by Nadia Promi

Created on: May 10, 2008   Last Updated: June 16, 2008

Apricot, a sweet golden yellow or orange fruit, originates from the mountainous regions of north central and north western China where it has been cultivated for 4000 years, and then brought into central Asia. Later, following Alexander the Great's military troop movements through that area, apricots were brought into the Middle East and from there spread to Greece and Italy, becoming known in these countries in the first century BC.

Apricots are rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, in dietary fiber, tryptophan and potassium. Nutrients in apricots, particularly the high beta-carotene and lycopene, make them very important health food. They can help protect the heart and eyes, as well as provide the disease-fighting effects of fiber. Researchers have found that women who had the highest vitamin A intake reduced their risk of developing eye cataracts nearly 40%. Studies have also shown that eating lycopene-rich foods and regularly drinking green tea may greatly reduce a man's risk of developing prostate cancer. A study published in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition proved that men who most frequently enjoyed these foods were 82% less likely to have prostate cancer compared to those consuming the least lycopene-rich foods.

A recent study in the International Journal of Food Properties reported a research carried out with a Japanese type of apricot called ume'. The anti-cancer effects of the Japanese apricots were investigated on two established cancer cells - the stomach cancer and the leukemia cell lines. Without ume', the cancer cells grew and formed colonies. When the apricot extract was added, cancer cells were dose dependently eliminated. Similarly, the condensed apricot juice showed strong anti-tumor effects on human pancreatic cancer and dog fibrosarcoma. Researchers also claim that regular intake of apricot juice should suppress cancer initiation in healthy individuals.

Learn more about this author, Nadia Promi.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.