Maybe some people are still unfamiliar with zuriat fruit. However, this fruit is reportedly much sought after because it is considered to increase fertility. Is it really like that? Is it just a hoax? Let’s see the explanation below.
This zuriat fruit is a fruit that comes from the North African region and grows a lot in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and also Yemen. This fruit has a distinctive taste and aroma, like gingerbread or almost similar to brown sugar. In Indonesia alone, this zuriat fruit is known as the hereditary fruit because this fruit is widely used as a fertility therapy by married couples struggling to have a baby.
The fruit that looks like a coconut is generally processed into a traditional drink by boiling the fruit flesh. Then, boiled water is considered beneficial for health. Apart from being burned, zuriat fruit is also widely sold in herbal shops in supplement form, either in powder form or packaged in capsule form.
What is Zuriat Fruit?
This one fruit will look large, with an average diameter of 6 to 10 centimeters, and is round to oval with a sweet fragrant aroma. The bark is challenging and brown, shiny, and woody, with a bumpy surface covered with fine grooves. Then at the bottom of the peeled skin is a brown fibrous, and chewy flesh that wraps around a large white oval seed, dense and complex.
This zuriat fruit will taste savory or crunchy with a sweet-sour taste; in fact, many people often equate it with the flavor of gingerbread. In addition, zuriat fruit is usually available throughout the year. Botanically, this fruit is classified as Hyphaene thebaica. This edible fruit grows on a slender palm tree that can reach fifteen meters in height and belongs to the Arecaceae family. Not only that, this fruit is also known by many local names, including Doum palm fruit and Gingerbread fruit. Zuriat fruit thrives in generally hot and dry climates, where it grows along waterways and water holes.
Zuriat fruit was once one of the most popular in Ancient Egypt, widely used as an ingredient and a culinary and medicinal additive. However, now its popularity is slowly fading. Currently, zuriat fruit is usually found in specialty markets and is widely liked because of its sweet and sour taste.
Zuriat Fruit Nutrition Content
Quoting from the journal Antioxidants in Foods and Its Applications, it is stated that this zuriat fruit has a variety of high-quality proteins, such as crude protein lysine and cysteine, amino acids, fiber, fat, and some carbohydrates. In addition, there is also a content of magnesium, calcium, potassium, and sodium. Meanwhile, the phytochemical compounds in zuriat fruit, such as tannins, saponins, steroids, flavonoids, glycosides, terpenes, and terpenoids, were found at low and moderate levels.
We can conclude that this zuriat fruit contains essential nutrients for the body, and its functional properties can be utilized for various beneficial uses. Zuriat fruit also contains vitamin C, which can help boost immunity in the body and contains antioxidants to fight free radicals, and plays a vital role as an anti-inflammatory. In addition, this one fruit also contains vitamins and minerals that function as a diuretic and can help cleanse the digestive and circulatory systems. Then, what are the benefits of zuriat fruit for health?
Benefits of Zuriat Fruit
From preventing premature aging to increasing endurance, let’s understand the benefits of zuriat fruit for our health. Who knows, you’ll want to try this fruit even more.
1. As a Source of Antioxidants
The most recognized advantage of this one fruit lies in its potent antioxidant properties. This is based on the presence of high polyphenols as one of the givers of antioxidant properties in the fruit. Antioxidants themselves have a significant role in preventing the formation of free radicals, which usually lead to oxidative stress reactions. This one reaction is interpreted as an imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants. Where Oxidants will cause damage to the body; in other words, a balance between oxidants and antioxidants is needed to maintain healthy biological systems. Therefore, food sources with antioxidants, such as zuriat fruit, is highly recommended.
2. Ability To Fight Cancer
The high antioxidant content in fruit has something to do with its ability to prevent cancer. This also applies to zuriat fruit which has active antioxidant characteristics. According to the African Journal of Pure and Applied Chemistry, zuriat fruit extract was studied on acute myeloid leukemia cells, which can trigger tumors. Things from this study proved a significant decrease in tumor cell activity with curated fruit extract. The dead tumor cells also increased after the concentration of the zuriat fruit extract increased. This research shows that zuriat fruit inhibits leukemia cells, as well as anti-tumor and anticancer effects. This is based on phenolic compounds that play a role in carrying out antioxidant activity in this one fruit.
3. Increase Fertility
Fertility problems are still a scourge for some people, no matter where they come from. This reproductive issue is associated with several factors. For men, disease, and lifestyle are factors that can affect sperm quality. However, fertility in men can be increased by consuming zuriat fruit. A study in the Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology says that this fruit, with a sweet taste like gingerbread, has a bioactive effect that can increase male fertility. In the study, zuriat fruit extract showed the ability to support sperm movement, which can trigger an increase in the fertility rate of the sperm.
Other findings also explain that zuriat fruit can increase the concentration of male semen and strengthen the lining of the female uterus, even for those who have experienced miscarriage or infertility. This is due to the role of Uriah fruit in activating new blood cells and fertility hormones.
4. Regulates Blood Pressure
Due to the presence of flavonoids and saponins, it is unsurprising that zuriat fruit is often used as a traditional medicine to treat high blood pressure in people with hypertension. High blood pressure conditions can cause more severe illnesses such as heart attacks. Data from The Internet Journal of Alternative Medicine revealed that the polyphenolic compounds in zuriat fruit can reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure to normal.
5. Suppress Cholesterol Levels
Besides regulating blood pressure, other benefits of zuriat fruit can also be gleaned from its role in controlling the amount of cholesterol in the body. Data from a previous journal showed that zuriat fruit extract can reduce bad LDL cholesterol while increasing good HDL cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is often associated with the formation of atheroma. Atheroma is a medical term intended for the buildup or plaque of substances such as fat, cholesterol, and calcium in the arteries. Vice versa, HDL cholesterol can get rid of cholesterol from atheroma. The effects of this zuriat fruit are considered suitable for avoiding the risk of cardiovascular disease.
6. Maintain Weight
The saponin content in zuriat fruit has the potential to regulate body weight. This is due to the nature of hypoglycemia or low glucose, which makes it able to keep blood sugar from rising quite rapidly. In addition, saponins can also inhibit the release of lipase enzymes that process fat. So the body will absorb less fat. Apart from saponins, fiber nutrition is also contained in zuriat fruit. Fiber is usually not easily digested, so the stomach will not be hungry quickly, and the feeling of fullness can last longer. This fiber content can also facilitate digestion and manage the texture of feces so that they are easily excreted.
7. Good For Diabetics
The nature of hypoglycemia in zuriat fruit can also bring benefits to people with diabetes. Because they need to maintain blood sugar at an average level, this fruit is a food source that will not increase blood sugar.
8. Protects Heart Function
With its ability to regulate blood pressure and cholesterol, consuming zuriat fruit can also maintain cardiovascular health. The saponins in this zuriat fruit can also improve blood flow due to their ability to reduce the possibility of plaque buildup in blood vessels due to uncontrolled cholesterol. In addition to heart disease, high cholesterol can cause chronic liver disease and other disorders. Therefore, adding zuriat fruit to a healthy diet can make the heart more beneficial and far from these various chronic diseases.
9. Increase Body Immunity
Not only beneficial for blood vessels and the heart, but the presence of saponin compounds in zuriat fruit is also good because of its antimicrobial properties. These characteristics can defend the body from fungi, viruses, and bacteria attacks. At the same time, the body will also improve its immune system by stimulating cell production. Therefore, saponins are usually used as a composition of several types of vaccines.
10. Helps Improve Energy and Mood
The vitamin B complex components in zuriat fruit are nutrients that can restore energy and improve chaotic moods. Several studies say B complex vitamins can increase enthusiasm and enhance cognitive performance. A study also showed that people given vitamin B complex for 90 days would experience decreased stress and mental fatigue. Not only that but vitamin B complex also positively impacts changes in symptoms of depression and anxiety. However, there has been no research on the relationship between the excess vitamin B complex and zuriat fruit.
11. Strengthens Bones
The calcium component in this zuriat fruit is beneficial for maintaining bone strength. This mineral is known as a component of bone formation. In adults over 30, the calcium in their bones will slowly decrease. Shrinking calcium levels can cause bone loss or osteoporosis. Therefore, consuming foods with sufficient calcium composition, such as zuriat fruit, will help prevent calcium deficits.
12. Can Prevent Kidney Stones
Kidney stones are when there are concentrated lumps of substances in the urine. Calcium is a substance that can usually trigger this. However, this one problem can be prevented by routinely supplementing the need for potassium, which lowers calcium levels in the urine. Potassium completeness can also be easily obtained by adding zuriat fruit as a source of potassium to the daily diet.
13. Avoid Migraines
One of the causes of migraines is low magnesium levels in the blood and other tissues. This magnesium deficiency condition can be avoided by consuming foods that contain magnesium, such as zuriat fruit. Some research says that prescription magnesium supplements can help reduce the frequency of migraines. Further research is needed to determine whether zuriat fruit has the same effect on migraines.
14. Maintain Brain Health
Flavonoid compounds in zuriat fruit are claimed to have essential functions for enzymes and brain receptor systems. These flavonoids have shown a central nervous system preventive effect on the neurodegeneration associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
15. Has Anti-Inflammatory Properties
In a study, flavonoid compounds, especially quercetin, showed these compounds’ ability to help inhibit the initial process of inflammation formation. Zuriat fruit also contains the same type of flavonoid compound. This explains the power of zuriat fruit to prevent inflammation in the body while boosting the immune system. However, further research with zuriat fruit needs to be carried out to determine the relationship between these compounds.
16. Prevent Premature Aging
One of the benefits of zuriat fruit, which is in great demand, is that it can prevent premature aging. As we discussed above, one of the advantages of this fruit is its high antioxidant content. These antioxidants can counteract the formation of free radicals in the body. This can maintain the health of cells from premature aging and attacks of degenerative diseases such as cancer and heart disease.
Zuriat fruit is famous for its antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory potential due to its phenolic and flavonoid content. The phenolics and flavonoids in this fruit have been explored for their antimicrobial potential against various Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungal pathogens. Moreover, this zuriat fruit also contains a type of antioxidant with relatively high levels, namely vitamins C and B. These two vitamins can help cells regenerate.
Those are some of the benefits of zuriat fruit that are good for our health. With the various components offered by zuriat fruit, especially the many minerals contained in it, this fruit can also be an excellent addition to a nutritious diet.