Custard Apple - Health Benefits, Uses and Important Facts

Custard apple, also called sitaphal and cherimoya, is a subtropical fruit in the family Annonacea. It is known as a sitafal in India. Its green, leathery skin is tough, and the meat inside is soft and creamy. Custard apple is a sweet, fleshy fruit that is low in calories and very filling. One gram of custard apple only has one calorie of energy, which makes it a great addition to plans for losing weight. It is also known as sugar apple, sweet sop, Sitaphal, and Sarifa. It is full of vitamin C and can help keep blood pressure stable.

Custard apples come in different shapes, such as spheres, circles, irregular cones, and hearts. Sitafal's flesh is sweet, creamy, and grainy, and it has a lot of seeds. Most of the time, custard apples are eaten raw and served cold. It's hard to say no to this fruit because of its sweet and icy taste.

What is custard apple? 

Custard apple is a sweet, fleshy fruit that is low in calories and very filling. One gramme of custard apple only has one calorie of energy, which makes it a great addition to plans for losing weight. It is also known as sugar apple, sweet sop, Sitaphal, and Sarifa. It is full of vitamin C and can help keep blood pressure stable.

In some parts of the world, it is considered a treat because its flesh is very sweet and soft. Custard apple fruit has a lot of sugar, protein, calcium, phosphorus, and iron. It also has a lot of carbs. It can also be a good choice for people who can't eat dairy because they can't digest it.

Other names of custard apple:

Annona squamosa, Jaaniphal, Aatupy, Gangaatr, Krishanphal, Sharifah, Sitaphal, Jaankiphal, Sitapholo, Aato, Katal, At, Gaatr, Krishbeej, Anusa, Sitaphalam, Sithappazaham, Ata, Saripha, Aatichakki, Attichakka, Atta, Gandagaramu, Sirpa, Sithapazham, Sugar apple, Kaj

Taste of custard apple:

Even though the name of this fruit includes the word "apple," it is nothing like an apple. They taste sweet and smooth, like velvet. But if you leave them out for a long time before you eat them, they can taste like they have been fermented.

Nutritional value of custard apple:

Custard apples have a lot of the vitamins and minerals that the body needs. So, let's look at the table below to find out what the fruit does for your body.

Calories – 94

Total Fat – 0.0 gms

Carbohydrates – 23.6 gms

Proteins – 2.1 gms

Dietary Fiber – 4.4 gms

Best way to consume custard apple:

It's best to eat it raw and fresh, but you can also use it as a seasoning or dressing.

You can put the pulp on top of ice cream or mix it with other fruits to make a salad. In the next part, we'll show you how to make custard apple ice cream at home.

Custard apple for skin:

Eating a custard apple has been shown to increase the amount of collagen the body makes. Collagen is a protein that makes the skin flexible, full, and smooth. As we get older, our bodies make less collagen. This makes lines appear on the skin, makes the skin sag, and makes the skin wrinkled. So, it thickens the skin and makes more collagen, which makes fine lines and wrinkles less noticeable. Also, the compounds in custard apple slow down collagen's breakdown, which makes the skin more flexible.

Custard apple or sitaphal during cold

The name sitaphal comes from two Hindi words: "sheet," which means "cold," and "phal," which means "fruit." This suggests that the fruit is cold and potent. Since the fruit makes the body feel cooler, you shouldn't eat it when you have a cold.

Health benefits of custard apple: 

1. Custard apple has a lot of fibre, which helps us digest food, keeps us from getting constipated, and cleans out our bodies.
2. Sitafal has a lot of antioxidants like flavonoids, phenolic compounds, kaurenoic acid, and vitamin C that fight free radicals that are linked to chronic diseases, cancer, and heart disease. Antioxidants (like lutein and carotenoid) also protect our eyes from oxidative damage and lower the risk of age-related macular degeneration, vision loss, and cataracts.
3. Cherimoya is full of nutrients, like potassium and magnesium, which lower blood pressure by opening up blood vessels that are too narrow. We all know that having high blood pressure makes you more likely to get heart disease or a stroke.
4. Sitafal has a lot of Vitamin B6, which improves our mood and makes us feel less sad or depressed. So, when you're feeling down, eat it to feel better.
5. Flavonoids in custard apples (catechin, epicatechin, and epigallocatechin) stop cancer cells from growing. They also make it less likely that you will get cancers like breast, stomach, and colon cancer.
6. Cherimoya has a number of anti-inflammatory chemicals in it, like kaurenoic acid and flavonoids. These chemicals have anti-inflammatory effects and lower the risk of a number of chronic inflammatory conditions.
7. Sitafal has a lot of vitamin C, which helps our bodies fight off infections and diseases by making our immune systems stronger.
8. Custard apple is good for your health in many ways, but it also has a small amount of toxic chemicals (annonacin) that can hurt your brain and nervous system. This poison is mostly in the skin and seeds of the fruit, so take them out before eating. 
9. Cherimoya is a sweet fruit that makes fruit salad, smoothies, soup, cake, flavoured yoghurt, or oatmeal taste even better. So put them on your menu and enjoy their sweet and creamy flavour.

FAQs on Custard Apple:

Q: Can I have a custard apple every day?

A: Custard Apples have a lot of good things for you like calcium, vitamin C, A, B6, magnesium, iron, potassium, copper, and fibre. It's good for your health to drink it every day. Fiber and copper help keep your digestive system healthy and keep you from getting constipated. Vitamins A and C help people see better. Blood pressure is kept in check by custard apples, which is good for the heart. Also, people know that vitamin A makes the skin glow and the hair shine. Vitamin B6 is good for people with asthma. It is also good for people who have arthritis, diabetes, or not enough iron in their bodies.

 Q: Can diabetics eat custard apples?

A: The Custard Apple has a creamy, sweet taste and is full of magnesium, fibre, Vitamin C, and other flavonoids. It is good for people with diabetes because it has a low Glycemic Index (GI) and doesn't make your blood sugar go up.

 Q: Are custard apple seeds poisonous?

A: Amygdalin, which is found in custard apple seeds, releases cyanide when it comes into contact with digestive enzymes. Amygdalin has cyanide and sugar in it, which, when eaten, turn into hydrogen cyanide in the body (HCN). You can get sick from this cyanide.

Q: Can you drink water immediately after having custard apple?

A: After eating a custard apple, you shouldn't drink water right away. Custard apples have a lot of fibre, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B6, and different antioxidants. When you drink water after eating, it can mess up the way digestive juices and enzymes work, which can lead to stomach problems.

Q: Is a custard apple the same as a sugar apple?

A: Yes, custard apple and sugar apple are both the same fruit. In different parts of the world, this fruit is called things like ox-heart, buddha's head, and cherimoya. It may also look a little bit different.

Q: Can we eat bananas and custard apples together?

A: Yes, you can eat custard apple and banana together.

Q: Are custard apples good for your skin?

A: Eating a custard apple has been shown to increase the amount of collagen the body makes. Collagen is a protein that makes the skin flexible, full, and smooth. As we get older, our bodies make less collagen. This makes lines appear on the skin, makes the skin sag, and makes the skin wrinkled. So, it thickens the skin and makes more collagen, which makes fine lines and wrinkles less noticeable. Also, the compounds in custard apple slow down collagen's breakdown, which makes the skin more flexible.

Q: When shouldn't we eat custard apples?

A: If you're prone to getting sick, you shouldn't eat a custard apple at night. It cools the body, so if you have a cold or cough, it could make your symptoms worse if you eat or drink it. People with stomach problems should also stay away from custard apples. It has a lot of fibre, which can lead to stomach pain, diarrhoea, gas, bloating, etc.