Secret 20: Snack on Apricots and Apricot Kernels

Perhaps you have enjoyed apricots in Japan as preserved umeboshi or tasted apricot kernel in Italy as the liquor amaretto? Secret 20 celebrates the apricot and its kernel. 

Sally Beare recommends raw apricots as these are "a rich source of copper, iron, potassium, fiber, and beta carotene". According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, 100 g of raw apricots contain:

• 2 g of total dietary fiber
• 259 mg of potassium
• 0.39 mg of iron
• 0.078 mg of copper
• 10 mg of vitamin C
• 1926 IU of vitamin A
• 1094 mcg of beta carotene

While some surmise that the apricot was first cultivated in Armenia, early varieties have been found in China, the Himalayas and the Caucasus. The largest producer is Turkey followed by Iran.  Most of the apricots in Turkey originate from the eastern province of Malatya near the upper reaches of the river Euphrates.  In the U.S. most apricots are grown in California.  

If you cannot obtain raw apricots, consider dried apricots. Dried apricots are higher in nutritional value than raw apricots. The dark, organic ones are preferable over the orange ones as they do not contain the preservative sulfur dioxide.

A great source of beta carotene and potassium

More relevant for longevity however, according to Beare, may be apricot kernels as these 'are a rich source of fatty acid'.  However, apricot kernels are toxic and the German Agency of Risk Assessment (Bundesinstitut fuer Risikobewertung) recommends limiting apricot kernel consumption to no more than a couple or, better yet, none due to the fact that they contain up to 8% amygdalin.  Amygdalin has been promoted as laetrile or 'Vitamin B17' in the past 50 years. However it is neither a vitamin nor a scientifically verified anticarcinogen and may be a cause of cyanide poisoning.  One of the North American cancer patients who traveled to Mexico to undergo laetrile treatment but subsequently died was actor Steve McQueen. The US Food and Drug Administration states that "laetrile is a highly toxic product that has not shown any effect in treating cancer." To err on the side of caution, rather than consuming kernels how about doing what the long-living Hunzakut ladies do? Use it as a moisturizer to make your skin and hair soft and shiny. 100% pure expeller-pressed oil is readily obtainable in health food stores and costs less than $1 per fl. oz. 

4 fl. oz of 100% pure, expeller-pressed apricot kernel oil

If someone in Turkey tells you that "bundan iyisi Şam'da kayısı" you can rest assured that you have received top-notch quality. Literally this means "the only thing better than this is an apricot in Damascus" or, in other words "it doesn't get any better than this".

  

Take-home message: to quell that little hunger reach for some raw apricots in the summer or dried dark organic apricots year-round and consider nourishing dry skin and hair with a dab of 100% pure, expeller-pressed apricot kernel oil.