Scientific evidence shows that consuming the recommended 5 to 9 daily servings of fruits and vegetables helps protect against heart disease and cancer. Fruits and vegetables provide more than 100 dietary compounds, including vitamins and minerals, which may also have the potential to reduce the risk of obesity and many other chronic diseases including stroke, diabetes, and diverticulosis, according to reviews of the research by NIH, CDC, and academic experts. Deeply colored fruits, such as apricots and blueberries, and dark green or orange vegetables, such as spinach and carrots, are particularly high in these compounds.

Flavorful new apricots known as "Kettleman" provide iron, potassium, fiber, vitamin C and beta-carotene which the human body converts into vitamin A. California growers produce nearly all of the nation's harvest of apricots for fresh-market sale and for processing into dried fruit, nectar, puree, jam, jelly, pastry filling, candy and other foods and beverages. California growers produce nearly all of the nation's harvest of apricots for fresh-market sale and for processing into dried fruit, nectar, puree, jam, jelly, pastry filling, candy and other foods and beverages. That’s why the Apricot Producers of California created a one-page, double-sided consumer handout featuring practical information to assist consumers in making smart food decisions.

Some people with heart failure need to eat foods high in potassium. Potassium helps maintain the normal function of the heart and nervous system. Doctors sometimes prescribe a potassium supplement and recommend eating more potassium-rich foods such as; dried fruits: raisins, prunes, apricots, dates or might be canned juices: grapefruit, prune, apricot. This apricot keeps its exceptionally sweet flavor, delightful fragrance and attractive, deep-orange color when processed into these products.

Research shows that of any food, apricots possess the highest levels and widest variety of carotenoids. Carotenoids are antioxidants that help prevent heart disease, reduce "bad cholesterol" levels, and protect against cancer. In traditional Chinese medicine, apricots are considered helpful in regenerating body fluids, detoxifying, and quenching thirst. The kernels also have several healthy properties, including toning the respiratory system and alleviating a cough.

Besides satisfying a taste for sweets, fruit is packed with nutrients including vitamin A or C or both and folate, potassium and fiber, to name a few. Toss a few raisins, pieces of apple, dried apricot, or pineapple chunks on a salad. To reach the Dietary Guidelines for Americans’ recommendation of 2 cups of fruit every day and could be taken by:

• Fruit pops: Freeze puréed fruit (mango, papaya, and apricot) or juice in ice cube trays or paper cups with wooden sticks.
• Fruit mix: Mix up a bag of your favorite dried fruits, such as apple slices, apricots.

Apricot kernels are used to prepare almond oil. One apricot (60g) is a source of vitamins A (as carotene) and C; provides 1.2 g of dietary fibre and supplies 18 kcal (75 kJ). A 60-g portion of dried apricots is a rich source of vitamin A (as carotene); a good source of copper; a source of niacin and iron; provides 14.4 g of dietary fiber; supplies 110 kcal (470 kJ).

They are one of the best natural sources of Vitamin A, especially when dried. It is also essential for healthy skin and mucous membranes. Vitamin A is also needed for good sight; insufficient amounts can cause night blindness, impair sight and increase susceptibility to colds and other illnesses. Plunge the whole apricots into boiling water for about thirty seconds, and peel, pit and halve or slice. Apricots can be made into wine and brandy.

Apricot Oil & Vitamin E are the final touches for helping to solve dry skin problems or keep mature complexions smooth and soft. Dry skin needs Apricot Oil to protect against wrinkle-dryness.

The enzyme Beta-Glucosidase releases the tightly bound and unavailable toxins - Benzaldehyde and organic Cyanide - from the Laetrile molecule and allows them to act synergistically (by a factor 100) to swiftly wipe out cancerous tissues. Another enzyme, Rhodanese, which has the ability to detoxify Cyanide, is present in normal tissues but deficient in Cancer cells. These two factors combine to cause a selective poisoning of Cancer cells by the release of Cyanide from Laetrile, leaving non cancerous cells undamaged.

Cancer occurs only as a result of a direct deficiency of Laetrile and those so-called carcinogens really just contribute to cancer by placing further stress on the body that precipitates the Cancers that result from Laetrile deficiency. Before his death in 1996, Dr. Ernst T. Krebs, Jr. fully explored how laetrile works against cancer. One official within the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Dr. Dean Burke supported Dr Krebs research. He told; two promising therapies to stop cancer pancreatic enzymes and laetrile. Since laetrile is derived from apricot pits, many people regularly use ground apricot pits in small amounts to help the body prevent cancerous growth.

Precautions:

• Apricot kernels are thought to contain high levels of vitamin B17, which is described as an immune system booster and even sold as a cancer treatment. But the Food Standards Agency said they also produce cyanide and can be poisonous in high doses. Certain rare plants containing cyanide include apricot pits and a type of potato called cassava. The supposed cancer-fighting substance called laetrile (made from apricot pits)
• It is now recommending that people consume no more than two bitter apricot kernels in a single day. Fortunately, only chronic or massive ingestion of any of these plants can lead to serious poisoning.
• Bitter apricot kernels have a high level of amygdalin. Hydrocyanic acid, which is toxic, is released from the glycoside amygdalin during digestion. This acid can lead to symptoms of poisoning like cramp, vomiting and respiratory distress, and may even provoke fatal respiratory paralysis at high doses.
• Most recently (08/06/2007) the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) scientific report said that eating more than only a few kernels per day can lead to the onset of these acute poisoning symptoms. They also advised not to eat more than one or two bitter apricot kernels a day.
• The tip of the apricot holds a concentrated amount of the chemical laetrile, which can be upsetting to the system. To safely reap the benefits of apricot kernels or seeds, remove the tips of the seeds and do not eat more than five a day. Certain rare plants containing cyanide include apricot pits and a type of potato called cassava.
• Avoid excessive products with almond or apricot shell fragments; they can irritate or even tear your skin and further aggravate your acne. Avoid cleansing grains that contain pulverized walnut shells and apricot seeds, which can lacerate skin on a microscopic level. Cleansing grains with microbeads don't have sharp edges and remove skin without cutting it. Exfoliation using scrubs, however, can worsen certain conditions, such as acne, sensitive skin, or broken blood vessels.
• Dental erosion is defined as a loss of tooth material by a chemical process that does not involve bacterial action. It could be due to dietary fruits described to excessive intake of acidic beverages, acidic fruits, and fruit juices. In the South African study reported that effects of five fruits were assessed in vitro. Blocks of human tooth enamel (from extracted secondary human teeth) were exposed to five ripe, minced fruits - apple, apricot, grape, guava, and orange - over a 40-minute period. The degree of enamel erosion over a six-minute period was apricot [greater than] grape and guava [greater than] apple and orange

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