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When you eat apricots, do you normally throw away the kernels after you’re done eating the flesh? If so, you might be tossing out the healthiest part of this amazing fruit.
Similar to pomegranates and dates, apricot kernels have a longstanding tradition of being consumed for their nutritional and medicinal properties in the Middle East. Apricot kernels are among the healthiest foods on the planet.
So before put those kernels in your organic compost, here’s why you should pop them open and munch on their seeds.
Why Apricot Seeds Are The Healthiest Part
1. It Improves Your Health
Apricot kernels pack a wallop when in comes to vitamin B17. B17 has been linked to regulating blood pressure, reducing the pain and inflammation caused by arthritis, and improving your immune system’s response when fighting the flu.
Incorporating kernels into your diet is a simple way to gradually boost your overall health.
2. It Keeps You in Tiptop Shape
Apricot seed oil is filled with fatty acids, vitamins A and E that help moisturize and nourish skin. This is particularly important during the harsh winter months. Because of this, it is commonly used in cosmetic care products like creams and soaps.
The best part about using apricot seed oil is that it virtually leaves no annoying oily residue, making it best used for relaxing massages or for sunbathing during the summer.
3. It Might Help Reduce Cancer
Vitamin B17 has been reported to target and suppress cancer cells without harming healthy cells indiscriminately. Which makes it an excellent supplementary way to help naturally. Apricot seeds are the best way to obtain and absorb vitamin B17.
However, I must clarify that the debate regarding vitamin B17’s effectiveness in fighting cancer is still ongoing. It will not have a significant impact on advance stage cancers. However, no harmful side effects have been linked in the consumption of the seeds.
Regardless on the degree of its effectiveness, apricot kernels are still a healthy option to help in prevention.
While there are concerns that an apricot seed can contain up to half a milligram of cyanide, it should be considered mostly harmless.
For cyanide to achieve lethal or hazardous doses, you would need to eat about at least eighty kernels per day.
Where Can I Find Apricot Seeds?
If you’ve never had apricot kernels, you’re probably wondering how you can obtain them and them.
If you’re looking to buy them in bulk, make sure you’re buying raw apricot kernel seeds. Some manufacturers will use chemicals to treat the seeds so they last longer or look more appealing. The problem with this is that these chemicals are likely to kill the very beneficial enzymes the kernels contain.
As I’ve always recommended, purchase organic or get your ingredients straight for the source. If you’re having an apricot for a snack, simply use a nutcracker or a knife to pry open the shell. Then simply enjoy your natural health boosters.
Sources:
Vitamin B-17 vs. Laetrile
http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/complementaryandalternativemedicine/pharmacologicalandbiologicaltreatment/laetrile
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