Ever heard of breadfruit? Check out its health benefits
Here's a lesser-known fruit with magical healing properties! Breadfruit belongs to the same family as jackfruit and is grown heavily in regions including Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and the Pacific islands. With its texture that resembles bread, this exotic fruit has a potato-like flavor and boasts an enticing nutrient profile. Here are the top five health benefits of breadfruit that you should know.
Here's what our expert says
- Breadfruit closely resembles jackfruit, both belonging to the mulberry family.
- It is a fleshy fruit that is rich in starch, fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B1(thiamine), vitamin B3(niacin), minerals like iron, manganese, phosphorus, and carotenoids like beta carotene and lutein.
- The protein of breadfruit has all the essential amino acids. All these properties make it more nutritious than potato and rice.
Improves heart health
Breadfruit is quite rich in potassium as you can derive about 490 mg of this nutrient from it. Potassium ensures smooth blood flow through the arteries, ensuring that your blood pressure and heart rate are stable. In addition to this, various studies have revealed that this delicious fruit also reduces bad cholesterol in your body, thus ensuring good heart health.
Improves brain function
Breadfruit is blessed with the goodness of iron, vitamin C, and many other nutrients. Iron, specifically, is required for the proper functioning of the cells in your body as they play a role in supplying oxygen to your brain. It is also rich in antioxidants, which, as per studies are useful in reducing the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Helps lose weight
Breadfruit is the perfect addition to your weight loss diet. How? Well, this fruit is loaded with dietary fiber, which fosters healthy weight management. Fiber keeps you fuller for a long period of time, thereby keeping cravings and unhealthy snacking at bay. Additionally, it is also a good source of proteins that boost metabolism and help you shed those extra kilos.
Prevents cancer
Cancer occurs when your body experiences a long-term free radical damage to the cells. However, breadfruit, which is packed with antioxidants including vitamin A, C, K, and E, and omega-3 fatty acids may prevent cancer. Antioxidants are known to reduce the free radicals in the body, controlling the growth of cancer-causing cells. Many studies highlight its effectiveness in healing skin cancer.
Supports immunity
Breadfruit offers a plethora of nutrients including calcium, potassium, iron, and folate. It is also rich in vitamin B1, which is one of the many nutrients that tone the walls of your digestive tract, where the majority of the immunity system is located. Its fiber content acts as food for the good bacteria in your gut, making it stronger.
