The Bottom Line: Delicious facts about apricots!
The Full Story:
- Apricots are a very healthy fruit filled with carotene and fiber.
- Apricots protect your eyesight! Lutein is a nutrient in the fruit that protects the retina from damage caused by blue light. The retina is basically the eyeball’s lens that picks up any image.
- According to the World’s Healthiest Foods, George Mateljan Foundation, the scientific name for apricot Is Prunus Armenacia.
- Apricot trees first came to Virginia in the 1700s but were not suited for the climate. The fruit’s actual arrival date is marked in 1792 when Spanish explorers grew Apricot crops in California where there was better weather.
- How to enjoy an apricot: add fresh apricots to your salad when in season, chop apricots into your whole grain pancake mix for a healthy breakfast, or even in hot or cold cereal. Add dried apricots into chicken or stew veggies for a Middle Eastern kick.
- Apricots are incredibly healthy considering they are a strong source of catechins, flavonoid phytonutrients. The World’s Healthiest Foods, George Mateljan Foundation says multiple researches show foods containing catechin can protect blood vessel inflammatory damage, meaning better blood pressure control. Apricots also hold numerous potent antioxidants.