Jackfruit - Health Benefits, Uses and Important Facts

Jackfruit is a tropical fruit that comes from India and is full of nutrients. Because of how good it is for your health, it is now a widely exported item. Usually, the jackfruit can only grow in places that are hot and humid. It can't grow in places that are colder. It looks like the outside has thorns and the inside is soft. Up to 150 seeds can be found in the flesh of one jackfruit.

What is jackfruit?

Jackfruit, also called "jak fruit" or "jak," is the largest tree fruit in the world. It can be up to 3 feet long and 20 inches wide.

Jackfruit is called Artocarpus heterophyllus by scientists, and it is a member of the Moraceae family. It's a medium-sized tree that can be grown at any time of the year.  This giant fruit is called a "superfood" because it is full of many nutrients and vitamins.

A jackfruit can weigh from 3.5 kgs to 10 kgs and grow as big as 25 kgs. The wood from the Jackfruit tree is good for making things out of wood. There are also many parts of the jackfruit tree that can be used to make medicines. The outside of a jackfruit is made up of hexagonal points that are a yellowish brown colour.

The rind of a jackfruit is spikey and either green or yellow. When it's ripe and ready to eat, it smells like rotting onions, but the pulp inside smells and tastes much better, like a mix of pineapple and banana. The seeds can also be eaten. A jackfruit can have up to 500 of them. Each one can grow to be about an inch and a half long.

Jackfruit comes in two main types. One is tiny and soft. It's slimy, but it tastes sweet. The flesh of the other kind of jackfruit is crunchy and not as sweet.

Taste of jackfruit:

The fleshy part, or "bulb," can be eaten as is, or it can be cut up and cooked. When it's still green, the texture is a lot like chicken, which makes jackfruit a great meat substitute for vegetarians. In fact, brined (canned) jackfruit is sometimes called "vegetable meat."

Ways to incorporate jackfruit in daily diet:

1. You can easily add jackfruit to a vegetable curry for the main course.
2. Jackfruit is a vegetable that can be made into a tasty side dish by sautéing it with onions and tomatoes.
3. The healthiest breakfast would be jackfruit, blueberries, and homemade yoghurt in a bowl.

Nutritional profile of jackfruit:

It has a moderate number of calories, with 155 in a serving of one cup (165 grams). About 92% of the calories come from carbs, with the rest coming from protein and a small amount of fat.

Also, jackfruit has small amounts of almost all of the vitamins and minerals you need, as well as a fair amount of fibre.

Health benefits of jackfruit:

1. Boosts immunity

Jackfruit has a lot of vitamin C and antioxidants, which make your immune system stronger and help it fight off infections better.

2. Revitalises 

A serving of 100 grams of jackfruit has 94 calories and a lot of good carbs. It gives you an instant energy boost when you eat it. The sugars in jackfruit are very easy for our bodies to break down and are also very good for us.

3. Keeps heart healthy

The right amount of potassium keeps sodium levels in the body in balance. If sodium levels aren't kept in check, it can damage the heart and arteries. Potassium also coordinates and maintains the function of muscles, including the heart muscles. This is why it is essential for a perfectly functioning system. Because it is high in potassium, jackfruit helps keep our hearts and blood vessels healthy. 

4. Improves Digestion

There are a lot of both soluble and insoluble fibres in jackfruit. It is very important to get enough fibre in your daily diet. The body quickly breaks down the soluble fibre into energy, and the insoluble fibre adds bulk to your stool, making it easier to go to the bathroom.

5. Prevents cancer

There are a lot of antioxidants, phytonutrients, and flavonoids in jackfruit. When these antioxidants are in our bodies, they get rid of both the harmful free radicals and the toxins that our bodies make. It is known that both toxins and free radicals can cause cancer in the body.

6. Improves sight

Because it is high in vitamin A (Beta-Carotene), jackfruit is good for our eyes. It keeps bacteria and viruses from getting into the eyes and gets rid of free radicals that could be dangerous. It also protects the eyes from intense light waves like ultraviolet rays that can hurt them. It helps the eyesight get better. It is especially good at stopping the degeneration of the retina and lowering the chance of getting a cataract.

7.Prevents Ageing 

Free radicals are what cause us to age. Our bodies make these when they are under a lot of oxidative stress, which is caused by pollution. Free radicals speed up the ageing process. Antioxidants in jackfruit kill these radicals and slow down the ageing process.

8.Strengthens Bones

Jackfruit has a lot of calcium, which makes bones stronger, and potassium, which keeps calcium from being lost through the kidneys. Symptoms of bone diseases like osteoporosis and arthritis can be helped by eating jackfruit.

9. Improves blood quality 

There is also a good amount of iron in jackfruit. Having the right amount of iron in our bodies keeps us from getting diseases like anaemia. Iron is also good for your metabolism. Vitamin C, magnesium, and copper all help make the blood better as well.

10. Prevents asthma

Jackfruit helps keep the body from getting out of balance, which helps stop asthma attacks. Especially when the symptoms are caused by pollution, jackfruit helps control the symptoms by getting rid of the free radicals that are made in the body as a result of pollution and that would otherwise cause asthma attacks.