How to get the most nutrients from apricots

Apricots are a popular summer fruit and good for you. Apricots are ideal for both snacks and desserts. They are tasty, easy to digest, high in fibre, low in calories (about 50 calories in three fresh apricots and 85 in 10 dried halves), virtually fat-free and highly nutritious. Here are some tips to get the most health benefits from apricots.

Apricots' deep colour indicates the presence of caroten­oids, specifically beta carotene, an important antioxidant, linked with cancer ­prevention. Apricots are also a source of the soluble fibre pectin, which helps lower LDL cholesterol.

• Although eating fresh apricots is a way to get the most vitamin C (which is depleted by heat and exposure to air when apricots are dried), other substances such as beta carotene and pectin are actually made more available to the body when the apricots are cooked.
• Regardless of form, apricots are high in iron and potassium, a mineral essential for proper nerve and muscle function that also helps maintain normal blood pressure and balance of body fluids.
• Apricots contain a natural salicylate, a compound similar to the active ingredient in aspirin. People sensitive to aspirin may experience allergic responses after eating apricots.

• Apricots are more nutritious when they are dried.
• Dried apricots are only 32 percent water, compared to 85 percent water in the fresh fruit.
• They are a more concentrated source of calories — 50 calories in 115 grams (four ounces) of fresh apricots versus 260 in 115 grams (four ounces, or about 30 halves) of the dried.
• Asthmatics should buy sulfite-free fruit. Apricots are often treated with sulfur dioxide before they are dried to preserve their colour and certain nutrients. This sulfite treatment may trigger an asthma attack or allergic reaction in susceptible people.
• It is interesting to note dried apricots are a regular item in the diet of the inhabitants of Pakistan's Hunza Valley who profess to have legendary longevity (though they have no proof of such).

Laetrile is a highly controversial substance derived from apricot pits. Legally, it cannot be sold as a medical treatment, but it is available, often called vitamin B17, through the Internet.

• Laetrile is promoted as an alternative treatment for ­cancer, heart disease and other ailments.
• Numerous scientific studies have failed to find any benefit from laetrile.
• Indeed, laetrile from apricot pits can liberate cyanide and carries a risk of cyanide poisoning.
• Doctors warn that apricot pits in any form should not be ingested.

Benefits

• A rich source of beta carotene, iron and potassium.
• High in fibre, low in calories.
• Dried apricots are nutritious, fat-free foods.

Drawbacks

• Sulfite preservatives in some dried apricots can trigger an allergic reaction or asthma attack in people susceptible to these disorders.
• Dried apricots leave a sticky residue on teeth that can lead to cavities.
• A natural salicylate in apricots may trigger an allergic reaction in aspirin-sensitive people.

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