Have you ever heard of, seen or tasted rambutan? If you haven’t, what are you waiting for? Try it now! Not only is this fruit delicious, it is also rich in nutrients, making it very good for your health. Rambutan’s health benefits are impressive. If you want to learn more, keep reading this article!
What is Rambutan?
Scientifically called Nephelium Lappaceum, rambutan comes from the medium-sized tropical trees belonging to the Sapindaceae family. The fruit is native to Malay-Indonesian regions as well as other parts of Southest Asia. Rambutan is closely related to other tropical fruits, including mamoncillo, longan and lychee.
The name rambutan actually refers to the fruit’s delicious taste, but there are many variations of it. In the native language, rambut means hair, referring to the hair-like protrusion of the fruit’s outer appearance. In Vietnam, it is called chom chom, meaning messy hair.
History of Rambutan
Rambutan is native to the countries of Indonesia and Malaysia, so this is where you can find the widest variety of the fruit. Around the 14th century, the fruit was introduced to East Africa by Arabian traders, and in the 19th century it was introduced to South Africa by the Dutch. By 1912, Indonesia traders had brought it to the Philippines.
Don’t worry, we won’t be delving any deeper into the history of the fruit. It’s time to get into what it’s really good for and what its health benefits are.
Nutritional Value of Rambutan
Rambutan is an excellent source of vitamin C and calcium. Furthermore, it also offers the relatively high amount of fiber, protein, iron and niacin, or vitamin B3. Below is a more comprehensive look at rambutan’s nutritional content.
100 grams of rambutan contains:
- 5 milligrams of iron
- 5 IU of Vitamin A
- 33 milligrams of calcium
- 63 milligrams of potassium
- 5 milligrams of sodium
- 4 milligrams of vitamin C
- 01 milligrams of thiamin
- 0 milligram of cholesterol
- 0 gram of protein
Rambutan: What Is it Good For?
Even though rambutan is small, it has a lot of vitamin C, which helps boost immunity and flush toxins from the body. It also contains copper, a mineral which works with iron to improve the health of blood vessels and blood cells.
Still, there are even more benefits that this amazing fruit can give us. Keep reading this article, because the list of benefits is up next!
Health Benefits of Rambutan
Here are some of the best health benefits of rambutan:
Helps improve digestive health. The fiber content of the fruit helps improve the digestive system and prevent constipation.
Helps boost energy. The protein and carbohydrate content rambutan is good for an energy boost.
Helps prevent cancer. The fruit is very rich in antioxidant properties, beneficial in preventing cancer. These antioxidants also reduce inflammation in the body and help protect the cells.
Helps enhance bone health. The phosphorus content of rambutan helps with the formation and maintenance of bones.
Helps enhance heart health. The rich levels of fiber in rambutan help reduce the risk of heart illnesses, cure hypertension and lower cholesterol.
Helps during pregnancy. Rambutan has multiple benefits for those who are pregnant. It improves dizziness or nausea, conditions common to pregnancy. It is also a good source of iron, which in turn helps further reduce dizziness and nausea as well as improve hemoglobin levels in the blood.
Helps prevent possible weight gain. There is actually no solid research that suggests how this fruit in particular helps prevent weight gain, but fruits in general assists with weight management as they contain a lot of fiber and have a low density of energy.
Helps treat diabetes. One Chinese study states that rambutan peels have anti-diabetic properties and can reduce blood sugar levels.
Conclusion
Peel it, remove its seed, and eat all of it – no matter what you do, you can gain a myriad of nutrients and health benefits from rambutan. So, what are you waiting for? Go run to the market and buy some! You won’t regret it.
