Jamaica is home to reggae music, Rasta culture, and some of the best runners and bobsled teams the world has ever known. It’s also home to ackee, a delicious-tasting fruit that can make an impact because of its amazing nutritional profile. In fact, it is considered by Jamaicans as their national fruit.
Although not really popular outside Jamaica, ackee is worth raving about. It’s also worth making it to your kitchen because its consumption on a regular basis can help you enjoy optimum health!
What’s so nice about ackee is it may also be used as a cooking ingredient, making it perfect for those who are not really fond of eating fruits, most especially the exotic kinds. On the internet, you can easily stumble upon various Jamaican dish recipes that list ackee as one of the ingredients.
So without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the health benefits this Jamaican fruit offers:
It Helps Maintain a Healthy Blood Pressure
One of the many nutrients you can find in ackee is potassium, which is admired for its ability to keep the blood pressure from rising. Potassium works by causing the walls of the blood vessels to relax. As a result, the blood vessels widen and enable blood to pass through them effortlessly. So if you are sick and tired of eating bananas just to keep high blood pressure at bay, you may try getting your hands on ackee from time to time.
It Promotes Healthy Digestion
The consumption of ackee is also good for your digestive system. That’s because it contains lots of fiber that stimulates the production of digestive juices, which then improves the process of digestion. With superb digestion, your body can absorb much of the nutrients present in the food you eat. Also, fiber in ackee promotes the multiplication of beneficial bacteria in your gut, resulting in a more efficient digestive system.
It Also Helps Wards Off Constipation
Fiber present abundantly in ackee also encourages the regular movement of the bowels. In other words, adding the said Jamaican fruit in your diet regularly can help save you from becoming constipated. This is especially true if its intake is paired with plenty of fluids and physical activity. Medical experts say that a diet that’s high in fiber may also help considerably lower your risk of ending up with hemorrhoids and colorectal cancer.
It Keeps Sugar Levels Within the Normal Range
Diabetics can benefit tremendously from the intake of ackee because of the exotic fruit’s impressive fiber content. It’s for the fact that fiber helps regulate the release of sugar in the bloodstream. As a result, the various complications of having abnormal levels of sugar in the blood can be avoided. Ackee is ideal not only for individuals who are diagnosed with diabetes, but also those who are at high risk of developing it.
It Promotes a Stronger Immune System
Every serving of ackee supplies the body with decent amounts of vitamin C. As everyone knows, this nutrient is important for making the immune system more effective in defending the body against bacteria, viruses and fungi that like to start up a war. If you are prone to having a cold, flu or any other type of infection, it’s a good idea to regularly eat ackee and other foods that are excellent sources of immune system-boosting vitamin C.
It Also Helps Beautify Your Skin
Vitamin C found in ackee is also beneficial for beauty-conscious people. That’s because the said nutrient encourages collagen production. Sounds familiar? Collage is an ingredient found in numerous anti-aging beauty products that come with really steep prices. Eating ackee and other vitamin C-rich foods is a cheap way to obtain wrinkle-fighting collagen. By the way, ackee also contains amino acids that help keep your skin healthy and young-looking.
