The Health Benefits of Star Fruit (Carambola) And Its Nutrition Facts
Star fruit — is a star-shaped tropical fruit — known as carambola. The star fruit has a mild, sweet, and sour flavor with yellow or green in color. The benefits of star fruit come from its many beneficial plant compounds, including quercetin, gallic acid, and epicatechin.
The fruit resembles a star – is native to the Malayan Peninsula, where it is sometimes known as “carambola” or “cane apple” in the Malay language. It is the fruit of the Averrhoa carambola tree and the scientific name is Averrhoa carambola.
Although abundant and plentiful, star fruit is also cultivated in tropical regions such as India, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
This five-pointed star-shaped fruit comes in two main types: one small and the other large – sweet. Ripe star fruit is fleshy, crunchy, and juicy and has a sweet and slightly pungent taste. Small star fruits are more pungent than large star fruits.
Star Fruit Nutrition Facts
Star fruit is low in calories and an excellent source of essential nutrients — especially fiber and vitamin C that makes it exceptionally healthy.
The nutrient contents of every 100g of star fruit serving:
- Fiber: 3 grams
- Protein: 1 gram
- Vitamin C: 34.7 mg or 57% of the RDI
- Vitamin B5: 4% of the RDI
- Folate: 3% of the RDI
- Copper: 6% of the RDI
- Potassium: 3% of the RDI
- Magnesium: 2% of the RDI
- Phosphorous: 10.9 mg
- Calcium: 1.8 mg
Star fruit is one of the low-calorie fruits like apple. 100 g provides about 30 calories and 6 grams of carbs (lower than for any other popular tropical fruit).
The star fruit is a decent source of essential nutrients, fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins required for well-being.
Health Benefits of Star Fruit
- This fruit is an excellent source of phytonutrient polyphenolic flavonoids. 100 g of fresh fruit provides 143 mg polyphenol. The main flavonoids compounds are quercetin, epicatechin, and gallic acid. Together; these compounds help protect against the harmful effects of free radicals.
- The star fruit contains a good amount of antioxidant vitamins like vitamin C (57% of RDI per 100 g). Vitamin C is an essential vitamin – needed 75 mg for women and 90 mg for men. Vitamin C has been linked to many impressive health benefits, such as boosting immunity, prevent iron deficiency, cardiovascular disease, and cure a common cold.
- It is an excellent source of flavonoids, and B-complex vitamins like riboflavin (vitamin B2), and pyridoxine (vitamin B-6). vitamins-B6 is known to offer carbohydrate metabolism and the creation of red blood cells and may even prevent and treat chronic diseases. On the other hand, vitamin B2 is needed for growth and overall good health.
- The amount of vitamin-B9 is found in this fruit, which helps in protecting the body from the risk of heart diseases. Apart from this, it also helps in reducing the risk of stroke.
- The important plant compounds such as quercetin, gallic acid, and epicatechin found in star fruit, that has been shown to reduce cholesterol as well fatty liver risk in the mice study.
- According to a new research study, extracts from the leaves of the star fruit plant can improve serum glucose levels.
- Star fruit is rich in antioxidants like gallic acid and quercetin are major phenolic compounds that have been related to health cures.
How to Eat Star Fruit (Kamrakh)
Here’s a simple way to prepare and eat star fruit:
- Turn it into juice.
- Cut the star fruit and eat it like this.
- Add it in the form of soup.
- In the form of fruit salad.
- Make jam, jelly, chutney, or vegetable.
- Dry the star fruit and use it as a garnish.
Conclusion
Star fruit is packed with numerous health-benefiting nutrients such as vitamin C, fiber, and healthy plant compounds.
Eating star fruit may help boost immunity, reduce fatty liver risk, Improved digestion, as well protect the cardiovascular system.
Star fruit is counted among the fruits rich in sodium. If your body is sensitive to sodium, a doctor should be consulted before consuming this fruit.
