"Looked out the window, and what did I see? POPCORN POPPING ON THE APRICOT TREE!" Whether you know the nursery rhyme or not, the odds are you know the fruit. Fleshy and sweet, the fruit makes a delicious and nutritious snack. But that isn't even the best part: apricots hold medicinal value in the fruit, seed, and tree bark. Apricots have been used to treat skin conditions, vaginal infections, and respiratory issues.
History & Folklore
Apricots have a history dating back at least 2,000 years. In India and China, apricots have been valued, used, and appreciated nutritionally and medicinally. The fruit was so revered that one physician, Dong Feng, would ask for payment from patients in the form of apricot trees.
Habitat & Cultivation
Apricot fruit is found growing on a hardy deciduous tree, which can grow to be 33 feet tall! The leaves have finely serrated edges, and the flowers grow in clusters of white or light-pink and fleshy pale-yellow to deep-purple fruit. The tree itself is native to China and is now cultivated around the world, including Asia, North Africa, and parts of the United States. The fruit will be collected in late summer when fully ripe.
Uses
Respiratory Problems seeds are used in Chinese medicine as a treatment for coughs, asthma, mucus, and wheezing
Skin Conditions decoction of the astringent bark soothes irritated and inflamed skin conditions
Fixed oil similar to almond oil; apricot oil is used in cosmetic products
Vaginal Infection Chinese research trials reported that a paste made from apricot seeds may help eliminate vaginal infections
Parts used
Fruit
Seeds
Bark
Key Actions
Nutrition
Cleansing
Laxative
Astringent
Constituents
Sugars, vitamins, and iron are found in the flesh of the fruit
8% amygdalin if found in the seeds
Tannins are found in the bark
References
- Chevallier, Andrew, FNIMH; Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine - 550 Herbs and Remedies for Common Ailments; 3. Edition 2016; ISBN: 978-0-2412-2944-6; Page 257.
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