Mamey Sapote – Health Benefits, Uses and Important Facts

Mamey sapote is a type of tree that grows in Mexico and Central America. It is also known by its scientific name, Pouteria sapota.

It grows big fruits that are soft and creamy on the inside, bright orange in colour, and have a flavour that is often compared to sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and apricots.

This tropical fruit is not only tasty and easy to eat, but it is also very healthy and linked to a number of possible health benefits.

What is Mamey sapote?

Mamey sapote is a medium-sized to large fruit that is usually between 8 and 25 centimetres long and 6 to 10 centimetres wide. It can be round, oval, or oblong, and sometimes the ends are tapered and pointy. The skin is thick, semi-rough, light brown to dark brown, and feels like sandpaper. Under the skin, the flesh is orange, red, or salmon in colour. It is soft, creamy, and dense, with a fine, smooth texture and a faint smell like squash. In the middle of the flesh, there are additionally one to four oval seeds that are shiny and dark brown. Raw, the seeds are poisonous and can't be eaten, but they can be made safe for food by going through a long process. Mamey sapote can only be eaten when it is fully ripe and gives a little when you squeeze it. The flesh tastes both sweet and savoury, with hints of nutmeg, apricots, vanilla, and root beer, as well as squash, honeyed pumpkin, and sweet potato.

Nutritional value of Mamey sapote:

Mamey sapote has a lot of fibre, which helps the digestive system, and vitamin C, which boosts the immune system, protects against damage from free radicals, and reduces inflammation. The fruits are also a good source of nutrients like vitamin E, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and riboflavin. Potassium helps keep the body's fluid levels in check.

Health benefits of Mamey sapote: 

1. Packed with Antioxidant 

When the immune system reacts strongly, this is called inflammation. Vitamin C is in lots of mamey fruit. Studies show that vitamin C has anti-inflammatory and anti-cell-damaging properties. Because of this, it can help keep diseases like arthritis from happening.

Copper is also good for your health and is found in mamey fruit. For example, it helps the body make red blood cells and makes connective tissues stronger. Mamey fruit also has vitamin B6, which is a water-soluble vitamin that helps the brain work. 

2. Good for the digestive system

Fiber moves slowly through our bodies because it isn't digested, which adds bulk to our stools and makes it easier for them to move through the rectum. Experts say that eating more fibre might make you go to the bathroom more often and make your stools more solid, which could help you avoid digestive problems like constipation.

Studies have shown that fibre helps with digestive problems. So, eating this fruit can help the digestive system work better. It has a lot of tannins, which are a type of antioxidant. Tannins are good for treating enteritis, reflux esophagitis, IBS, and erosive gastritis. 

3. Helps the skin stay healthy

The mamey fruit gives you vitamins and minerals, among other things. It also has antioxidants, which protect cells from damage caused by free radicals. Oxidative damage makes our skin dull. The antioxidants in mamey fruit, on the other hand, help keep our skin smooth, healthy, and glowing.

Because it is high in vitamin C, mamey fruit encourages collagen production, which makes skin more elastic. Also, it slows down how quickly skin ages. Vitamin C also helps wounds get better. 

Also, mamey fruit has a lot of vitamin E, which is good for your skin. Vitamin E is used in many skin care products made by cosmetic companies. Studies show that it makes the skin healthier because it has a lot of antioxidants. So, mamey fruit helps get rid of acne and speeds up the healing of wounds. It also helps people with psoriasis and atopic dermatitis feel better.

4. Keeps blood from getting too thin

When we have anaemia, our bodies often stop making red blood cells. When red blood cells are made in an irregular way, this can lead to nails that break easily, shortness of breath, fatigue, and weakness. Folate is found in great amounts in the mamey fruit. So, it can lessen the chance of getting anaemia. It also has a number of other nutrients, such as vitamin C, which helps the body absorb iron better.

5. Helps keep the heart healthy

Mamey fruit is an amazing source of potassium, fibre and antioxidants. So, it's good for our heart health. Fiber is good for your heart health because it cuts down on bad cholesterol, which is a major risk factor for heart disease. Fiber binds to the extra cholesterol in our bodies and helps get rid of it through our stools.

Studies show that potassium may help keep blood pressure in check. It also helps keep the balance of fluids in the body. As a consequence, it regulates blood pressure. There is a good amount of potassium in mamey fruits. So, eating these fruits often might help lower blood pressure.

The antioxidants in mamey fruit reduce inflammation, cut down on oxidative stress, and keep heart diseases from happening.

6. Makes you healthier

The vitamin C in the mamey fruit is very good. Vitamin C is known for being a good antioxidant. It can also help the immune system work better. Studies show that vitamin C might boost the immune system and make more immune cells. Also, they might make free radicals less dangerous and reduce inflammation. Some studies show that it makes the common cold go away faster. It may also prevent other kinds of respiratory infections.

This fruit is full of nutrients and has many more. These nutrients may also help your body fight off illness. Copper,  vitamin E and vitamin B6 are some of these.

How to know if mamey sapote is ripe?

Different kinds of mamey fruit range from round to football-shaped and have rough, dull skins. If you want to eat mamey soon, you should buy fruit between these two stages. When you press on the mamey, it should give a little bit.

Mamey fruit grows on trees, and when it is picked, the stem is cut off. Choose a mamey that still has a small piece of stem where it was cut off the tree. If the stem's crown is missing, the fruit can dry out and go bad before it should.

If you buy mamey that is firm, just let it sit out of the fridge until it softens. You can't eat raw mamey that is firm. It's hard to cut, has a bit of starch, and tastes bitter.