Agbalumo,the Africa Star Apple

It may interest you to know this.. Yeah, lemme just say it in case you don’t know.

#AGBALUMO IS OUT#

Back in those day, I remember using Agbalumo seeds for local games like Ayo. The seeds were also used for counting figures during Nursery classes. I and my friends also used to chew the flesh and skin so hard that it turned to gum…Some girls do use it for beautification and adornedthemselves with the inner whitish halves of theseed. What a sweet memories of the good old days. Some children still use the seeds for these purposes .

This fruit is known by various names but the famous is Agbalumo among the Yoruba people and Udara
among the Igbos. It is known among the English man as African Star Apple and its scientific
name is Chrysophyllum africanum or
Chrysophyllum agbalumo, belonging to the Sapotaceae family.

Agbalumo which has a chewable edible skin ranges from green to orange depending on the stage of ripenness. It is is green when unripe and orange-red colour when ripe.
Agbalumo can be gotten mostly
everywhere in Nigeria towards the end of
December till later in March when it would have gone out of season. Of course, it is a seasonal fruit. Its
taste is sweet and sour at the same time with
three to five big seeds inside.Naturally, its advisable to let the fruit fall to the ground before harvesting but it is commonpractise for people to pluck it from the tree even when it has not ripened fully. This is one of the major reasons for its sour taste when it is consumed. However when the fully ripe agbalumo is consumed, it is sweet to the taste buds of the eater.

Then, what are the benefits of taking agbalumo?

Present in Agbalumo are phytochemicals such
as Tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, proteins,
carbohydrates and resins.
1. As with most fruits, agbalumo has low calorie
because of its little fat content so it is
definitely a healthy food.

2.It has a surprisingly decent amount of
Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C). Clearly, Vitamin
C sources are not exclusive to the citrus
fruits family- in fact, Guava has much more!
High Vitamin C Content.
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a
water-soluble vitamin. Unlike most mammals and
other animals, humans do not have the ability to
make ascorbic acid and must obtain vitamin C
from their diet. Agbalumo presents a good
source for vitamin C.
3.Recently published researches done here in
Nigeria about Udara/Agbalumo leaves
carried out on rats showed two possible
medicinal uses:
a) It could serve as a natural source of Anti-
Oxidant booster to remove free radicals from
oxidative stress disorders, and
b). Its leaf extract contains Hypoglycemic (to treat Diabetes) and Anti-Platelet activities,
although it also had toxic effects on some
organs.
4) If you have sour throat, constipation or
toothache, why not try taking agbalumo.

5). A research by scientist in Covenant
University reveals that Agbalumo could
lower blood sugar and cholesterol, and
could be useful in preventing and treating
heart diseases.
6). The different plant parts like the roots,
barks and leaves are used for healing
cough, yellow fever, high blood pressure
and much more.
7. It could serve as a natural source of Anti-
Oxidant booster to remove free radicals
from oxidative stress disorders.
NOTE: All medicinal use of the leaves and seeds
should be under the consultation of an expert/physician.. Also, As with all fruits and food, moderation is key. Do
not consume Agbalumo excessively because it
could lead to heartburn.

I have been enjoying this special fruit for some days, you can try and go for some either.

Don’t forget to share your comments.
Tanchiu