You might have heard of breadfruit, a tropical fruit, and a member of the Moraceae family. Related to other tropical fruits like mulberries and figs, breadfruit is a staple food in many tropical regions, both rich and poor. People love it because it can be prepared in a thousand different ways. Whether you bake it, roast it, fry, or even boil it, the taste sensation will be amazing. However, breadfruit is much more than just a tasty snack. It’s filled with numerous health benefits and may prove to be the missing ingredient of your nutritious diet. Let’s take a look at just some of how breadfruit might alter your health.
Help fight off cardiovascular diseases
Heart attacks and heart problems are the most pronounced “killers” of the modern era. This is mostly due to an unhealthy lifestyle and a lack of all the essential minerals that lower your blood pressure. Thankfully, there are plenty of natural solutions in this case. One of them is breadfruit. To clarify – breadfruit contains a lot of potassium. Why is potassium important? Well, even a small daily dose of potassium lowers the sodium levels in the body, which reduces blood pressure. Also, breadfruit is filled with healthy dietary fiber, which prevents cholesterol absorption in the gut.
Forms a defensive line against infections
Infections are sometimes looked at like a normal thing nowadays, but they can be avoided. Why bother fighting infections when you can just prevent them? The more infections your body withstands, the older and more tired it gets. Our organisms don’t have an infinite expiry date, but breadfruit can help prolong it. Because of the high antioxidant content found in breadfruit, you can protect your body from harmful infections. Antioxidants help build up the immune system and fight off infectious agents efficiently. Also, these compounds can help stave off aging by driving off damaging free radicals, which cause bodily deterioration.
Works as an energy source
One of the most unknown, but most general conditions nowadays is, of course, fatigue. Many people simply accept that being tired is a norm and don’t do anything about it. In some cases, they even decided to take medications and drink sugary drinks to boost energy levels. Many natural alternatives exist, and they are usually much better. Breadfruit is one of them, as it provides the body with a substantial amount of healthy carbohydrates. One cup of this amazing fruit contains over 60 grams of carbohydrates, which is a great amount in such a small quantity of fruit. Athletes and gym-goers use breadfruit as a dietary addition all the time.
Fights diabetes
Living with diabetes is not impossible, but poses direct hardships connected to the things we eat. People with diabetes must be very careful when it comes to eating things that are high in glucose. If the blood sugar level rises, it can be harmful to the organism or even fatal in some unfortunate cases. Glucose inhibitors are a must then. And what can be better in inhibiting glucose absorption than fiber-rich food? That’s right; breadfruit possesses a special ability to prevent blood sugar from rising rapidly. If you have diabetes and you have a steady influx of fiber, you can be a little bit more liberal with your food choice. A simple fruit can make your life much easier.
Functions as a digestion aid
Many toxins build up in the body because of insufficient gastroenteric absorption. To simply put it – if your digestions don’t function properly, many toxins will stay in your body for a long time. This also causes insufficient carbohydrate and fat digestion, which is directly linked to obesity problems. Breadfruit can be very helpful in this case. Containing a lot of fiber, breadfruit proves to be an indispensable dietary addition. Due to this abundance of fiber, your gut will function like a well-oiled machine. Also, you won’t have to worry about your colon becoming sensitive or getting heartburn.
Provide the body with omega-3 and -6 fatty acids
Until a few years ago, we didn’t know much about fatty acids or how they affect our bodies. For a long period, they were all connected with cancers and other detrimental conditions. Despite this long-standing belief, research has shed some new light on how beneficial they can be. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, found in breadfruit are indispensable parts of a balanced diet. They are paramount when it comes to the right development of our bodies, especially when it comes to our brain and heart. Providing both mental and physical dexterity, they allow us to age slower and live better lives.
Aids in maintaining dental health
When it comes to dental health, we either disregard it completely, or rely on artificial remedies to fix what has already been damaged. Almost no importance is given to the notion of preventing problems with oral health. Thankfully, there is a myriad of natural remedies and medicines which can maintain stable oral health. Breadfruit is said to cure toothache. Specifically, by eating toasted breadfruit flowers, you relieve your oral cavity of the bacteria in it. Also, you can apply crushed breadfruit leaves on the tongue, if you want to cure thrush. It’s rare that you can find a natural remedy so effective and reliable.
Encourages new cell growth
Sometimes, we don’t notice it, but our skin can sustain heavy damage from exposure to the sun and different substances. It’s not that cells dying are the problem, but a bigger problem lies in the properties of the skin. It’s extremely hard to urge the skin to provide new cells, even with modern medicine. Natural food like breadfruit contains a lot of antioxidants. They not only shield the skin from UV-rays and other forms of radiation, but they also promote the growth of smooth new cells.
Motivates the skin to produce collagen
Collagen is the protein that is tasked with keeping your skin smooth, flexible, and toned. With age, the body slows down collagen production, which is the reason behind wrinkles and spots on the skin. The key to preventing this is having a healthy diet, of which breadfruit is a part. Breadfruit is simply loaded with vitamin C, which causes a reaction in the body, resulting in increased collagen production. Having some breadfruit every day or every other is guaranteed to make your skin look youthful for a long time.
Prevents skin inflammation
The activity of pro-inflammatory enzymes often causes inflammation. They are native to our bodies, and they have no other purpose than to cause inflammations. Inhibiting their production might be the key to preventing skin health deterioration. Out of many tested fruits, breadfruit took home the crown and the title of the best inflammatory inhibitor. It also prevents the overproduction of nitric oxides, preventing inflammation and other cosmetic problems on and within the skin.