Health benefit of star apple
The Health Benefits of Agbalumo/Udara (African Star Apple)
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The season for the African star apple (chrysophyllum albidum) otherwise called Agbalumo(Yoruba) or Udara (Efik/Igbo) is here again. Everywhere you go, you’ll see both children and adult savouring the taste of this wonderful fruit which is indigenous to the African continent.
Have you ever for once thinks of the health benefit of this sweet/sour fruit. Here are some of the health benefits of the Africa star apple.
- Its fruit has been found to have higher contents of ascorbic acid than oranges and guava.
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It is also an excellent source of vitamins, irons, flavours to diets.
A recent study by researchers at Covenant University Ogun State in Nigeria showed that the local cherry fruit, African star apple (Agbalumo/Udara) lowered blood sugar and cholesterol, and could be useful in preventing and treating heart diseases.
The cotyledons from the seeds are used as ointments in the treatment of vaginal and dermatological infections in Western Nigeria.
Findings revealed the specificity of the different plant parts in ailment curing. The bark of the species was locally used for healing coughing, icterus and yellow fever while the leaves were employed to treat malaria, high blood pressure and anemia.
It has also been reported that methanolic extracts from C. albidum leaves presented strong antibacterial activity against common bacteria such as Escherichia coli T. Escherich, Salmonella typhimurium Loeffler,Staphylococcus aureus.
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Whether sweet, very sweet or sour, the fruits contribute a lot towards providing nutrient supplements for all.