Apricot Fruit Scrub - Treatment and Medical Benefits of Apricot Tree

Latin description: Prunus armeniaca syn Armeniaca vulgaris

Common Name: Apricock, Bitter Almond, Wild Apricot

Parts Used: Fruits, kernals [xiang ren], flower, seeds, inner stem bark, and root.

Medcinal Uses and Benefits of Apricot

• Kernals considered anti-tussive, expectorant, sedative, anthelmintic, antispasmodic, demulcent, pectoral and vulnerary and are used for common cold, coughs, bronchial asthma, rheumatism, tumors, and constipation in the elderly.
• Flowers considered tonic and used to promote female fertility.
• Seeds have been used as a pain killer. A beverage [hsieng-jen t'ang] is made by crushing the seeds in boiling water and has been used for asthma, catarrh, cough and also injected into acupuncture loci for aquapuncture therapy for chronic bronchitis
• Inner stem bark has been used for treating apricot kernal poisoning.
• Root has been antidote to the kernal.
• Has been used internally for dry coughs, bronchitis, asthma, emphysema, and dry constipation. Is more demulcent than wild cherry bark and has been used as a mild laxative for dryness in the colon.
• The dried ripe kernal has been used medicinally in Chinese medicine. It is considered tonic and purgative. It is used to control spasms, and to expel phlegm from respiratory passages.
• Has been used in Europe since at least 500 AD against tumors and the oil has been in use for the same purpose since about the 17th century.
• In Mexico the constituent Laetrile (contains benzaldehyde) is used in cancer therapy. The belief in this highly controversial therapy is that the laetrile breaks down into several compounds (including cyanide) which acts on a tumor material, but not healthy cells.