Jackfruit, grown in the warm and coastal regions of India, is a tropical fruit that is not only tasty but healthy as well. You can eat the ripe and unripe versions of this fruit along with the seeds. The unripe version of jackfruit is used for cooking curries and it bears an uncanny resemblance to the texture of chicken. Due to this reason, raw jackfruit is sometimes also known as vegetable meat. Here are some of the health benefits of jackfruit that you should be aware of. Next time, when you spot jackfruits in the market, don’t hesitate to buy one. Did you know that it is the biggest fruit to be grown on a tree in the world today? Neatly cut into the bulbs and enjoy the sweetness that brings a lot of good health as well.
Table of Contents
Benefits Of Jackfruits or Kathal
1. High Dose of Nutrients
One cup of jackfruit contains only around 150 calories, but it is loaded with healthy nutrients that make you feel full and energized throughout the day. Carbohydrates, proteins, fiber, Vitamins A &C, copper, potassium, manganese, magnesium and riboflavin are found in jackfruit in reasonable quantities.
One cup of apple gives you only 1 gram of protein, whereas one cup of jackfruit gives you 3 grams of proteins. This explains why you can find a visible improvement in your muscle mass and energy levels when you eat jackfruit regularly.
2. Improves Immunity
Jackfruits are rich in Vitamin C; so, they help to improve your immunity by a considerable extent. The presence of Vitamin C makes your skin less prone to inflammation, cell damages, some types of cancers and cardiac ailments. Jackfruits also contain carotenoids, which help to reduce the damage caused by free radicals and other toxins. Therefore, they have the potential to reduce your risk of Type 2 Diabetes and heart diseases.
Flavanones are antioxidants present in jackfruits that help in reducing damage due to oxidative stress in your body. They help in reducing the risk of heart diseases by keeping a check on the blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol ranges. By reducing your risk to various mild and serious diseases, jackfruits do a remarkable job in building your immunity system.
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3. Helps To Regulate Blood Sugar
Jackfruits are rich in fiber, which means your body can digest the fruit properly without unnecessarily fluctuating your blood sugar levels. Thus, the glycemic index (GI), or the risk of creating a spike in the sugar levels, in jackfruits are very low. This is because the fruit contains antioxidants known as flavonoids, which help in regulating the blood sugar levels and prevent any undue fluctuations.
Also, a study was conducted to prove that people who consumed the extract of jackfruit showed good blood sugar levels in their test. Mice also responded well when they were fed the extract of jackfruit leaves. The reasonably-high protein content in jackfruits also plays a vital role in regulating blood sugar levels.
4. Improves Gut Health
You will not face any digestive problems when you eat jackfruits because they are a good source of fiber. You will find soluble and insoluble fibers in this fruit, which not only helps in flushing out the toxins from your gut easily but also in smooth passage of stools. Problems such as stomach-bloating, gas, indigestion, constipation and irritable bowel syndrome can be managed when you eat jackfruits regularly.
5. Good For Your Eyes
Jackfruits are a good source of Vitamin A; therefore, they play a vital role in the overall health of your eyes. People who eat jackfruit regularly during their youth are less prone to issues like muscle degeneration in the retina and cataract in their old age. Also, the beta carotenes present in jackfruits nourish your eyes well and keep them safe from bacterial infections, inflammations, and harmful light rays.
6. Promotes Cardiovascular Health
Jackfruit is rich in potassium, a mineral that is very important for the normal functioning of the heart muscles. Lack of potassium can lead to sodium imbalance in your body, which can lead to serious issues such as memory loss, blockage of arteries and the like. The potassium in jackfruits helps to prevent these issues, thereby contributing to the proper functioning of the circulatory system and cardiovascular system.
7. Balances Thyroid Hormones
The copper content in jackfruits ensures that there are no imbalances in your thyroid hormones. The metabolism rate of the thyroid hormone is controlled well by the jackfruits; therefore, this fruit reduces your risk to thyroid-related issues such as hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism and all other side effects that are accompanied by these ailments.
Benefits of Jackfruit Seeds
Jackfruit is one of the few fruits that contain edible and healthy seeds as well. In many parts of India, jackfruit seeds are cooked separately or with other vegetables like potato to form a tasty curry. Here are some impressive benefits of jackfruit seeds:
8. Makes You Look Young And Bight!
The antioxidants in jackfruit seeds help to fight the problems caused by oxidative stress, toxins and free radicals in your body. A paste of jackfruit seeds and milk is an excellent face pack that you can try at least once a week to see a visible improvement in your skin texture. You will notice that your wrinkles, fine lines, sagging skin, and other aging symptoms decrease phenomenally when you use the jackfruit seeds pack.
9. Helps To Fight Anemia
Jackfruit seeds are rich in iron. Including them regularly in your mail can make you less prone to ailments such as anemia, fatigue, and dehydration. These seeds can improve the quality of your blood, thereby improving the functioning of the vital organs such as the heart and brain.
10. Helps Fight Indigestion
Are you looking for a quick and simple natural remedy to fight problems related to indigestion and constipation? Jackfruit seeds are a great choice! All you need to do is to thoroughly dry the seeds in the sun for a couple of days and grind them to a fine powder. This powder is a rich source of fiber and one spoon is enough to keep your digestion issues at bay.
Points to note about kathal or jackfruit
If you are already allergic to birch pollen, you may be allergic to jackfruits as well. Therefore, it is better to avoid or limit your intake of jackfruit, in this case. It is highly recommended to get an allergy test done to be sure that you don’t have any strange allergies before you consume jackfruits.
Conclusion
It is very easy to include jackfruit in your regular diet. If you don’t like the sweetness of fruit, you could still love the chicken-like texture of the raw jackfruit. The ripe fruit can be consumed as it is or it can be used for making an exotic dessert with jaggery during important festivals. Regardless of the way it is cooked, the jackfruit doesn’t fail to pass on some important health benefits to you.
The leaves and seeds of the jackfruit also contain medicinal properties. For this very reason, they have been used as natural remedies and in Ayurveda medicines to treat various issues. Though it is predominantly grown in South India, the jackfruit is easily available all over the world. Embrace this fruit into your life now and enjoy its heavenly taste to know what we are talking about.