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Nutritional qualities and health benefits

• It is one of the richest commercial fruits in vitamin A (beta carotene). Beta-carotene gives the color yellow to apricot. It is a powerful antioxidant by neutralizing free radicals that age the cells.
• Vitamin A health care preventing eye conditions such as night blindness or vision loss.
• The high iron content, particularly in the dry apricot, Prevents anemia and helps restore iron in women with heavy periods.
• The high potassium content, greater presence in apricots helps control fluid retention and hypertension.
• His sugars, as in most of the fruits, are absorbed by the body gradually, which suppresses hunger pangs between meals.
• Also rich in B vitamins, especially B3 (niacin), which keep the nervous system healthy (nervousness, anxiety, depression, insomnia), lowers cholesterol and is anti-inflammatory.
• High in fiber.

Origin and cultivation

The apricot is native to China. From there it spread throughout Asia. The Romans introduced it in Europe. Today is grown in Asia, North Africa and California.

Common names

The scientific name of the plant is Prunus armeniaca. In spanish is called Albaricoque.

Curiosities

• It is cultivated in China for over 4,000 years.
• It may have been the forbidden fruit of the bible speaking, since the descriptions in her match with apricot instead of apple. The Romans called Malum Praecocum, meaning "apple ripens early.".
• In China it was so appreciated that a doctor called Dong Feng exerted in the second century AD asked to be paid in apricots.
• It is the family of plums, cherries and peaches.
• Turkey is the world's largest producer, produces 85% of dried apricots that are consumed in the world.
• The Amaretto is an Italian liqueur that uses apricot almonds are bitter taste, hence its name because in Italian "amaro" means bitter.

Ingredients dried Apricot

Natural Dried Apricot, sulfites. Gluten free.

Sources consulted

Lyle, Susanna. Enciclopedia de las frutas del mundo. David Baterman Ltd. (ed. Lit.); Parangona Realitzacio Editorial SL (trad.). Barcelona: De Vecchi, 2007. 480 p. ISBN: 978-84-315-5164-3

Chevallier, Andrew. Enciclopedia de plantas medicinales. Penny Warren (ed. Lit.) Madrid: Acento Editorial, 1997. 336 p. ISBN: 978-8448302450

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prunus_armeniaca

http://www.botanical-online.com/propiedadesalbaricoques.htm

Foto: Autor: Fir0002 Fuente: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Apricots.jpg