Sunday, May 5, 2013

Jackfruit: Health Benefits and Nutrition Info

Fruits are considered as one of the most essential parts of our diet. Among fruits, Jackfruit is not only delicious in taste but also has many health benefits. All those who know very little about the Jackfruit, don’t worry here is a brief introduction of the fruit. Jackfruit belongs to the mulberry family and founded in the region of Southern and Southeast Asia, but it is also found in East Africa as well as Brazil. It would not be wrong to describe Jackfruit as the largest tree-borne fruit as its weight could be up to 36 kg, 50 cm in diameter and 90 cm long.

Jackfruit: Health Benefits and Nutrition Info
Image Source:pikachakula.com

When you open the Jackfruit, you will find sweet-flavored orange-yellow bulbs. You can eat them as they are or eat after cooking. It doesn’t matter how you take it as in all the ways you will get many benefits from it. It can be taken in the form of pickles, cooked vegetable, raw fruit as well as used in curry, soups, etc. Not only the fruit is beneficial, but also its seeds are good for health as it contains around 135kcal/100gm.

The amount of nutrients in 100 gm of Jackfruit:
  • Calories - 94
  • Potassium - 303mg
  • Protein - 1g
  • Dietary fiber - 2g
  • Fat - 0.3 mg
  • Calcium - 34 mg
  • Carbohydrate - 34 mg
  • Iron - 0.6 mg
  • Jackfruit contains 2% Vitamin A, 11% Vitamin C, sodium, zinc, and many other nutrients.
Following are some of its health benefits:

Maintain Blood Pressure
Jackfruit being rich in potassium helps in maintaining blood pressure. Potassium acts as electrolytes in the human body, and thus maintains blood pressure. It is also helpful in reducing the risk of stroke as well as heart-attack.

Prevent Cancer
Jackfruit contains a good amount of phytonutrients like Saponin, Lignans and Isoflavines. These phytonutrients have anti-cancer properties as Jackfruit helps in destroying cancer causing free radicals. These radicals are formed because of oxidative strain, and as a result it damage DNA by changing normal cell into the cancer cell.

Strengthen Immune System
As a human-being cannot produce vitamin C himself, so they have to take it from outside in the form of fruits or supplements. Vitamin C helps in strengthening the immunity system. Jackfruit being rich in Vitamin C therefore it strengthen the immune system.

Anemia
Iron helps in preventing anemia and in increasing the blood circulation in the body. Jackfruit contains iron, thus it helps in preventing anemia.

Improve Digestion
Jackfruit contains anti-ulcer properties, thus it helps in digestion and prevents constipation. It contains dietary fiber that makes it bulk laxative.

Improve Skin
Another benefit of jackfruit is that it is also good for your skin and eyes, because it contains vitamin C (20 mg), vitamin A (as much as 51 RE), which improves eye vision and makes skin healthy. It is very good anti-oxidant.

Control Asthma
Jackfruit can be advantageous for asthma patients. Boiled jackfruit root and its extract help in controlling asthma.

Energy

Jackfruit contains 95 calories per 100 gm, high amount of carbohydrates, sucrose and fructose, thus provides a lot of energy. One more important thing is that it contains no cholesterol. All these make Jackfruit as a healthy fruit.

Cure Fever
The leaves of jackfruit tree are helpful for curing fever and boils. It can be used by boiling it and placed it on the wounds.

Helpful in Diabetes
Most of the doctors do not advice for the consumption of jackfruit to diabetes' patients, but consumption of its leaves may help normal and type-2 diabetes patients as it improves glucose tolerance.

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