Jack, Fruit Of All Trades

And it’s the time of the year when our tropical country produces one ‘fattening’ fruit after another—mango and then jackfruit. Fattening only according to someone’s wild imagination though, as both these are zero in fat and cholesterol, they get a bad name simply because they are sweet.

Anyways, this column is a tribute to my favouritest fruit, the magical, delicious jackfruit. First things first, a fruit is supposed to be sweet in taste, and sweetness is its virtue, so don’t let the weight loss industry prejudice you against it. It’s through this sweetness that it entices the cells of our body to absorb and assimilate the many phytonutrients it carries.

The humble jackfruit has therapeutic nutrients called isoflavones, lignans, and saponins, and all have known anti-cancer properties and an ability to fight ‘free radicals’ that cause ageing. It’s also rich in the micro-mineral copper, which plays a role in thyroid metabolism and thus weight loss. Ha! Now I have your attention! There’s more. It’s rich in Vit B6, so if you have overeaten at dinner, eating this fruit for breakfast will help you beat the gas and acid­ity that follows. And if you are a protein junkie, then the seeds of jackfruit are roasted or turned into curries to be eaten with rice and make for the complete amino acid profile.

Jackfruit’s ability to reverse ageing, lower body fat, keep thyroid healthy and the stomach clear, are not well known but its sweetness is. So go ahead, savour the fruit for its sweetness, its magical and curative process will be at work silently.