Apricots, unlike the health benefits of grape, may still seem foreign to Indonesian or South East Asian society in general. In fact, the benefits of apricots for health are not that limited.
Despite their small size, apricots store many nutrients that can maintain the health of a number of important organs in the body and prevent various serious diseases.
The fruits have a sweet and refreshing taste, so some people prefer to eat them directly so that this flavor is maintained. In order to create wider variations, many people try to process it into something else, like salad, juic, or even the dried version of it.
We often encounter apricots in the form of dry fruits that seem easier to consume. However, apricots have the same shape as apples, except that they have a thick orange color.
Just like the benefits of almond milk, Apricots are low in calories and do not contain saturated fat. They also contain lots of water and are enriched with a variety of antioxidants and vitamins, including vitamin A, vitamin B, folate, vitamin C and vitamin E.
2 Apricots (100 grams) contain 1.2 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber, 10 grams of carbohydrates, 15 mg calcium, 250 mg potassium, 10 mg magnesium, 20 mg of phosphorus, and 0.4 mg iron.
Because the nutritional content is quite diverse, there are a number of benefits that you can get from eating apricots, especially for the growing kids. Here’s some of the best health benefits of dried apricots for kids:
Health Benefits of Dried Apricots for Kids
1. Helps Normalize Digestive System
Kids often face digestive system-related problems. Not only problematic to them, problems that occur may give some confusion to the parents as well. Fiber is the natural medicine to overcome it, included as one of the benefits of guinea corn, and dried apricots.
The fiber content in dried apricots has an important role for the digestive system.. Fiber makes the intestines work better in absorbing nutrients and helps the good bacteria in the intestine to reproduce. The fiber contained in fruits and vegetables can also treat and prevent constipation.
In addition, the high antioxidant content in apricots is also beneficial for maintaining the health of the digestive tract and preventing inflammation and damage.
2. Controls Sugar Level
Not only adults, even kids need to control their blood and sugar level in order to prevent more deadlier health problems like obesity and cholesterol. Fortunately, apricots can help them.
The benefits of fiber contained in apricots are not only for the digestive system’s health. This fruit’s fiber also functions to keep sugar and cholesterol levels in the body normal, so that the risk of developing diabetes and high cholesterol is highly reduced.
In addition, apricots are also fruits that have a low glycemic index. Several studies show that people who regularly eat healthy foods by increasing their intake of fruits and vegetables, including apricots, appear to have lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels, when compared to people whose diets are unhealthy.
3. Prevents Dehydration
Surely kids need a lot of energy. They can get this via many pickable options. Rice, breads, or maybe by having some of the benefits of corn. Having a good amount of energy needs to be balanced with a sufficient amount of water to prevent dehydration which can lead to more serious problems if not cured immediately.
Apricots which contain lots of water are good for consumption to prevent dehydration. When the body is dehydrated, several inconveniences will appear in the form of weakness, dizziness, headaches, and thirst.
Even so, even though apricots contain lots of water, body fluid intake still needs to be fulfilled by drinking enough water, which is at least 8 glasses a day.
4. Maintains Heart’s Health
Dried apricots are rich in fiber and antioxidants that can prevent the formation of hardening and plaque clogging in blood vessels.
This effect is also supported by the benefits of apricots which can reduce cholesterol levels in the body through high amounts of fiber. The high potassium content in apricots can also prevent high blood pressure.
Therefore, apricots are included in fruits that are good for consumption to maintain heart’s health.
5. Makes Skin Smoother
Other than benefits of soy milk, consuming dried apricots is another way to make skin look more beautiful. Are your kids often exposed to sunlight, pollution, and cigarette smoke while on the move? Be careful, because those things may cause wrinkles and damaged skin.
UV rays can be harmful for the skin, since excessive exposure may further lead to skin cancer, which we all want to avoid. Other than wearing a suitable cream, Vitamin C is always needed for protecting your skin from the inside. Vitamin C compounds that exist in dried apricots can help by giving protection to the skin from free radicals and harmful UV rays.
Aside from those, the vitamin may help collagen to reproduce, which is needed to increase skin’s flexibility, further avoiding wrinkles and premature aging.
6. Maintains Eye Health
Often exposed by blue lights from their gadgets, kids can have their eyes worsened through years. In order to maintain the eyes, one needs to consume Vitamin A frequently.
Apart from carrots, you can also maintain the health of your eyes by eating dried apricots. Per 100 grams serving of dried apricots, you can get 95 grams Vitamin A, which has met almost 20% of your daily vitamin A needs.
Apart from vitamin A, another nutrient contained in apricots that is beneficial for maintaining eye health is vitamin E. In the eyes, vitamin E acts as an antioxidant that protects the eyes from exposure to free radicals that can cause various vision problems.