Jackfruit

Health benefits of Jackfruit

Jackfruit, one of the tropical fruits available is both delicious to eat and even has a sweet taste. It is also rich in energy, dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins making it one of the most healthy summer treats to relish.

Jackfruit has many health benefits. Here are some:

Immunity: The fruit contains an excellent source of Vitamin C antioxidants which helps in building immune system in order to protect against common diseases such as cough, cold and flu.

Energy: It contains a good amount of carbohydrate, calorie and simple sugar like fructose and sucrose, providing a quick boost of energy. Also, it has no cholesterol content which makes jackfruit a healthier food option.

Maintains Blood Pressure: The good amount of potassium contained in the fruit helps to lower high blood pressure and also reduces the risk of stroke and heart attacks.

Improves Digestion: Jackfruit is good for digestion and prevents constipation because of the good amount of dietary fiber in it, making it bulk laxative.

Colon Cancer: The dietary fats contained in the fruit helps to clean toxins from the colon. Thus, it reduces the effects of toxin in the colon and protects from colon cancer.

Good for Eyes: Jackfruit contains Vitamin A, an important nutrient for eye health. It increases vision and protects from free radicals. As this fruit is a rich source of antioxidants, it is highly effective in preventing degeneration of the retina.

Source: zee news

Top 11 health benefits of jackfruit

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Jackfruit may not be one of those fruits that you can munch whenever and wherever you want. Its huge size and external thorny appearance might not exactly be pleasing but internally it’s delightfully sweet and equally beneficial as other fruits. Here are top 11 reasons you should not miss them.

1. Instant source of energy: Jackfruit is rich in carbohydrates or sugars like fructose and sucrose which provide instant energy. 92% content of jackfruits is made of only carbohydrates. About 1 cup of jackfruit bulbs contain 40 gm of carbohydrates, which is good enough to keep you energetic for the time between the meals. This nutritional benefit of jackfruits can especially help people who want to gain weight in a healthy way.

2. Prevents thyroid problems: Fruits are a good source of minerals required by the body in minute quantities. Jackfruit is highly rich in copper that plays a special role in thyroid functioning. It helps in regulation of thyroid hormones by helping in absorption and synthesis of hormones.

3. Boost immunity: Most fruits have their immune boosting function attributed to the presence of high levels of vitamin C. Jackfruits not only contain high amount of vitamin C but also have simple sugars that may have help in improving immunity. A study by Tan YF and colleagues analysed the immune stimulating function of sugars in jackfruit pulp and found that polysaccharides in jackfruit enhanced the function of phagocytic cells, a type of cells of the immune system, in mice.

4. Reduces blood pressure: About 14% of your daily potassium requirement can be met by a cup of sliced jackfruit pieces. This high potassium level in jackfruit makes it extremely good for regulating blood pressure and keeping you away from associated conditions like heart disease.

5. Good for digestion: Jackfruits are fairly rich in dietary fibre and water content, which helps in relieving constipation and improving digestion. But, according to Ayurveda, jackfruit (especially the smaller raw ones), might be difficult to digest for people who suffer from serious digestive problems.

6. Improves vision: Jackfruit is naturally rich in antioxidant compounds like flavonoids and phenols that remove free oxygen radicals known to damage cells at the DNA level. Free oxygen radicals can cause degeneration of the retinal cells and lead to chronic degenerative diseases like cataracts and macular degeneration. Jackfruit is also rich in vitamin A, offering about 10% of your daily requirement in just 165 gm.

7. Has anti-cancer properties: Being rich in antioxidants, jackfruit protects the cellular DNA from direct damage and induced mutations caused by free oxygen radicals. Due to it starchy and sticky nature, it acts like a cleanser for the colon to remove all the toxins from the digestive system which are linked to increased risk of colon cancer.

8. Cures anemia: Anemia can be caused due to deficiencies of minerals and vitamins required for the synthesis of red blood cells (RBCs) and hemoglobin. Jackfruit is rich in vitamin A, C, E and K as well as folic acid, niacin and vitamin B6. It also contains manganese, magnesium and copper required for production of red blood cells, thus helping to cure and prevent anemia.

9. Makes your bones stronger: We all know calcium is required for improving bone health. A handful of sliced jackfruit pieces will give you somewhere about 56.1 mg of calcium, accounting for 6% of your daily calcium requirement. It can be a natural supplement of calcium in people suffering from osteoporosis and weak bones.

10. Keeps your skin healthy: Like all other antioxidant rich foods, jackfruit helps in providing protection against skin damage and wrinkles due to early aging induced by free radicals.

11. Improves sperm count: According to Ayurveda, ripened jackfruit helps in increasing sperm motility and quality of semen in infertile men. Even in the traditional Chinese folk medicine, jackfruit ranks in the list of natural aphrodisiacs. It has been used to treat low libido, erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation in men since the ancient times.

Source: The health site