Bread Fruit

Bread Fruit belongs to a group of vegetables and is widely used in the Southern states of Kerala and Karnataka.  This nutritionally rich vegetable is eaten cooked as vegetable, roasted baked or boiled or sliced and fried as a side dish. It is a delicacy in coastal areas of Kerala and Karnataka.  Both ripe and unripe fruits have culinary uses. This fruit tastes like potato.

This fruit is rich in vitamins and gluten free carbohydrates and protein.  The protein in the fruit has very high proportion of amino acids.

Benefits

• Carbohydrates: Breadfruit is rich in carbohydrates which are the body’s primary source of energy.  They are beneficial to athletes and other active individuals.
• Fat: Bread fruit is low in fat content.  Due to the low fat content one may want to include this fruit on low fat diet.  However if you deep fry or cook with sugar and  butter, this will considerably increase  the fat content.
• Fibre:  This fruit is rich in fibre. Fibre helps promote satiety, aids in digestion and help reduce your cholesterol levels.  Fibre content of this fruit does so by reducing the absorption of sugar by human body from the food.  It inhibits the absorption of glucose from the food we eat. It contains compounds which are needed by the pancreas for producing insulin in the body.
• Potassium content: Potassium in Breadfruit helps the body maintain  bone health, regulate metabolism and prevent weakness caused from hypoglycaemia.  All due to the potassium content in the fruit.
• Calcium: Eating toasted breadfruit flowers can help relieve toothache.  Applying crushed breadfruit leaves on the tongue can also cure mouth ulcers.
•  Magnesium: Breadfruit contains magnesium for brain health, keeping energy levels stable and starving off headache.
• Omega3 and Omega6: Breadfruit hassome skin benefits too: the vegetable being rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are both considered excellent for the skin, it is very beneficial for the skin.  So consumption of this fruit makes the skin healthy.  Studies reveal that  anti- oxidants present in bread fruit are good for preventing skin infections and rashes. By eating breadfruit one can enhance the skin tone and enjoy smooth and shiny skin.

• Anti-inflammatory: According to a research anti-inflammatory compounds provide relief for diabetes sufferers.
• Breadfruit’s heartwood extracts help prevent wrinkle formation and reduce appearance of fine lines.
• Carotenoids: Breadfruit have high levels of carotenoids known to fight cancer, diabetes and heart disease according to a study.
• Anti-oxidants: This fruit is rich in anti- oxidants which help the body to develop resistance against infections.  It also scavenges harmful free radicals from the body that lead to aging and other oldage related problems. They also provide an effective shield against sun rays and sun damage.  Anti-oxidants encourages the growth of new skin cells to make the damaged skin appear smooth and young.

Bread fruit contains nutrients that are required to maintain healthy hair.  The omega3 and omega6 fatty acids naturally condition the hair and reduce hair breakage.

This fruit had been staple food in many cultures. In certain regions breadfruit is eaten as a substitute for rice. Breadfruit ground into flour and can be used to make pancakes and other delicacies.

By Nibhanapudi Suguna