It’s still that time of the year when dust fills the air, and the heat remains the topic on everyone’s lips. However, as dreadful as all these are, none compares to the risk that comes with tasting the fruit of the season. Some call it Agbalumo or Agwaluma, while others regard it as Udara. Yes, it’s the popular African star apple.
There are a lot of fruits you can buy with a blindfold and bite into with full trust that they won’t betray your taste buds. The African star apple isn’t one of them. You must have years of experience recognizing sweet ones and, more importantly, a strong taste in sweetness! But fret not; we are here to convince you of several reasons to eat this fruit while they’re still in season.
- You can eat every part of it
You can find Agbalumo in a variety of colours, including unripe green, yellow, orange, brilliant orange, burned orange, and red. When this fruit is in season, it usually takes the main stage, blazing the trail for the entrance of cashews and mangoes.
You must wonder where the nickname African star apple stems from. Because of the way the fruit is set, the seeds cling together to form a star shape when it is split in half, earning it this moniker.
You can also chew on its flesh until it turns into gum. You may precisely manufacture one small white, powerful gum using the seed’s soft skin and some fleshy rear.
- It is packed with high Vitamin C
Did you know African star apples contain significantly more vitamin C than oranges and guavas? Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that humans cannot produce on their own. In light of this, they must get vitamin C from their diet, unlike most mammals and other animals. That’s where this fruit comes in.
Studies have revealed that this fruit contains more vitamin C than orange and guava. Agbalumo is a good source of vitamin C; 100g of the fruit provides 25mg of the vitamin. The fruit is also high in calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, and phytochemicals.
While you might think there’s a difference in the nutrients in both sweet and sour Agbalumo, there isn’t. They contain the same amount of vitamins. The only significant difference they have is the amount of carbohydrates they have. The sour ones have more than the sweet ones.
- It is great for weight loss.
Are you keeping track of your calories? You might have just found another addition to your diet. According to studies, Agbalumo is a great fruit to eat as a snack since a serving only has 67 calories. This makes it a wonderful option for persons trying to lose weight because it reduces calorie intake.
- It’s an effective natural herbal remedy.
Agbalumo‘s sour and sweet flavour is a natural cure for common ailments like indigestion, toothaches, sore throats, and constipation. The leaves of the tree are good for wounds, stomachaches, and diarrhoea, and herbalists have been known to utilize the bark to cure yellow fever and malaria.
- It’s a lifesaver for pregnant women
It’s been said that sour African star apples can help expectant mothers withstand the temptation to throw up during morning sickness. Additionally, it has been shown that the fruit enhances blood flow to the placenta, transporting nutrients from the mother to the foetus.
