Not only as a food ingredient, breadfruit is also believed to be useful for treating and preventing certain diseases. However, have the benefits of breadfruit in the treatment and prevention of diseases proven effective? Let's look at the discussion.
Breadfruit named Latin Artocarpus altilis is a tropical fruit that at first glance looks like jackfruit. Breadfruit has soft, sweet white flesh.
Breadfruit is popular because it can be processed into various kinds of snacks. Breadfruit can be processed in various ways, ranging from fried, steamed, baked, made into chips, compote, until processed into flour to become other cooking ingredients.
Breadfruit Nutrition Content
Breadfruit has a relatively high nutritional composition. The following are some types of nutrients contained in breadfruit:
- Complex carbohydrates.
- Protein.
- Fiber.
- Water.
- Minerals, such as potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and phosphorus.
- Vitamins, such as vitamin B, vitamin C, beta carotene, folate, and vitamin E.
When compared to other carbohydrate-source foods, such as rice and potatoes, breadfruit contains minerals and vitamins that are more complete and complete, but lower calorific value. This makes breadfruit suitable as a diet food.
In addition, breadfruit also contains high antioxidants thanks to the content of flavonoids, polyphenols, and in them.
Health Benefits of Breadfruit
In addition to the fruit that is rich in nutrients, leaves, stems, and roots of breadfruit can also be used. Because it contains high levels of nutrition, breadfruit is considered to have various health benefits, such as:
1. Lower blood sugar
Based on a study on animal experiments, it is known that breadfruit or breadfruit leaf extract can reduce blood sugar levels and prevent it to remain stable. These findings suggest that breadfruit might have potential as a treatment for diabetics.
However, the benefits of breadfruit as a diabetes treatment in humans has not been confirmed. Therefore, further research is still needed to confirm the claim.
2. Lowering blood pressure
Based on the results of research in the laboratory, it is known that breadfruit leaf extract can reduce blood pressure. However, the study is also still limited to animals, so the benefits of breadfruit in the treatment of high blood pressure in humans still cannot be proven.
3. Reducing inflammation
Studies show that the antioxidant content of breadfruit can reduce the activity of body cells that play a role in the inflammatory process. Other studies have also shown that breadfruit leaf extract appears to be effective in reducing the swelling that occurs due to inflammation. Once again, this is still in experimental animals.
4. Protect heart health
Based on research in the laboratory, it is known that breadfruit juice appears to have an effect that can prevent heart disease. This effect is suspected thanks to the antioxidant content in breadfruit that can prevent the formation of blockages or atherosclerosis in the heart blood vessels, reduce cholesterol, and help reduce high blood pressure.
5. Prevents the growth of cancer cells
The nutritional and antioxidant content in breadfruit is known to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. This supports the claim that breadfruit is useful in the prevention and treatment of cancer. However, further clinical studies are needed to confirm this.
There is no harm in adding breadfruit in your daily diet to meet your nutritional needs. However, do not consume too much.
Excessive consumption of breadfruit can increase the risk of bleeding and hypotension (low blood pressure), especially in people who are taking antihypertensive drugs. So far there has also been no research that shows the safety of breadfruit supplementation in pregnant and lactating women.
Although it has been widely studied, but clinically, the benefits of breadfruit in the treatment of disease can not be ascertained. Therefore, do not use breadfruit as a substitute for medicines from doctors. Consult your doctor first if you want to use breadfruit as a companion to the treatment that you live.
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