Jamun fruit is a fruit of an evergreen tropical tree that typically grown in throughout Southeast Asia. Scientifically named Syzygium cumini, Jamun fruit comes from the flowering plant family called Myrtaceae. (some others called it Jambolan, Jambil, Indian blackberry, and Java plum.). It is of an oval shaped with green color, turning pink to deep crimson (resembling black) when it becomes ripe. Jamun fruit varied from 1.5 centimeters to 3.5 centimeters in size. This purplish fruit has a mix of sweet and sour taste.
When eaten, it usually left your tongue purple colored. This stone fruit contains asiri oils, jambosine, phenol, organic acid , triterpenoid , oleanolic acid, essential oils, flavonoids and ellagic acid, anthocyanin, and tannin. This comparably small fruit does also contain a rather huge amount of nutritional value other than what is inferred. Here is the primary nutrition contained in 100 grams of Jamun fruit.
Nutritional Value
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy                       251 kJ (60 kcal)
Carbohydrates         14 g
Dietary fiber             0.6 g
Fat                              0.23 g
Protein                      0.995 g
Vitamins
Thiamine (B1)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (2%) 0.019 mg
Riboflavin (B2)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (1%) 0.009 mg
Niacin (B3)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (2%) 0.245 mg
Vitamin B6Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (3%) 0.038 mg
Vitamin CÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (14%) 11.85 mg
Minerals
Calcium                     (1%) 11.65 mg
Iron                            (11%) 1.41 mg
Magnesium               (10%) 35 mg
Phosphorus              (2%) 15.6 mg
Potassium                 (1%) 55 mg
Sodium                      (2%) 26.2 mg
Water                        84.75 g
Syzygium cumini has been commonly used by the Chinese for its various healing properties, especially in treating diabetes and digestive problems. It has been spread overseas by the Indians and has been a common commodity in tropical British colonies. Due to the vast range of its usability, there has been an increasing demand of this fruit for the past years despite the increase in price. Though, it might not be as regarded as universal and will hardly be seen on your fruit bowl, it might probably worth to consider including this fruit as a part of your diet and experience one of these benefits below.
- Medicine for digestive ailments.
Health Benefits of Jamun Fruit for digestive ailments could be the best solutions. It has been proven that this purplish stone fruit have an amazing healing effect on some digestion problem, such as ulcer and diarrhea. Due to its antibacterial property, jamun fruit helps in preventing your digestion system from infection, reducing the risk of having severe diarrhea or appendicitis. It also aids your body to attain natural bowel movement that prevents constipation.
When eaten, this fruit also trigger the production of saliva, which will help breaks down food in the mouth, making it more digestible in stomach. JEating Jamun fruit with black salt and roasted cumin powder can also help you upset stomach by reducing the aciic substance in the gastric. Drinking jamun juice along with curd is also good for treating digestive problem.
- Controlling diabetes.
It is notorious that this Indian berry has a magnificent ability in helping patient who is suffering diabetes, especially type II which related closely to unhealthy lifestyle, lack of exercise and over-consuming of sugary foods. Since jamun fruit is low in glucose content, it has a low glycemic index. Glycemic index is an indicator of how food will influence your blood sugar.
Being low in glycemic index making jamun fruit a healthy snack for people who have diabetes type II. This fruit will keep maintain your blood sugar level while giving you the necessary nutrition your body need. This benefit of jamun fruit is also present because of oleanolic acid contained in the fruit. Oleanolic acid scientifically known to have anti-diabetic properties.
It improves insulin response, biosenthyses, signaling, and secretion, the chemicals responsible for lowering your blood sugar by converting glucose in your blood to energy. It also prevents diabetes complication by slowing down the process of both sugar and lipid accumulation in the blood. Consuming jamun fruit regularly has also been proven to lessen the symptoms of diabetes such as excessive urination and thrusting.
- Helping with heart disease.
Jamun fruit contain tritepenoid which act as an inhibitor of cholesterol in our body. Tritepenoid obstructed and slow down the accumulation and production of cholesterol in our body. This is especially advantageous and offers several benefits for people who are prone to heart disease or who already have one.
This inhibition will reduce the risk of heart patient disease having complication and prevent healthy individual gaining fat in their blood easily, which later can lead to atherosclerosis, hypertension and cardiovascular problem.
- Helping with bleeding hemorrhoids.
Drinking jamun juice has been proven effective to treat bleeding hemmorhoids. It can also treat a hardening veins that is prone to burst, thus it made a good home remedy to treat piles.
- Increasing the production of hemoglobin.
Iron plays an important role in blood cells. It is responsible for the forming of the core aspect of the blood, hemoglobin. Blood carries nutrition all around ur body and feed all of our cells as well as giving oxygen which acts as a fuel to the metabolism of the cell. Hemoglobin acts as a binder for oxygen in our blood cells, a good healthy blood cell should be able to bind oxygen effectively. High in iron, jamun fruit offer a source of iron that aids the production of healthy blood cells. Moreover, iron also contribute in purifying our blood,
- Protecting liver.
Liver is the organ that is responsible to purify and dispose the toxins entering our body. Liver also secretes biles that is very important in breaking down lipid. As a potent blood purification agent jamun fruit indirectly helps in maintaining a healthy liver thus accordingly make a healthy bile, preventing from excessive lipid accumulation which can lead to fatty liver, obesity , atherosclerosis and other health problems.
- Good for skin.
Jamun fruit is a good source vitamin C. Vitamin C has been known to have an amazing effect on skin. It has been proven to brighten and lighten skin . Along with its antioxidant attributes it also helps warding off free radicals and producing protein called collagen that preventing early aging.. It also aid In better skin regeneration and improving skin texture. Applying jamun seed powder to the skin can help on fading scars and blemishes.
- Teeth care.
Vitamin C in jamun fruit has been proven to be effective in teeth care. Maintaining a healthy gum and teeth. Vitamin C attribute in healing wounds has been proven to prevent bleeding gums. Jamun antibacterial property also helps warding off bacteria that can invade and damage our teeth. Asringent in jamun also rid off bad breath problem.
- Treating sore throat and cough.
Other properties of vitamin C found in jamun fruit also applied n treating sore throat and preventing severe cough and cold. It improves our body ability to heal wounds and preventing the infection that can cause sore throat and cough. Along with that vitamin C also act as anti-histamin that is known to treat allergy reaction, thus preventing common cold.
- Treating cut and bruises.
Still linked to its attributes in healing wounds and regeneration. A paste made of jamun fruit works in the sama manner to treat our cut and bruises. It is a hand home remedy for individual that is prone to have minor injuries.
- Improves immunity.
Other than treating sore throat and maintaining good skin vitamin C has also been proven to boost our immunity system thus improving our body protection against infection from viruses and bacteria, while generally also gives us more energy throughout the day.
- Prevents cancers.
Health Benefits of Jamun Fruit for cancer most important for every human. Consuming jamun fruit regularly believed to reduce the risk of cancer. Polyphenols contained inn jamun fruit has been known to fght cancer cells. Anthocyanin (the chemicals that made jamun fruit sorting reddish color), flavonoids and gallic acid are also known fr theur capacity to prevent carcinogenic and ward off radicals in our body.
- Improves bone strength.
Jamun fruit also consists of nutrients like calcium, iron, potassium and vitamin C. It helps strengthening the bones and may prevent osteoporosis and other calcium deficiency problem. Calcium is also an important nutrient for maintaining a healthy nervous system.
- Treats infections.
Especially due to its antibacterial property this fruit wards off bacteria from invading our body. Keeping us away from severe infection which can result in fever and other complication. This can also reduce the risk of having sepsis (full body infection)
- Treating asthma.
Boiled 15 grams of this fruits whole. Let it cool and consume both the water and the fruits regularly three times a day. This practice has been believed in treating asthma.
- Contraceptive for men.
This is probably a lesser known fact of jamun fruit. In several cases jamun fruit has been used and proven quite effective as birth control agent for men. While some say, it might prevent women from getting sterile.
- Good nutritious snacks for diets.
Aside from its small size jamun fruit contains a lot of nutritious vitamin, mineral, and compounds. It might make a good and healthy snack especially for people who suffer diabetes. Due to low sugar level, it is also suitable for people who is on diet and want to lose some weight as this sweet and sour fruit made a great healthy and low calories snack that will not make you gain excessive weight.
Precaution
- For women in pregnancy and breastfeeding. It is advised not to consume jamun fruit though there is no certain known side effects but it is better to avoid any unwanted effects from consuming this fruit
- Try to avoid wild jamun fruit, as it might be contaminated with heavy metals.
- Always wash the fruit clean before consuming. Though, you buy it from your local market it is not impossible that it might carry some pesticide.
- For people that has diabetes, please consume this fruits moderately and keep your blood sugar level in track. This fruit has effect on lowering blood sugar level. Over-eating this fruit may lead to dangerously low blood sugar level.
- Eating excessively, might lead to cough, sore throat and accumulation of sputum in lungs.
- It is also not advised to be eaten after surgery.