Apricots can be traced back to China and are related to plums . They have been cultivated there for about 4000 years, especially in the north-east, and references to them can be found in very early Chinese writing. It was long believed that apricots helped women to be more fertile.

Around 400 BC the apricot began to spread around the world. It was first brought to the Middle East, and then to Europe by way of the Mediterranean, by Chinese silk traders. By the first century BC the Romans had adopted the apricot and were cultivating their own varieties. They gradually spread to the rest of Europe, reaching England in the 16th century AD. With the European voyages to the Americas, the apricot eventually spread all round the world.

There are no known side effects from eating apricots in themselves. As with any fruit, too many could well give you a stomach upset; and people have been known to choke on dried apricots, but these don't really count as side effects.