Eating Apricots Has A Little-Known Effect On Your Cholesterol And Blood Pressure

Do you want to keep your cholesterol in check? Are you interested in more effectively managing your tendency toward developing hypertension? Think about putting apricots on your weekly shopping list. Available in a variety of forms from vine-ripened fruits to dried pieces, apricots are an all-natural, abundant food source that may protect you against cardiovascular disease and elevated blood pressure.

Even without those benefits, sun-sweet apricots have a lot about them to like. As shown in a chart by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a single fresh apricot offers 16.8 calories, 4.55 milligrams of calcium, and significant amounts of vitamin C and other nutrients. In fact, apricots have a nutritional profile that's so wide-ranging they're often referred to as a superfood.

Two nutrients found in apricots that are especially important if you want to lower your cholesterol levels and stay on top of hypertension are fiber and potassium. Each apricot contains 0.7 grams of fiber and 90.6 milligrams of potassium, ensuring the fruit packs a lot of nutritional value, pound-for-pound.

Fiber has arisen as a key component of a heart-healthy diet. As the National Lipid Association notes, soluble fiber — which makes up about half of the fiber available through apricots — can act in a cleansing capacity within the intestinal system. As bits of fiber attach to particles of cholesterol, the fiber moves the cholesterol through and out of the body. And you don't necessarily need to eat a lot of soluble fiber to see a difference in your cholesterol numbers. According to the same source, eating just 5 grams of soluble fiber can reduce cholesterol levels by several points. 

A 2023 meta-analysis published in Advances in Nutrition supports the National Lipid Association's statement. In the study, the researchers noted that for every 5 grams of soluble fiber that subjects ate regularly, their overall cholesterol levels dropped by a mean difference of more than 6 milligrams per deciliter.

What is it about potassium that can make it valuable for anyone trying to keep heart disease at bay? According to Healthline, potassium assists in keeping the nervous and muscular systems performing at peak levels. A Today piece explained that since potassium helps move sodium more efficiently out of the body, it can have an eventual effect on high blood pressure.

Consequently, because apricots are rich in potassium, they may be able to protect you against future heart disease. MedicineNet agrees, concluding that the potassium in apricots, along with their fiber content, makes them a possibly powerful ally in the fight against cardiovascular conditions.

If you're a woman trying to take care of your hypertension naturally, the American Heart Association suggests increasing your potassium intake to 2,600 milligrams daily. If you're a man, that number tops out at 3,400 milligrams. 

Again, apricots contain 90 milligrams of potassium per single apricot serving, so even two or three apricots aren't enough to give you the potassium you need to make a difference. However, apricots can play a part in a broader potassium-focused diet. Just be careful if you have existing kidney disease. The National Kidney Foundation cautions that excessive consumption of potassium can put a dangerous strain on the kidneys.