Health Benefits of Sapodilla

Sapodilla might not be a fruit that you come across often in markets. The tender nature of this fruit makes it easily get rotten. However, the fruit is well nutrition-packed and has so many health benefits that one cannot ignore. Botanically known as the Manilkara zapota, this fruit is a popular tropical fruit that can be found commonly in many home gardens. It has a very soft, digestible pulp with a pale brown color. The pulp of Sapodilla consists of simple sugars like sucrose and fructose. Sapota is a berry variety fruit. One fully grown sapodilla tree yields around 2000 fruit per year. The unripe fruits are not edible and contain sticky latex-like substance that is toxic nature because of the presence of a substance called saponin.

Health Benefits of Sapodilla

1. Sapodilla is a high calorie fruits with around 83 calories per 100 gm. The calorie content is similar to bananas and sweet potatoes.
2. Moreover, sapodilla has rich source of dietary fiber, which makes it a good natural laxative. The fiber content in sapodilla fruit helps relieve from constipation problems.
3. Sapodilla also helps protect the mucousa of colon and the colon from cancer-causing toxins.
4. The fruit has rich antioxidant content, with a poly-phenolic compound called tannin. These tannins are actually naturally occurring polyphenols, which have astringent properties.
5. Sapodilla has potential anti-inflammatory, as well as antiviral and anti-bacterial properties.
6. The presence of several compounds like tannin in sapodilla makes it a good medicinal remedy for diarrhea and hemorrhoids.
7. Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory nature of tannins in sapodilla helps in curing irritating bowel disorders and other conditions like erosive gastritis and reflux-esophagitis.
8. Sapodilla is a good source of Vitamin C, which is an antioxidant. Moreover, vitamin C protects the body against infectious agents and harmful free radicals.
9. It also has vitamin A, which improves vision health. It also helps maintain healthy skin. Vitamin A rich foods also favor oral health and protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.
10. Fresh-picked fully-ripen sapodilla fruit is a good source of minerals such as copper, potassium, and iron. It is also rich in vitamins like niacin, folate, and pantothenic acid. All of these compounds make sapodilla an essential fruit for optimal health.
11. The minerals and vitamins in Sapodilla aid various metabolic processes in the body, and acts as cofactors for the enzymes.

Fresh sapodillas are always the best for consumption. You can make milk shakes/smoothies or add to fruit salads. Jams and ice-cream flavors are also made from sapodilla fruit.