Apricots are a source of vitamin A, vitamin C, dietary fiber and potassium. They contain powerful antioxidants

Health Benefits

Nutrients in apricots can help protect the heart and eyes, as wellas provide the disease-fighting effects of fiber. The highbeta-carotene and lycopene activity of apricots makes them importantheart health foods. Both beta-carotene and lycopene protect LDLcholesterol from oxidation, which may help prevent heart disease.

Apricots contain nutrients such as vitamin Athat promote good vision. Vitamin A, a powerful antioxidant, quenchesfree radical damage to cells and tissues. Free radical damage caninjure the eyes' lenses.

The degenerative effect of free radicals, or oxidative stress,may lead to cataracts or damage the blood supply to the eyes and causemacular degeneration. Researchers who studied over 50,000 registerednurses found women who had the highest vitamin A intake reduced theirrisk of developing cataracts nearly 40%.Apricots are a good source of fiber, which has a wealth of benefitsincluding preventing constipation and digestive conditions such asdiverticulosis. But most Americans get less than 10 grams of fiber perday. A healthy, whole foods diet should include apricots as a deliciousway to add to your fiber intake.

Protect Your Eyesight

Your mother may have told you carrots would keep your eyes bright asa child, but as an adult, it looks like fruit is even more importantfor keeping your sight. Data reported in a study published in the Archives of Opthamologyindicates that eating 3 or more servings of fruit per day may loweryour risk of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), the primary causeof vision loss in older adults, by 36%, compared to persons who consumeless than 1.5 servings of fruit daily.

In this study, which involved over 100,000 women and men,researchers evaluated the effect of study participants' consumption offruits; vegetables; the antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E; andcarotenoids on the development of early ARMD or neovascular ARMD, amore severe form of the illness associated with vision loss. Foodintake information was collected periodically for up to 18 years forwomen and 12 years for men.

While, surprisingly, intakes of vegetables, antioxidantvitamins and carotenoids were not strongly related to incidence ofeither form of ARMD, fruit intake was definitely protective against thesevere form of this vision-destroying disease.

Three servings of fruit may sound like a lot to eat each day,but by simply tossing a banana into your morning smoothie or slicing itover your cereal, topping off a cup of yogurt or green salad with ahalf cup of berries, and snacking on an apricot, you've reached thisgoal.