Health Benefits of Jamun Seed Powder – Diabetes Mellitus Treatment

Hmmm, jamun? What’s that? The term jamun may sound unfamiliar, however the true form of it is definitely familiar to Indonesians. Yes, jamun is actually jamblang in Indonesian, or the black plum in English. Its scientific name is the “Syzygium cumini.” Meanwhile jamun is the Indian term of the fruit, citing its origins in the Indian subcontinent.

Jamun plays a pretty huge role in its native region, having wide cultural references in mythology, traditional medicine, cooking to being used for consumer products. On the other hand, what are the health benefits of jamun seed powder?

About the Jamun Tree

The jamun tree is a slow-growing plant that can reach a maximum height of 30 metres with an extremely long-life span of more than a century or a hundred years. The base of the tree has a rough and dark-coloured bark, with it gradually getting smoother and lighter as it reaches its height.

The leaves have a scent that is similar to turpentine and are pinkish during their young days. As the leaves mature, it becomes leathery yet glossy dark green with yellow ribs. The jamun tree start to flower every March to April. The flowers are small yet fragrant, with a diameter of only 5 millimetres. The health benefits of jamun fruit will only start to grow in May and June and it resembles oversized berries. Unripe fruits are light green in colour, and as it ripens it will turn pinkish red, maroon to black gradually.

Here are the 10 Health Benefits of Berry Seeds.

Nutritional Facts of the Jamun

• Energy – 251 kJ (60 kCal)
• Carbohydrates – 14 g
  • Dietary Fibre – 0.6 g
• Fat – 0.23 g
• Protein – 0.995 g
• Vitamins
  • Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) – 0.019 mg (2% of DV)
  • Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) – 0.009 mg (1% of DV)
  • Vitamin B3 (Niacin) – 0.245 mg (2% of DV)
  • Vitamin B6 – 0.038 mg (3% of DV)
  • Vitamin C – 11.85 mg (14% of DV)
• Minerals
  • Calcium – 11.65 mg (1% of DV)
  • Iron – 1.41 mg (11% of DV)
  • Magnesium – 35 mg (10% of DV)
  • Phosphorus – 15.6 mg (2% of DV)
  • Potassium – 55 mg (1% of DV)
  • Sodium – 26.2 mg (2% of DV)
• Water – 84.75 g

Data above are sourced from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Treating Diabetes Mellitus

This is the primary health benefit of the jamun seed powder. Just like the main fruit, any other jamun-related products are well used to treat diabetes mellitus.

Diabetes mellitus is the complete name of diabetes, which is a group of diseases that is caused by excessive glucose levels in the blood. There are four types of diabetes known, which are type-1 diabetes, type-2 diabetes, prediabetes as well as gestational diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition where the pancreas produces little to no insulin at all. Type 2 diabetes is another chronic condition that alters and affects the way the body processes blood glucose or blood sugar. Prediabetes is the situation wherein the blood sugar levels are high, however not high enough to be categorized as a type 2 diabetes. And finally, gestational diabetes is the diabetes that affects pregnant women.

These are the long term effects of type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes symptoms can be treated using jamun seed powder because the seeds itself contain alkaloids, the chemical that prevents the conversion of starch into sugar thus keeping your glucose blood levels manageable. It is also used in therapies as well as traditional Ayurvedic medicines to tone down the debilitating impact of diabetes on the body. For self-diabetes control, consume jamun seed powder thrice per day orally. You can also add milk or water based on your preferences.

Other Health Benefits of Jamun Seed Powder

Here are more health benefits of jamun seed powder:

1. Lowers Blood Pressure

This is the second known health benefit of the jamun seed powder. A study published by the Asian Specific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine has it that regular consumption of the jamun seed extract can lower the blood pressure by 34.6%. The anti-hypersensitive effect is possible thanks to a phenol antioxidant known as ellagic acid.

These are also the symptoms of low blood pressure.

2. As a Detoxification Agent

The jamun seeds are also believed to be strong in flavonoids, which are also a type of antioxidant. Not only combating cancer-causing free radicals, the flavonoids also exert a protective effect on the antioxidant enzymes as well! This is perhaps the reason why the seeds are known to aid in detoxification and improve the general functioning of the whole immune system. Meanwhile, the second antioxidant type found inside jamun seeds are phenolic compounds.

3. Treats Gastrointestinal Problems as Well

The jamun seeds also turn out to effectively cleanse the whole digestive system and aid the treatment of common stomach problems, such as intestinal ulcers as well as dysentery.

How to Make Jamun Seed Powder

1. Clean the jamun fruits first. Separate the seeds from fruits using your fingers and then wash it to remove any remaining flesh left. The ripped fruits can be eaten on its own or made into a refreshing juice.
2. Then, sun-dry it for two or three days. After two to three days the seeds should have loose outer shells and be peeled off easily.
3. Peel off the outer shell of the seeds and take the green inner core of them.
4. Dry the green inner core for a few days until they are completely dried. The inner core can be easily broken down into pieces again by pressing with the fingers to accelerate drying process.
5. Powder the seeds by using mixture grinder. Sieve and crush the seeds several times until most of the dried seed powder passes on through the sieve. Don’t throw away the crumbs, instead you can mix it with the sieved powder.
6. Finally, store the jamun seed powder inside an air-tight container before using.