a baby’s diet is a soft puree made from dried apricots. Do it as follows:
- Several fresh dried fruits are soaked in water for 10 minutes and then washed thoroughly;
- Washed dried apricots are again put in water, but already for 5 hours, and then boiled for 10 minutes without changing the liquid;
- The finished dried fruits are ground in a blender together with the obtained broth until a completely homogeneous puree is obtained.
The benefits of dried apricot for the child are that the puree prevents the baby from becoming constipated, prevents the development of anemia, and protects the stomach from problems.
The use of dried apricots in cosmetology
Dried fruits, which are constantly present in the diet, have a very positive effect on appearance. Their useful properties even out skin color and moisturize the epidermis, the vitamins present help strengthen nails and hair. But in-home beauty recipes, dried fruits are most often used for facial skin.
- Dried apricots, previously kept in boiling water, help with the swelling of the eyes – steamed fruits should be placed in the eyes for 10 minutes.
- The nourishing effect is provided by a mask with 200g of dried apricot puree and 2 teaspoons of milk.
- Crushed dried apricots mixed with sour cream moisturize and soften the skin.
The beneficial properties of masks largely depend on additives. But if you make useful compositions for the skin regularly, dried fruits will benefit in any case.
Cooking dried apricots at home
Since dried apricots are just dried apricots, you can make your own dried fruit.
- Fresh apricots are washed, cut in half, and pits are removed.
- In order for the fruits to retain their beautiful bright color, they are held in hot steam for a few minutes.
- After that, the dried apricots are placed in the sun and left for 1-2 weeks covered with a thin gauze over flies and other insects. So that the workpiece does not deteriorate due to temperature changes, it is better to remove the fruit from the outside air into the house at night.
If you want to get dried fruits faster, you can use a special electric dryer. For the first 2 hours, the fruits are dried at a maximum temperature of 60 ° C, then they are raised to 80 ° C and then again lowered to the initial values.
If you take ripe red apricots as raw material, you will get very sweet chocolate-colored dried apricots. The benefits of chocolate-dried apricots are high levels of B vitamins, magnesium, calcium and silicon.
Dried apricots harm and contraindications
For most people, dried fruits are useful, but sometimes their properties can turn into harm. Contraindications for dried fruits are:
- Tendency to flatulence and diarrhea;
- Chronic diseases of the stomach and intestines in acute form;
- Allergy to apricots;
- Obesity – high-calorie dried apricots can be harmful;
- Bronchial asthma.
With diabetes mellitus, the use of the product should be approached with caution. In small quantities, dried apricots are useful, but if you eat them more than the norm, the properties are harmful.
How to choose dried apricots?
Choosing dried fruit is not difficult, but there are a few basic rules to keep in mind. First of all, it is better to refuse to buy bright orange or yellow dried apricots, this shade is achieved when preservatives are added to the product. Natural dried fruits have a brownish dark color and look less attractive, but contain more valuable properties.
The smell of freshly dried apricots should not be sour, but sweet. The surface of the dried fruit should be examined carefully – the fruit must not have dark spots, damage, or mold, otherwise, the product is harmful.
How to store dried apricots?
Dried fruits retain their valuable properties and benefits for six months in the refrigerator. Dried apricots must be kept in an airtight bag or container, in a shaded and dry place.
In a cool, dry place
Store Dried apricots in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. This will help to prevent them from becoming too soft or developing mold.
Store in an airtight container
An airtight container or bag to prevent drying out or absorbing moisture from the air.
Keep away from heat and humidity
Keep away from heat sources and areas with high humidity, as these conditions can cause them to become soft or spoil.
Freeze for long-term storage
Dried apricots can be frozen to extend their shelf life. Simply place them in an airtight container or freezer bag. The properties of freeze-dried apricots remain unchanged, and the shelf life increases to 18 months.
Use within a few months
Dried apricots should be used within a few months of purchase for the best quality and flavor. If you are not sure how long they have been stored, it is best to err on the side of caution and use them as soon as possible.
Conclusion
The benefits and harms of dried apricots depend on the state of health and compliance with the procedure. Dried fruits in small quantities are very useful, but you can not eat dried apricots without any measures – this will harm and lead to intestinal disorders.
