Fair Trade Apricot Kernel Oil from Pakistan
Since 2000, the Pakistan Mountain Fruit Company has been trading apricots and kernel oil. The Hunza Valley is known for its particularly healthy population and its many centenarians. According to some studies, this population´s advanced age may be due in part to the inclusion of apricots in the local diet. Apricot kernel oil is especially rich in linoleic acid and produces a smooth complexion.
Female managers for the Hunza Valley
The Hunza Valley lies in the middle of the rugged mountain landscape of the north Pakistani Karakorum Mountains. Apricots have been harvested here for centuries, and the Mountain Fruits Company has been active here since 2000. Fair trade has not only made textbooks, playgrounds and generators possible in recent years – equal rights have also been boosted. Women are now also employed in management positions at the Mountain Fruits Company.
Fine oil from the valley of the centenarians
The Hunza valley is also known as the valley of centenarians – some even assume that this high age can be traced back to the consumption of the apricots growing there. In any case, the apricot is firmly rooted in the Hunzukuc culture. Every year from the end of May the harvest of the golden-sweet fruits begins. After drying for several days, the kernels can be removed and broken open – the apricot kernel oil is obtained from the germ contained in them by gentle cold pressing
With apricot kernel oil to beautiful skin
Whether the consumption of apricots is actually responsible for the high age of Hunzukuc, we do not know – the oil from the kernels definitely has caring properties. These can be traced back to the linoleic acid it contains: Linoleic acid is an important component of the skin’s own lipid layer and helps to regenerate the cell membranes. This preserves the skin’s natural protective layer, which protects against UV radiation and moisture loss. With a sufficient supply of linoleic acid, the skin remains smooth and elastic.
