The health benefits of lontar fruit are varied, from helping to meet daily fluid needs to preventing osteoporosis. These benefits are obtained because lontar fruit is rich in water content, low in sugar, and contains a number of vitamins and minerals. Lontar fruit or Borassus flabellifer at first glance is similar to sugar palm fruit. However, lontar fruit has a more sour and sweet taste with a chewy texture like jelly. Meanwhile, sugar palm fruit generally has a more bland taste with a denser texture.
Various Benefits of Lontar Fruit
Because it is rich in water, lontar fruit is often a choice to quench thirst when the weather is hot. However, it doesn’t stop there, lontar fruit also has many nutrients that are beneficial for health, such as fiber and a number of vitamins and minerals. Here are the various health benefits of lontar fruit:
- Helps prevent dehydration
Lontar fruit is one of the fruits that is rich in water. This is what makes lontar fruit useful to help prevent lack of fluids or dehydration, especially during hot weather. However, remember, don’t rely on lontar fruit alone. You still have to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day to meet your daily fluid needs.
- Overcoming digestive problems
If you are constipated, try eating lontar fruit. This fruit contains fiber that can help smooth digestion. Well, with high water content plus fiber in it, the stool will be softer and easier to remove. So, it is no wonder that you can consume this fruit when you have difficulty defecating.
- Relieves redness on the skin
Not only consumed directly, lontar fruit can also be used as a traditional medicine. Lontar fruit can help overcome skin inflammation, such as rashes and prickly heat. This is because lontar fruit can provide a cold sensation. The way to get the benefits of this lontar fruit is to smooth the flesh of the lontar fruit which is then applied to the skin. The cooling effect of this lontar fruit is believed to be able to relieve redness due to skin inflammation. In addition to the cold sensation, lontar fruit is known to contain anti-inflammatory and antibacterial substances that are useful when the body experiences an infection.
- Protecting the body from exposure to free radicals
The next benefit of lontar fruit is obtained from antioxidants, such as flavonoids and saponins in it. Antioxidants play a role in counteracting the effects of exposure to free radicals, including air pollution and UV rays.
- Maintaining normal blood sugar
Lontar fruit is a type of food that does not have a high sugar content. When compared to other fruits, such as mango, the sugar content in lontar fruit is lower. In 100 grams, mango can contain 46 grams of sugar, while lontar fruit only contains 14 grams. This is the reason this fruit is suitable as a snack for diabetics who need to maintain their daily sugar intake.
- Helps with a weight loss diet program.
Lontar fruit is a low-calorie fruit that can be a snack choice for people who are on a weight loss diet. 100 grams of palm fruit contains 27 calories. This amount is lower than other fruit, for example avocado which contains 85 calories in the same weight.
- Prevent osteoporosis
Consuming lontar fruit can help prevent bone loss (osteoporosis) because it contains high calcium and phosphorus. In 100 grams of lontar fruit, there are 91 milligrams of calcium and 243 milligrams of phosphorus. Both of these contents are needed to keep bones strong and healthy.
Thus the explanation of the benefits of lontar fruit for health. You can get the benefits above by consuming it directly or processing it into various food menus, such as fruit ice, fruit soup, or pudding. Although it has many benefits, further research is still needed to find out and ensure the safety of lontar fruit to overcome a number of diseases. Therefore, continue to discuss with your doctor if you want to use lontar fruit to overcome certain diseases and do not replace the treatment that has been given previously.
