Behind its sweet taste, there are many benefits of cempedak that can be obtained. The various nutritional contents in it make this fruit good for consumption to maintain body health and prevent various diseases.
Cempedak is one type of fruit that is easily found in Indonesia. At first glance, this fruit with the Latin name Artocarpus integer is very similar to jackfruit. The difference is, the size of the cempedak fruit tends to be smaller, the taste is sweeter and savory, and the texture is softer than jackfruit. Not only as a delicious meal, cempedak is a source of energy and is often used to improve health, as well as treat various diseases.
Nutritional Content of Cempedak
In 100 grams of cempedak, there are about 115 calories. In addition, cempedak also contains various other nutrients, including:
- 25 grams of carbohydrates.
- 2.5 grams of protein.
- 0.4 grams of fat.
- 3.5 grams of fiber.
- 40 milligrams of calcium.
- 1 milligram of iron.
- 18 milligrams of vitamin C.
Cempedak fruit also contains vitamin B1, vitamin B2, and various antioxidant compounds such as flavonoids, tannins, triterpenoids, carotenes, and xanthones. One type of unique flavonoid that cempedak has is the artoindonesianin compound.
Various Benefits of Cempedak
Thanks to its nutritional content, cempedak has many health benefits, namely:
- Treating malaria
Cempedak fruit extract is well-known as a fairly effective malaria drug. This efficacy comes from the content of artoindonesianin compounds along with other natural antioxidants found in cempedak fruit flesh. However, research on the use of cempedak fruit as the main drug for malaria is still very limited and needs to be studied further.
- Maintaining digestive health
Cempedak is also useful for maintaining digestive health. The fiber content in cempedak is known to be able to maintain the balance of good bacteria or probiotics in the intestines and smooth the digestive tract. In addition to fiber, this benefit of cempedak is also supported by the content of minerals, vitamins, and xanthone antioxidants which are known to improve the health of the digestive system. With these benefits, consuming cempedak is believed to be able to prevent various digestive problems, such as diarrhea and constipation.
- Controlling blood sugar levels
The benefits of cempedak do not only come from the flesh of the fruit, but also from its seeds. Cempedak seeds are known to be able to be processed into flour and used as an alternative to wheat flour. Compared to regular flour, cempedak seed flour has more fiber and nutrients, and has a lower glycemic index than bread flour. Thus, cempedak seed flour can be a healthier choice, especially for people with diabetes and obesity.
- Reduce the risk of heart disease
The next benefit of cempedak is reducing the risk of heart disease. This is because cempedak fruit is rich in fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and antioxidants that play a major role in heart health. These nutrients can prevent hypertension and reduce bad cholesterol (LDL) levels in the blood, which are two major risk factors for heart disease.
- Reduces the risk of cancer
A study shows that the compound artoindonesianin has the potential to inhibit leukemia blood cancer cells. However, the mechanism of action of this compound is not yet known so it cannot be developed further.
Given its delicious taste, the various benefits of cempedak above are certainly too good to miss. However, to get it, you must pay attention to the portion of cempedak consumption and how to process it.
In Indonesia, cempedak is often served fried with flour batter. This way of serving cempedak will actually increase the cholesterol, fat, sugar, and glycemic index content, so it can eliminate the benefits of cempedak itself. Consuming cempedak directly will be more beneficial for health and of course more practical. If you want to try a new menu, you can make it into a mixture for juice or topping for oatmeal.
In addition to eating cempedak, don’t forget to complete your nutritional needs by consuming various other nutritious foods. If you still have questions about the health benefits of cempedak and the right amount of intake according to your health condition, don’t hesitate to consult a doctor.
