Amazing Benefits Of Dried Apricots And Soy Nuts

Let’s just put it out there, any food product that is natural, unprocessed, and fresh is always good for consumption. Soy nuts get a lot of bad reputation for triggering thyroid issues and some claims are made about the amount of chemicals used to preserve dried fruits like apricots.

Let Us Look At Some Of Those Aspects

1. Apricots Have Excellent Nutritive Value

When in doubt about iron levels, always resort to dried fruits. Apricots have about 20 percent of our daily RDA of iron, which is excellent for vegetarians! What’s more, a serving of apricots has about a fifth of all the potassium needed by us for smooth blood pressure regulation.¹ But that isn’t all there is to them either. Dried apricots are an excellent source of dietary fiber, and also have a healthy dose of vitamin A in them. Talk about preventing constipation, curing anaemia, regulating blood pressure and giving us good vision, all in one go! By getting all of this goodness through one source, you wont have to worry about your health anymore.²

2. Soy Nuts Can Prevent Cancer

Soy nuts contain phytochemicals that mock hormones naturally present in the human body. More specifically, these chemicals behave like the female hormone estrogen. Apart from menstruation and childbirth, estrogens have a role to play in reproductive health too. In correct amounts, they can help prevent cancers of the uterus and ovaries.³ Soy nuts can make for an excellent natural resource for women to ward of cancer.

3. Soy Nuts Can Lower Blood Pressure

In control groups and groups with people consuming soy nuts, a stark difference was observed in blood pressure regulation. Soy nuts in diet helped reduce blood pressure by up to 10 percent in otherwise healthy women.⁴

4. Soy Nuts Provide Protein And Reduce Cholesterol

Soy nuts are one excellent, vegetarian source of protein. Indeed, soy derivatives are often used by athletes to get adequate protein to support their activity. The good news is that not only are soy nuts a great protein source, they also help reduce serum cholesterol significantly. That’s two birds with one stone.⁵

Word Of Caution

Dried Apricots Can Cause Allergies

Sulfites are notorious chemical compounds that help increase the shelf life of dried fruits. What makes them notorious is the fact that sulfites can cause allergies in susceptible people. Rashes, hives, wheezing and a worsening of asthma are all symptoms of a sulfite allergy.⁶ To work around this problem, it is best to choose organic dried apricots from sources you trust completely.

Soy Nuts Can Exacerbate Low Thyroid Function

Several studies have shown time and again that soy nuts can make hypothyroidism worse in people who already have clinical and subclinical hypothyroidism. What this means is that if you have an undiagnosed thyroid condition and consume soy nuts often, it can lead to the problem becoming worse.⁷ In people with hampered thyroid function, it is recommended that they avoid soy products as much as possible.

In healthy individuals with no other diagnosed issues, both apricots and soy nuts are very good sources of nutrition. However, it is important to know that both these foods can cause allergies in susceptible individuals, and soy can cause thyroid problems to get worse.