{"id":13420,"date":"2025-06-25T11:54:12","date_gmt":"2025-06-25T11:54:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/13420\/"},"modified":"2025-06-25T11:54:12","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T11:54:12","slug":"apricots-are-surprisingly-good-for-the-gut-skin-and-brain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/13420\/","title":{"rendered":"Apricots Are Surprisingly Good For the Gut, Skin, and Brain"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summer means swimming, afternoon naps, and apricots\u2014at least as far as I\u2019m concerned. With a juicy-sweet flavor, the stone fruit is a quintessential seasonal treat<\/a>. But the appeal goes far beyond taste; apricots are delightfully healthy, too. \u201cThey\u2019re wonderful, they\u2019re all goodness,\u201d agrees nutritionist Itziar Dig\u00f3n<\/a>. Here\u2019s a peek at what makes apricots the summer fruit you shouldn\u2019t skip.<\/p>\n

Apricots are high in fiber<\/p>\n

One of the great advantages of apricots? \u201cThey are rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber, so they are good for intestinal transit,\u201d says Dig\u00f3n. \u201cIn addition, they serve as food for our microbiota.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nutritionist Laura Parada<\/a> agrees that apricots improve digestion and intestinal motility, and adds that this can have the added benefit of reducing a certain rather unpleasant condition: \u201cEspecially in their dried form, apricots can help relieve constipation thanks to their high fiber content,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Foods rich in fiber<\/a> offer a potential beauty benefit, too\u2014especially in terms of reducing stomach bloating, which is often exacerbated in the summer thanks to heat-induced fluid retention. (Just be sure not to eat too much fiber as an excess can actually cause abdominal bloating.)<\/p>\n

Apricots ease fluid retention<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not just the fiber<\/a> that helps eliminate bloating, either. \u201cApricots also provide potassium, which has a diuretic effect and improves fluid retention,\u201d Parada points out, noting that the natural acids present\u2014such as malic and citric acid\u2014can help improve digestion, intestinal health, and nutrient absorption, too. \u201cAlthough it should be noted that with ripening, the amount of these acids decreases,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Apricots are low in sugar<\/p>\n

Dig\u00f3n says apricots usually contain around 20 calories per whole fruit, so eating three apricots would only count for one serving of fruit. \u201cCompared to other fruits, their calorie count is quite low thanks to their high amount of water and modest amount of carbohydrates,\u201d Dig\u00f3n explains.<\/p>\n

In addition, apricots are low in fructose<\/a>, which means they are often recommended as a way to alleviate intestinal inflammation problems\u2014including a bloated belly.<\/p>\n

Apricots are good for the brain<\/p>\n

As mentioned, apricots are beneficial for gut microbiota<\/a>\u2014which, in turn, is good for the brain. \u201cWhen we consume foods rich in fiber, our intestinal microbiota<\/a> is supported in a fermentation process responsible for the release of short-chain fatty acids,\u201d Irache Alonso<\/a>, pharmacist and founder of Well-feeling Club, explains. \u201cThose short-chain fatty acids contribute to the reduction of neuroinflammation and favor both emotional balance and the prevention of neurodegenerative disorders.\u201d<\/p>\n

Apricots are high in beta-carotene<\/p>\n

Apricots are rich in beta-carotene, which is transformed into vitamin A<\/a> in our body, which then contributes to healthy skin. Thus, apricots are often recommended by dermatologists and skin experts. For example, Dr. Mar Mira<\/a> of Cl\u00ednica Mira + Cueto says she always includes them in her antioxidant-rich food plans<\/a>. \u201cApricots are another main food source of pro-vitamin A<\/a>, which is essential for the skin,\u201d she explains. Dr. Mar\u00eda Jos\u00e9 Crisp\u00edn<\/a> of Cl\u00ednica Menorca also refers to their high beta-carotene content, noting that the natural pigments and antioxidants support melanin production making apricots helpful for preparing the skin for sun exposure. Looks like apricots really are the quintessential summer fruit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Summer means swimming, afternoon naps, and apricots\u2014at least as far as I\u2019m concerned. With a juicy-sweet flavor, the…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":13421,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[210,1182,14100,67,132,68,3149],"class_list":{"0":"post-13420","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-nutrition","10":"tag-summer-beauty","11":"tag-united-states","12":"tag-unitedstates","13":"tag-us","14":"tag-wellness"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114743873591890588","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13420","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13420"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13420\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}