Have you ever heard of the wood apple? Oh, you are not mistaken about what you just read, it’s right, I really said, wood apple. It might be a confusion, but wood apple really exists. This fruit is actually a famous fruit in various countries, just like in India. Furthermore, it also has a unique taste that pleases those who eat it. Not only that, the health benefits of wood apple are so many as well. It may be has a rare look and taste, but this fruit can be just a miracle for your health! If you want to know more about this fruit, read on to this article.
What is Wood Apple?
Botanically, wood apple is known as Limonia acidissima. It is actually an herb. This fruit /herb has a lot of names, including monkey fruit and elephant apple. In various parts of the world, the fruit is known as the elephant apple for the reason that it is one of the favorite foods of elephants. On the other hand, in some countries, it is known as the wood apple due to its hard shell that resembles the wood. Furthermore, it is considered as a sacred fruit by the Hindus. It is highly cultivated and is eaten in the country of India.
Moreover, the wood apple tree is actually native to India. However, it is also present in some other countries in the southern region of Asia, including Thailand and Sri Lanka. The tree of the wood apple can grow to a height of about 30 feet. Its fruits, on the other hand, may measure about 5 to 9 centimeters in diameter.
The shell of this fruit is very tough, and its inside has a brownish pulp and has small white seeds. Furthermore, the pulp is edible even if it is still raw. However, it is also a famous food when scooped out and frozen or made into jams. It may also be combined with coconut milk to make a healthy and delicious beverage. Additionally, it may also be frozen to be an ice cream. Its unique taste makes it an awesome food.
Nutritional Value of Wood Apple
Here are the nutritional facts that are of the wood apple:
| Nutrient | Amount |
| Protein | 1.8 grams |
| Total Fat | 0.3 grams |
| Total Carbohydrates | 31.8 grams |
| Vitamins | |
| Vitamin C | 60 milligrams |
| Vitamin A | 55 milligrams |
| Thiamin | 0.13 milligrams |
| Riboflavin | 1.19 milligrams |
| Niacin | 1.1 milligrams |
| Minerals | |
| Potassium | 600 milligrams |
| Phosphorus | 50 milligrams |
| Calcium | 85 milligrams |
Health Benefits of Wood Apple
Here are some of the most astounding health benefits of wood apple:
- Helps protect against malaria: the wood apple’s pulp is beneficial in treating malaria as well as dengue. Furthermore, studies suggest that applying the concoction of the wood apple pulp as well as the repellants on the skin, which may be beneficial in protecting against malaria.
- Treats snakebites: in the Ayurvedic treatments, all of the parts of the wood apple plant are beneficial in treating snakebites.
- Helps in protecting the liver health: since wood apple is rich in beta-carotene, it is beneficial in treating liver conditions. Moreover, it also has riboflavin and thiamin, both of these are known to boost the health of the liver. Furthermore, the fruit also works as an ingredient in cardiac tonics.
- Beneficial for the kidney: the regular consumption of wood apple is a must for people who have kidney problems. This is since it has a detoxifying prowess that helps protect various diseases.
- Helps in boosting energy: the wood apple provides about 140 calories, thus making it beneficial in boosting the energy. Furthermore, the rich protein levels of the fruit are also beneficial in healing faster, etc.
- Helps in relieving respiratory problems: the leaves of the plant are beneficial in avoiding chronic or the recurring colds and various respiratory conditions. Furthermore, they are also beneficial in managing the flow, balance, as well as the secretion of sugars in the bloodstream.
- Helps prevent scurvy: having the deficiency of vitamin C is a potential life threat. Good thing the wood apple is rich in vitamin C, thus making it a good treatment for the said condition.
- Helps in digestion: the wood apple is good for the digestion because it helps in destroying the worms that live in the intestines and is good in treating various digestive disorders.
Cautions on Wood Apple
The ripe fruit of the wood apple is not advised for consumption on a regular basis with no break. This is mainly because it has this muscle-relaxing effect that may cause the body organs to avoid the heavy sensation that it may cause.
Even though there are so many health benefits of health benefits of wood apple, those pregnant women are not advisable to eat them. This is because consuming this excessively may increase the risk of abortion as well as the uterine atony in the third part of the trimester pregnancy.
