Home Ingredients Apricot (Prunus armeniaca)

Apricot (Prunus armeniaca)

Prunus armeniaca
Evidence Level
Preliminary
6 Clinical Trials
6 Documented Benefits
1/5 Evidence Score

Apricots are the stone fruit of Prunus armeniaca, eaten fresh or dried; the standard USDA dried apricot is sulfured. By USDA data, 100 g of fresh apricot provides about 48 kcal, 2 g of fiber, 259 mg of potassium and 1,094 mcg of beta-carotene, while 100 g of dried apricots has 241 kcal and 53 g of sugars. Human research is small: single-meal tests in 10 and 11 adults found a lower glycemic index for dried apricots than for white bread or rice, and 200 g a day of fresh apricots for 3 weeks did not change antioxidant markers. No controlled trial of apricots for bowel habits or blood fats was found. The kernel inside the stone contains amygdalin, which releases cyanide when chewed or ground; raw kernels have caused serious poisoning. Amygdalin, sold as laetrile or vitamin B17, is not an evidence-based treatment for any illness.

Studied Dose No set dose. Single-meal tests used dried apricots supplying 50 g of available carbohydrate (about 81 g of fruit) or 25 g in place of half the bread or rice; a 3-week study used 200 g a day of fresh apricots. One fresh apricot weighs about 35 g (USDA).
Active Compound Whole apricot fruit, fresh or dried. The flesh supplies beta-carotene (provitamin A), potassium, dietary fiber and sugars (mainly sucrose in fresh fruit and glucose in dried fruit by USDA data). The kernel inside the stone, which is not eaten with the fruit, contains the cyanogenic glycoside amygdalin.

Benefits

A source of beta-carotene, potassium and fiber

By USDA data, 100 g of fresh apricot supplies about 1,094 mcg of beta-carotene (96 mcg of vitamin A as RAE), 259 mg of potassium, 2 g of fiber and 10 mg of vitamin C for 48 kcal. Drying concentrates most nutrients: 100 g of sulfured dried apricots has 1,162 mg of potassium and 7.3 g of fiber, but also 241 kcal and 53 g of sugars. These are nutrient amounts, not tested outcomes.

Supported by Trial 2, Trial 4

Lower glycemic index than white bread in a single-meal test

In a randomized crossover test in 10 healthy adults, dried apricots supplying 50 g of available carbohydrate had a glycemic index of about 42, against 71 for white bread, a significant difference. Replacing half of the bread's carbohydrate with dried apricots lowered the meal's index to about 57. The study measured single meals and was funded by dried fruit trade groups.

Supported by Trial 1, Trial 2

Post-meal glucose after dried apricots compared with rice

In a randomized test in 11 healthy young adults in Beijing, dried apricots supplying 50 g of available carbohydrate had a glycemic index of 56, significantly below steamed rice (81). When dried apricots replaced half the rice carbohydrate, the meal's index (75) did not differ significantly from rice alone. Only dried apples lowered the response of a rice meal.

Supported by Trial 2, Trial 1

Glycemic response to fresh apricots among common fruits

In a study that randomly assigned 61 adults with type 2 diabetes to test one of eight fruits, fresh apricots had a glycemic index of about 82, and the glycemic index did not differ significantly between the fruits tested. Blood glucose peaked later after apricots (about 81 minutes) than after grapes, oranges or peaches. Each group tested only one fruit, and the abstract does not give the portion size.

Supported by Trial 4

Antioxidant blood and urine markers with daily fresh apricots

In a 3-week randomized study in healthy Egyptian adults (7 per group), 200 g a day of fresh apricots did not change plasma or urinary antioxidant activity, urinary polyphenols or the urinary oxidation marker TBARS, while the pomegranate juice group improved on several of these measures. The groups were very small.

Supported by Trial 3

Intestinal lining under drug-induced stress in rats

In rats given the drug methotrexate, which damages the small intestine, apricot and beta-carotene, alone or together, reduced tissue damage and oxidation markers and restored antioxidant enzymes compared with methotrexate alone. This is animal work; the abstract does not give a dose in human terms, and it has not been tested in people.

Supported by Trial 3, Trial 4

Mechanism of action

1

Beta-carotene as a provitamin A source

Apricot flesh is rich in beta-carotene, a carotenoid the body can convert to vitamin A. USDA lists 1,094 mcg of beta-carotene and 96 mcg of vitamin A (as retinol activity equivalents) per 100 g of fresh fruit, and 2,163 mcg of beta-carotene per 100 g of sulfured dried fruit.

2

Sugar profile and the post-meal glucose response

Dried apricots contain fructose and sucrose as well as glucose; in one test portion, 50 g of available carbohydrate came with about 9.1 g of fructose, 13.1 g of glucose and 7.3 g of sucrose. In a separate test of four dried fruits, meals with a higher fructose to glucose ratio had lower glycemic index values, an association rather than a tested cause.

3

Amygdalin in the kernel releases cyanide when crushed

The kernel inside the apricot stone holds amygdalin, a cyanogenic glycoside that is broken down to cyanide when the kernel is chewed or ground. In a human feeding study, bitter apricot kernels raised blood cyanide quickly, with a mean peak about 20 minutes after eating. The fruit flesh does not come into contact with the kernel.

Clinical trials

1
Four Dried Fruits and Post-Meal Glucose: Randomized Crossover Test (trade-funded)
PubMed

Acute randomized multiple-crossover trial following the ISO glycemic index method: dates, dried apricots, raisins and sultanas eaten alone (50 g available carbohydrate), replacing half the carbohydrate of white bread, or as a small 7.5 g fructose dose added to white bread, compared with white bread controls; supported by the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council Foundation and the National Dried Fruit Trade Association, which also supplied the fruit; registered as NCT02960373. (Viguiliouk et al. 2018, Nutr Diabetes)

10 healthy adults (7 men, 3 women; mean age 39, mean BMI 25) in Toronto, Canada.

Dried apricots alone had a glycemic index of about 42 against 71 for white bread (P < 0.05), the lowest of the four fruits. Replacing half the bread carbohydrate with dried apricots lowered the index to about 57, the only significant displacement effect (P = 0.025). The small fructose dose from apricots added to bread had no benefit. Single meals only, in 10 people.

2
Dried Fruits Alone, With Rice and With Almonds: Randomized Glycemic Test
PubMed

Randomized test of glycemic responses over 240 minutes to dried apples, dried jujubes, raisins and dried apricots eaten alone (50 g available carbohydrate), combined with rice (25 g carbohydrate each), or combined with rice plus 30 g of almonds, with glucose and steamed rice as references. (Zhu et al. 2018, Nutrients)

11 healthy adults in Beijing, China.

Dried apricots alone had a glycemic index of 56, significantly lower than rice (81), and similar to the other dried fruits. A meal of dried apricots and rice had an index of 75, not significantly different from rice alone; only the dried apple and rice meal was significantly lower than rice. With 30 g of almonds added, the dried apricot and rice meal had an index of 64, below rice alone; the paper's table shows no significant drop from the apricot and rice meal without almonds, while its abstract names dried apples as the one meal almonds did not lower. The authors declared no conflicts.

3
Fresh Apricots, Pomegranate Juice or Fermented Sobya: 3-Week Randomized Study (no change with apricots)
PubMed

Randomized controlled trial with five equal groups: no-supplement control, 200 g a day of fresh apricots, 250 g of pomegranate juice, pomegranate juice plus fermented sobya, or fermented sobya alone, each eaten daily for 21 days; outcomes measured before and after within each group. (Gouda et al. 2016, Nutr J)

35 healthy Egyptian adults aged 21 to 35 (7 per group).

Fresh apricots did not change urinary polyphenol excretion, plasma or urinary antioxidant activity, urinary TBARS or red cell glutathione transferase activity compared with baseline. Pomegranate juice raised plasma and urinary antioxidant activity and lowered urinary TBARS, and fermented sobya raised glutathione transferase activity. With 7 people per group, the study was too small to rule out small effects.

4
Glycemic Index of Eight Fresh Fruits in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: Randomized Groups
PubMed

Randomized comparative study in which each participant group tested one of eight fresh fruits (pears, apples, oranges, grapes, plums, peaches, apricots, bananas) to measure glycemic index, peak rise and time to peak. (Lunetta et al. 1995, Diabet Med)

61 adults with type 2 diabetes in Catania, Italy, split into eight groups.

Apricots had a glycemic index of about 82 and a peak rise of about 4.08 mmol/l; there were no statistical differences in glycemic index or peak rise between the fruits. Time to peak was longer after apricots (about 81 minutes) than after grapes, oranges or peaches (P < 0.01). The glycemic index correlated with the fruits' glucose content. The abstract is truncated and does not give the amount of fruit eaten.

5
Sulfited Foods, Including Dried Apricots, in Sulfite-Sensitive Adults: Double-Blind Challenges
PubMed

Double-blind food challenge study of sulfited lettuce, shrimp, dried apricots, white grape juice, dehydrated potatoes and mushrooms. (Taylor et al. 1988, J Allergy Clin Immunol)

8 adults with asthma confirmed as sulfite-sensitive by double-blind capsule and drink challenges.

Four of the 8 did not react to any sulfited food. Of the other 4, who reacted to sulfited lettuce with a fall in lung function, 2 of the 3 challenged also reacted to dried apricots and white grape juice. The authors concluded that reactions depend on the food, its residual sulfite level and the person's sensitivity.

6
Blood Cyanide After Bitter Apricot Kernels and Other Cyanogenic Foods: Crossover Study (kernels, not fruit)
PubMed

Crossover study by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment in which each participant ate persipan paste, linseed, bitter apricot kernels and fresh cassava, each portion containing the equivalent of 6.8 mg of cyanide, with blood cyanide measured by GC-MS. (Abraham et al. 2016, Arch Toxicol)

12 healthy adults.

Mean blood cyanide peaked at 14.3 micromol/L about 20 minutes after bitter apricot kernels (about 3,250 mg total cyanide per kg of kernels), close to cassava (15.4 at 37.5 minutes) and well above linseed (5.7) and persipan (1.3). The authors derived an acute reference dose of 0.075 mg/kg body weight for cyanide from unprocessed foods that still contain their own enzyme. This concerns kernels, not apricot fruit.

Side effects and drug interactions

Common Potential side effects

Apricot kernels: do not eat raw apricot kernels or kernel powders. Amygdalin in the kernel turns into cyanide when it is chewed or ground. The European Food Safety Authority set a safe single intake of 20 mcg of cyanide per kg of body weight and estimated that adults could eat about three small raw kernels (0.37 g) without exceeding it, while less than half of one large kernel could exceed it; for toddlers, one small kernel is already too much.
Kernel poisoning is documented: a 41-year-old woman who ate apricot kernels from a health food store became weak and short of breath within 20 minutes and was comatose on arrival, recovering after cyanide antidotes. The intakes some sellers promote (10 kernels a day, or 60 for people with cancer) were estimated by EFSA to exceed the safe level 3 to 71 times in adults.
Amygdalin (laetrile, sold as vitamin B17) is not an evidence-based treatment: a Cochrane review found no randomized trials supporting it and judged its risk-benefit balance unambiguously negative because of cyanide poisoning, especially when taken by mouth. The US FDA has not approved laetrile for any medical use.
Sulfites: the standard dried apricot in USDA data is sulfured. In a double-blind challenge study, 2 of 3 sulfite-sensitive adults with asthma who were tested reacted to sulfited dried apricots. If you react to sulfites, read the label and choose unsulfured fruit.
Allergy: apricot belongs to the Rosaceae family with peach, plum, cherry and apple. In 30 people with apricot allergy, all reacted to a lipid transfer protein that closely matches the peach allergen; all had oral allergy symptoms and 2 also had whole-body reactions. Lipid transfer proteins are the main allergens in people without birch pollen allergy, while people with birch pollen allergy can react through birch-like proteins.
Dried apricots swallowed without chewing can swell in the gut: a case report describes small bowel blockage needing surgery. The case authors note that blockage by undigested food is seen mostly in children, older people without teeth and people with mental disorders; chew dried fruit well.
Dried apricots are energy dense: 100 g of sulfured dried apricots supplies about 241 kcal and 53 g of sugars (USDA data).

Important Drug interactions

No drug interaction studies of apricot fruit were found.
Potassium: 100 g of dried apricots supplies about 1,162 mg of potassium (USDA data). If you have been told to limit potassium, or take a medicine that can raise blood potassium, ask your doctor about large daily portions.
Apricot kernel or amygdalin products are a separate matter: they can cause cyanide poisoning and should not be combined with any treatment plan without medical advice.

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Frequently asked questions about Apricot (Prunus armeniaca)

Are apricot kernels safe to eat?

Raw apricot kernels are not a safe snack. They contain amygdalin, which releases cyanide when the kernel is chewed or ground. The European Food Safety Authority estimated that an adult could eat only about three small raw kernels at one time without exceeding its safe level, and that a toddler would exceed it with one. Poisonings severe enough to cause coma have been reported. Eating the fruit itself is a different matter: the kernel sits inside the hard stone.

Is amygdalin, laetrile or vitamin B17 from apricot kernels a proven treatment?

No. A Cochrane review found no randomized trials showing a benefit and concluded that the risk-benefit balance is unambiguously negative because of the risk of cyanide poisoning, especially when taken by mouth. The National Cancer Institute notes that the US FDA has not approved laetrile for any medical use. Despite the vitamin B17 name, it has not been approved as a vitamin.

Do dried apricots raise blood sugar less than bread or rice?

In two small single-meal tests, dried apricots had a lower glycemic index than white bread (about 42 vs 71) or steamed rice (56 vs 81) when portions were matched for carbohydrate. Swapping half of a bread meal's carbohydrate for dried apricots lowered its index, but swapping half of a rice meal's did not make a significant difference. These are one-meal tests in 10 and 11 healthy adults, and dried apricots are still high in sugar (about 53 g per 100 g).

Why do some dried apricots contain sulfites?

Dried apricots can be treated with sulfur dioxide, and the USDA lists its standard dried apricot as sulfured. In a double-blind study, half of 8 sulfite-sensitive adults with asthma reacted to none of the sulfited foods tested, but 2 of the 3 who were challenged with sulfited dried apricots reacted. If you react to sulfites, check the label for sulfites or choose unsulfured fruit.

Can apricots cause allergic reactions?

Yes. The main apricot allergen is a lipid transfer protein very similar to the one in peach, so people allergic to peach or other Rosaceae fruits may also react to apricot. Most reactions are itching or swelling in the mouth, but whole-body reactions have been reported. An allergist can help work out which related fruits are safe for you.

What is Apricot?

Apricots are the stone fruit of Prunus armeniaca, eaten fresh or dried; the standard USDA dried apricot is sulfured. By USDA data, 100 g of fresh apricot provides about 48 kcal, 2 g of fiber, 259 mg of potassium and 1,094 mcg of beta-carotene, while 100 g of dried apricots has 241 kcal and 53 g of sugars.

What is Apricot used for?

NutraSmarts does not list Apricot under a health category. What the research covers: By USDA data, 100 g of fresh apricot supplies about 1,094 mcg of beta-carotene (96 mcg of vitamin A as RAE), 259 mg of potassium, 2 g of fiber and 10 mg of vitamin C for 48 kcal.

What is the recommended dosage of Apricot?

No set dose. Single-meal tests used dried apricots supplying 50 g of available carbohydrate (about 81 g of fruit) or 25 g in place of half the bread or rice; a 3-week study used 200 g a day of fresh apricots. One fresh apricot weighs about 35 g (USDA). Always follow the product label and check with a healthcare provider for personal advice.

Does Apricot interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: No drug interaction studies of apricot fruit were found. Potassium: 100 g of dried apricots supplies about 1,162 mg of potassium (USDA data). If you have been told to limit potassium, or take a medicine that can raise blood potassium, ask your doctor about large daily portions. If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for Apricot?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for Apricot as Preliminary (1 out of 5). It is backed by 6 study summaries and 16 cited references summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(16 citations)

Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.

  1. Viguiliouk E, Jenkins AL, Blanco Mejia S, Sievenpiper JL, Kendall CWC. Effect of dried fruit on postprandial glycemia: a randomized acute-feeding trial. Nutr Diabetes. 2018;8(1):59. doi: 10.1038/s41387-018-0066-5.PubMedUsed to support: Randomized multiple-crossover acute feeding trial in 10 healthy adults using the ISO glycemic index method: dried apricots (50 g available carbohydrate) had a glycemic index of about 42 versus 71 for white bread (P < 0.05); replacing half of the bread carbohydrate with dried apricots lowered the meal's index to about 57 (P = 0.025); a small fructose dose from dried fruit added to bread had no benefit. Funded by the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council Foundation and the National Dried Fruit Trade Association, which supplied the fruit.
  2. Zhu R, Fan Z, Dong Y, Liu M, Wang L, Pan H. Postprandial Glycaemic Responses of Dried Fruit-Containing Meals in Healthy Adults: Results from a Randomised Trial. Nutrients. 2018;10(6):694. doi: 10.3390/nu10060694.PubMedUsed to support: Randomized glycemic test in 11 healthy adults: dried apricots (50 g available carbohydrate) had a glycemic index of 56, significantly below steamed rice (81); a dried apricot and rice meal (75) did not differ significantly from rice, and only the dried apple and rice meal lowered the response; meals with a higher fructose to glucose ratio had lower glycemic index values.
  3. Gouda M, Moustafa A, Hussein L, Hamza M. Three week dietary intervention using apricots, pomegranate juice or/and fermented sour sobya and impact on biomarkers of antioxidative activity, oxidative stress and erythrocytic glutathione transferase activity among adults. Nutr J. 2016;15(1):52. doi: 10.1186/s12937-016-0173-x.PubMedUsed to support: Randomized controlled trial in 35 healthy Egyptian adults (7 per group) for 21 days: 200 g a day of fresh apricots did not change urinary polyphenols, plasma or urinary antioxidant activity, urinary TBARS or red cell glutathione transferase from baseline, whereas pomegranate juice and fermented sobya improved some markers.
  4. Lunetta M, Di Mauro M, Crimi S, Mughini L. No important differences in glycaemic responses to common fruits in type 2 diabetic patients. Diabet Med. 1995;12(8):674-8.PubMedUsed to support: Randomized comparison of eight fresh fruits in 61 adults with type 2 diabetes: apricots had a glycemic index of about 82 and a peak rise of about 4.08 mmol/l, with no statistical differences in glycemic index or peak rise between fruits; time to peak was longer after apricots (about 81 minutes) than after grapes, oranges or peaches.
  5. Taylor SL, Bush RK, Selner JC, Nordlee JA, Wiener MB, Holden K, Koepke JW, Busse WW. Sensitivity to sulfited foods among sulfite-sensitive subjects with asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1988;81(6):1159-67.PubMedUsed to support: Double-blind challenges with sulfited foods in 8 sulfite-sensitive adults with asthma: 4 reacted to no sulfited food; of the 4 who reacted to sulfited lettuce, 2 of the 3 tested also reacted to dried apricots and white grape juice. Reactions depend on the food, residual sulfite level and individual sensitivity.
  6. Abraham K, Buhrke T, Lampen A. Bioavailability of cyanide after consumption of a single meal of foods containing high levels of cyanogenic glycosides: a crossover study in humans. Arch Toxicol. 2016;90(3):559-74. doi: 10.1007/s00204-015-1479-8.PubMedUsed to support: Crossover study in 12 healthy adults eating cyanogenic foods each containing 6.8 mg cyanide equivalents: bitter apricot kernels (about 3,250 mg total cyanide per kg) produced a mean blood cyanide peak of 14.3 micromol/L at about 20 minutes, similar to cassava and far above linseed and persipan; the authors derived an acute reference dose of 0.075 mg/kg body weight for unprocessed foods that still contain their own beta-glucosidase.
  7. Milazzo S, Horneber M. Laetrile treatment for cancer. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;2015(4):CD005476. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD005476.pub4.PubMedUsed to support: Cochrane systematic review (2015 update): no randomized or quasi-randomized trials of laetrile or amygdalin for cancer met the inclusion criteria; claims of benefit are not supported by sound clinical data; there is a considerable risk of serious cyanide poisoning, especially after oral intake, and the risk-benefit balance is unambiguously negative.
  8. EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM). Acute health risks related to the presence of cyanogenic glycosides in raw apricot kernels and products derived from raw apricot kernels. EFSA J. 2016;14(4):4424. doi: 10.2903/j.efsa.2016.4424.SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed; EFSA scientific opinion, read in full text (abstract and summary). Amygdalin is the major cyanogenic glycoside in apricot kernels and is degraded to cyanide by chewing or grinding; reported lethal dose 0.5 to 3.5 mg/kg body weight; acute reference dose 20 mcg/kg body weight; promoted intakes (10 and 60 kernels a day) exceeded it 17 to 413 times in toddlers and 3 to 71 times in adults; the maximum amount that would not exceed it is 0.06 g (toddlers) and 0.37 g (adults), so one small kernel exceeds it in toddlers, adults could eat three small kernels, and less than half of a large kernel could exceed it in adults.
  9. European Food Safety Authority. Apricot kernels pose risk of cyanide poisoning. EFSA news. 2016;News release, 27 April 2016; accessed 2026..SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed; EFSA news release (accessed 2026). Summarizes the 2016 opinion: adults could eat three small raw kernels (370 mg) and toddlers about 60 mg without exceeding the acute reference dose; normal consumption of apricot fruit does not pose a health risk because the kernel, obtained by cracking the stone, has no contact with the fruit; sellers promote 10 kernels a day for the general population and 60 for cancer patients; evaluating claimed cancer benefits was outside EFSA's remit.
  10. PDQ Integrative, Alternative, and Complementary Therapies Editorial Board. Laetrile/Amygdalin (PDQ®): Patient Version. PDQ Cancer Information Summaries. 2002;Bethesda (MD): National Cancer Institute (US); 2002 onward. Patient version, updated 2 June 2022..PubMedUsed to support: National Cancer Institute PDQ patient summary (last updated June 2022): the US FDA has not approved laetrile as a treatment for cancer or any other medical condition; amygdalin yields cyanide in the body; side effects are worse when laetrile is taken by mouth and when combined with raw almonds or crushed fruit pits; although sold as vitamin B17, it has not been approved as a vitamin.
  11. Suchard JR, Wallace KL, Gerkin RD. Acute cyanide toxicity caused by apricot kernel ingestion. Ann Emerg Med. 1998;32(6):742-4.PubMedUsed to support: Case report: a 41-year-old woman who ate apricot kernels bought at a health food store became weak and short of breath within 20 minutes, arrived comatose and hypothermic, and responded to cyanide antidote therapy followed by a thiosulfate infusion.
  12. Pastorello EA, D'Ambrosio FP, Pravettoni V, Farioli L, Giuffrida G, Monza M, Ansaloni R, Fortunato D, Scibola E, Rivolta F, Incorvaia C, Bengtsson A, Conti A, Ortolani C. Evidence for a lipid transfer protein as the major allergen of apricot. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2000;105(2 Pt 1):371-7.PubMedUsed to support: In 30 patients with challenge-confirmed apricot allergy (oral allergy syndrome, 2 with systemic reactions), all sera recognized a 9 kd protein identified as a lipid transfer protein, with 94% sequence homology to the peach lipid transfer protein and full cross-inhibition by it.
  13. Asero R, Mistrello G, Roncarolo D, Casarini M, Falagiani P. Allergy to nonspecific lipid transfer proteins in Rosaceae: a comparative study of different in vivo diagnostic methods. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2001;87(1):68-71.PubMedUsed to support: Study of 36 people with oral allergy to Rosaceae fruits: lipid transfer proteins are the major allergens in Rosaceae-sensitive people who are not allergic to birch pollen; in birch pollen allergic people, reactivity involved Bet v 1 and Bet v 2 like structures, best detected with fresh fruit skin prick tests.
  14. Gümüs M, Kapan M, Onder A, Tekbas G, Yagmur Y. An unusual cause of small bowel obstruction: dried apricots. J Pak Med Assoc. 2011;61(11):1130-1.PubMedUsed to support: Case report: a 56-year-old man with acute small bowel obstruction needed resection of an ischemic segment; a dried apricot that had swollen in fluid was found blocking the small bowel. Dried fruit swallowed without chewing can obstruct the bowel.
  15. Vardi N, Parlakpinar H, Ozturk F, Ates B, Gul M, Cetin A, Erdogan A, Otlu A. Potent protective effect of apricot and beta-carotene on methotrexate-induced intestinal oxidative damage in rats. Food Chem Toxicol. 2008;46(9):3015-22. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2008.05.039.PubMedUsed to support: Rat study (animal data): apricot and beta-carotene, alone or combined, reduced methotrexate-induced small intestinal damage, lowered malondialdehyde and myeloperoxidase, and restored antioxidant enzymes and glutathione compared with methotrexate alone.
  16. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. Apricots, raw (FDC ID 171697) and Apricots, dried, sulfured, uncooked (FDC ID 173941), SR Legacy. USDA FoodData Central. 2026;SR Legacy food records, accessed 2026..SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed; USDA nutrient database (accessed 2026; dried entry at https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/173941/nutrients). Per 100 g of raw apricots: 48 kcal, 2.0 g fiber, 259 mg potassium, 1,094 mcg beta-carotene, 96 mcg vitamin A RAE, 10 mg vitamin C, 9.24 g total sugars (5.87 g sucrose); one apricot is 35 g. Per 100 g of sulfured dried apricots: 241 kcal, 7.3 g fiber, 1,162 mg potassium, 2,163 mcg beta-carotene, 53.44 g total sugars (33.08 g glucose, 12.47 g fructose, 7.89 g sucrose).