Sweet taste and neutral thermal nature. Acts on Lung, Large Intestine, and Spleen meridians.

Active compounds:

Contains vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, potassium, ß-carotene. Apricots have more carotenoids than any other food. One handful of apricots contains 100 percent of the daily recommended allowance ß-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A and a powerful antioxidant that helps prevent plaque buildup in the arteries.

Clinical Usage and Indications:

• Moistens the lungs, dissolving phlegm, and stopping cough and asthma. Cough due to dryness of the lung. Prolonged cough or asthma due to deficiency disease: Grind with walnuts, decoct into tea and take with honey.
• Moistens the intestines, relaxing the stools. For dry stool or constipation due to dryness of the intestines, eat raw or mix together with 15 g Xing Ren with 30 g cooked rice then add sugar. Chopped it, and mix until smooth to a cream. Eat a small portion twice a day for constipation.

Directions: Eat fresh raw apricot on their own, dried, or with mixed nuts. Mixed with yogurt or cottage cheese In a fruit salad.

Precautions: Do not overeat. Too many may damage spleen and stomach. Do not use if symptoms show constipation due to intestine dryness, cough and asthma due to asthenic disease.

From The Tao of Tummy © book