CC BY
4Apricot Juice - Top 10 Proven Health Benefits
Tkacheva Natalia, phytotherapist, nutritionist
Eliseeva Tatyana, editor-in-chief of the EdaPlus.info project
E-mail: tkacheva.n@edaplus.info, eliseeva.t@edaplus.info
Abstract. The article discusses the main properties of apricot juice and its effect on the human body. A systematic review of modern specialized literature and relevant scientific data was carried out. The chemical composition and nutritional value of the drink are indicated, the use of apricot juice in various types of medicine and the effectiveness of its use in various diseases are considered. The potentially adverse effects of apricot juice on the human body under certain medical conditions and diseases are analyzed separately.
Key words: apricot juice , useful properties, contraindications, composition, calorie content
Who doesn't love ripe, juicy, sweet and fragrant apricots? Their pleasant taste is familiar to us since childhood. Since ancient times, apricot juice and apricot fruits have been highly valued for their beneficial properties and nutritional value. Apricot juice is rich in vitamin A, beta-carotene, iron and fiber. It promotes excellent digestion, but excessive consumption of fruits or juice can lead to intestinal upset.
Top 10 Health Benefits of Apricot Juice 1. Supports the cardiovascular system
Due to the accumulation of free radicals, plaques form on the walls of blood vessels, and they become difficult to pass. This can lead to thrombosis and blockage of blood vessels, which threatens with serious complications for the cardiovascular system. Apricot juice is rich in beta-carotene, which helps to lower the level of cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein) in the blood, as a result of which the vessels remain clean.
Apricot juice contains a large amount of vitamin C, which, together with beta-carotene, has a powerful antioxidant effect, improves the elasticity of blood vessels and artery walls. As a result, for normal blood circulation, the heart does not need to work hard [1,2,3] . Also, apricot juice is an excellent prevention of myocardial infarction.
2. Improves eye health
Apricot juice contains a large amount of carotenoids lutein, phytoene and phytofluene, they help to avoid some eye diseases. They protect the nerve endings that run from the retina to the brain from free radicals and harmful ultraviolet radiation. Apricot juice also contains vitamin A, which is good for vision. [4,5,6]
3. Supports the health of pregnant women
Apricot juice is rich in iron and helps to raise the hemoglobin level in pregnant women, and a large amount of fiber helps to eliminate constipation and improve digestion, eliminate nausea and provide the expectant mother's body with vitamins, minerals and calcium. [7,8,9]
4. Useful for the work of internal organs
Due to the high content of fiber, pectin and high nutritional value, apricot juice improves normal digestion and eliminates constipation. It does not contribute to the increase of acidity, on the contrary, it is alkaline. Moderate consumption of apricot juice will help eliminate flatulence and colic, help dissolve stones in the gallbladder. [ten]
5. Provides beauty to skin, hair and nails
Apricot juice is rich in vitamin C, which improves skin tone and elasticity. Calcium and minerals promote good hair and nail growth. [eleven]
6. Strengthens bone tissue
Apricot juice helps to increase the production of osteoblasts and the secretion of osteocalcin, which promotes the growth and renewal of bone tissue. This is especially important for people over the age of sixty, postmenopausal women, when calcium is poorly absorbed by the body and there is a high risk of osteoporosis of the bones.
The high content of magnesium and phosphorus in apricot juice ensures the normal functioning of the brain and the nervous system as a whole. [12]
7. Helps Raise Hemoglobin Levels
Apricot juice is rich in iron, therefore it helps to increase hemoglobin. It is the carrier of oxygen in blood cells. It also promotes blood renewal. Therefore, by regularly drinking apricot juice, you will prevent anemia. [13]
8. Cancer Prevention
Apricot juice is rich in lycopene and natural antioxidants, which are known for their ability to prevent cancer. It is best absorbed by the body during the heat treatment of fruits. This is exactly what happens when making juice. [fourteen]
9. Has a bacteriostatic effect on the body
As a result of a study with Japanese apricot juice concentrate, it was found that it is able to suppress staphylococci and E. coli and is itself a natural antibiotic for treating intestinal infections without harming the body. [fifteen]
10. Helps Fight Helicobacter pylori Bacteria
In many cases, the cause of gastritis and even stomach cancer is the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. To combat it, antibiotics and other aggressive drugs are used that have a detrimental effect on the body and cause dysbacteriosis. Apricot juice is able to suppress this bacterium and prevent the development of the disease. [16]
Contraindications to the use of apricot juice
• People with food allergies should use apricot juice with caution, as it can provoke an attack of the disease. [17]
• Due to the large amount of pectin and fiber, you should not consume too much apricot juice, so as not to cause stomach and intestinal upset. [eighteen]
• Apricot juice contains a large amount of sugar, so it is not recommended to use it in large quantities in diabetes.
Rules for the preparation and use of apricot juice
There are two methods for preparing apricot juice:
1. Rinse the fruits, dry, remove the seeds and pass through the juicer;
2. Rinse the fruits, remove the seeds and boil until soft. Pass through a filter with gauze, as a result, the juice will be without pulp and more transparent.
The first option is more beneficial for health, since it retains healthy fiber and all the vitamins, while cooking and straining removes most of the fiber, and the vitamins disappear. If you collect apricots at the peak of maturity, you can not add sugar, the juice will turn out delicious and sweet anyway. You can add a little water during cooking so that the juice is not so concentrated. It is best not to store apricot juice, but to drink it freshly squeezed, since many useful substances are destroyed during prolonged interaction with air. The recommended dosage is from one to those glasses of juice per day, no more. Do not drink apricot juice on an empty stomach or drink heavy meals with it.
Expert comment
Tatyana Eliseeva, nutritionist
Apricot juice is a storehouse of vitamins and fiber, contributes to the healing of the whole body, increases hemoglobin, prevents cardiovascular diseases and improves the condition of bone tissue. It is very useful for expectant mothers, besides it is very tasty, sweet and fragrant, it is a pleasure to drink it!
Literature
1. Olmedilla-Alonso, B., Benitez-Gonzalez, AM, Estevez-Santiago, R., Mapelli-Brahm, P., Stinco, CM, & Melendez-Martinez, AJ (2021). Assessment of Food Sources and the Intake of
the Colorless Carotenoids Phytoene and Phytofluene in Spain. Nutrients, 13(12), 4436, doi:10.3390/nu13124436
2. do Rosario, V.A., Chang, C., Spencer, J., Alahakone, T., Roodenrys, S., Francois, M., ... & Charlton, K. (2021). Anthocyanins attenuate vascular and inflammatory responses to a high fat high energy meal challenge in overweight older adults: A cross-over, randomized, double-blind clinical trial. Clinical Nutrition, 40(3), 879-889. doi:10.1016/ j.clnu.2020.09.041
3. Parlakpinar, H., Olmez, E., Acet, A., Ozturk, F., Tasdemir, S., Ates, B., ... & Otlu, A. (2009). Beneficial effects of apricot-feeding on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats. Food and chemical toxicology, 47(4), 802-808. doi:10.1016/ j.fct.2009.01.014
4. Olmedilla-Alonso, B., Benitez-Gonzalez, AM, Estevez-Santiago, R., Mapelli-Brahm, P., Stinco, CM, & Melendez-Martinez, AJ (2021). Assessment of Food Sources and the Intake of the Colorless Carotenoids Phytoene and Phytofluene in Spain. Nutrients, 13(12), 4436. doi:10.3390/nu13124436
5. Granado, F., Olmedilla, B., Blanco, I., & Rojas-Hidalgo, E. (1996). Major fruit and vegetable contributors to the main serum carotenoids in the Spanish diet. European journal of clinical nutrition, 50(4), 246-250. PMID8730612
6. Pintea, A., Dulf, F.V., Bunea, A., Socaci, S.A., Pop, E.A., Oprita, V.A., ... & Mondello, L.
(2020). Carotenoids, Fatty Acids, and Volatile Compounds in Apricot Cultivars from Romania—A Chemometric Approach. Antioxidants, 9(7), 562. doi:10.3390/antiox9070562
7. Alajil, Omar, et al. "Nutritional and phytochemical traits of apricots (Prunus armeniaca L.) for application in nutraceutical and health industry." Foods 10.6 (2021): 1344. doi:10.3390/foods10061344
8. Alajil, O., Sagar, V.R., Kaur, C., Rudra, S.G., Sharma, R.R., Kaushik, R., ... & Mekhemar, M.
(2021). Nutritional and phytochemical traits of apricots (Prunus armeniaca L.) for application in nutraceutical and health industry. Foods, 10(6), 1344. doi: 10.3390/foods10061344
9. Schmidt, KM, Haddad, EN, Sugino, KY, Vevang, KR, Peterson, LA, Koratkar, R., ... & Comstock, SS (2021). Dietary and plasma carotenoids are positively associated with alpha diversity in the fecal microbiota of pregnant women. Journal of food science, 86(2), 602-613. doi: 10.1111/1750-3841.15586.
10. Camerlingo, C., Zenone, F., Delfino, I., Diano, N., Mita, D.G., & Lepore, M. (2007). Investigation on clarified fruit juice composition by using visible light micro-Raman spectroscopy. Sensors, 7(10), 2049-2061. doi:10.3390/s7102049
11. Alajil, O., Sagar, V.R., Kaur, C., Rudra, S.G., Sharma, R.R., Kaushik, R., ... & Mekhemar, M. (2021). Nutritional and phytochemical traits of apricots (Prunus armeniaca L.) for application in nutraceutical and health industry. Foods, 10(6), 1344, doi:10.3390/foods10061344
12. Rendina, E., Hembree, KD, Davis, MR, Marlow, D., Clarke, SL, Halloran, BP, ... & Smith, BJ (2013). Dried plum's unique capacity to reverse bone loss and alter bone metabolism in postmenopausal osteoporosis model. PloS one, 8(3), e60569, doi:10.1371/ journal.pone.0060569
13. Alajil, O., Sagar, V.R., Kaur, C., Rudra, S.G., Sharma, R.R., Kaushik, R., ... & Mekhemar, M. (2021). Nutritional and phytochemical traits of apricots (Prunus armeniaca L.) for application in nutraceutical and health industry. Foods, 10(6), 1344, doi:10.3390/foods10061344
14. Gouda, M., Moustafa, A., Hussein, L., & Hamza, M. (2015). Three week dietary intervention using apricots, pomegranate juice or/and fermented sour sobya and impact on biomarkers of antioxidative activity, oxidative stress and erythrocytic glutathione transferase activity among adults. Nutrition journal, 15(1), 1-10, doi:10.1186/s12937-016-0173-x
15. Yang, DJ, Chen, HY, & Liu, SC (2014). Study of the antibacterial efficacy of bainiku-ekisu against pathogens. International Journal of Bacteriology, 2014, doi:10.1155/2014/460395
16. Fujita, K., Hasegawa, MIYUKI, Fujita, MARI, Kobayashi, I., Ozasa, KOTARO, & Watanabe, YOSHIYUKI (2002). Anti-Helicobacter pylori effects of Bainiku-ekisu (concentrate of Japanese apricot juice). Nihon Shokakibyo Gakkai Zasshi= The Japanese Journal of Gastroenterology, 99(4), 379-385. PMID: 11979735
17. Giangrieco, I., Ricciardi, T., Alessandri, C., Farina, L., Crescenzo, R., Tuppo, L., ... & Ciardiello, MA (2019). ENEA, a peach and apricot IgE-binding protein cross-reacting with the latex major allergen Hev b 5. Molecular immunology, 112, 347-357, doi:10.1016/ j.molimm.2019.05.007
18. Camerlingo, C., Zenone, F., Delfino, I., Diano, N., Mita, D.G., & Lepore, M. (2007). Investigation on clarified fruit juice composition by using visible light micro-Raman spectroscopy. Sensors, 7(10), 2049-2061, doi:10.3390/s7102049
An extended HTML version of this article is available on the edaplus.info website.
Received 04.08.2022
Apricot juice - Top 10 proven health benefits
Tkacheva Natalia, phytotherapist, nutritionist
Eliseeva Tatyana, editor-in-chief of the project EdaPlus.info
E-mail: tkacheva.n@edaplus.info, eliseeva.t@edaplus.info
Abstract. The article deals with the main properties of apricot juice and its effects on the human body. A systematic review of modern specialized literature and up-to-date scientific data is carried out. The chemical composition and nutritive value of the drink are indicated, the use of apricot juice in various kinds of medicine and efficiency of its application at various diseases are considered. Potentially adverse effects of apricot juice on the human body in certain medical conditions and diseases are analyzed separately.
