Star Fruit
Did You Know
Starfruit is popular throughout Southeast Asia, the South Pacific, Micronesia, and parts of East Asia.
The entire fruit is edible and is usually eaten out of hand, but it can also be used in cooking.
Starfruit grows in hot, frost-free areas, on fertile, slightly acidic loamy soil, exposed to direct sunlight.
Starfruit has compound leaves composed of 5 to 11 nearly opposite pairs of ovate to oblong leaflets. The leaves are green coloured and covered with whitish hairs on the bottom side.
Starfruit has a short trunk and a bushy, roundish crown. It can reach 25 to 30 feet in height and 20 to 25 feet in width.
When picked before being fully ripe, the fruits are firm and green with a crisp citrus like flavour. At this stage they are used for salads and stir fries.
It’s believed that starfruit may have originated from Sri Lanka or Moluccas, Indonesia, but has been cultivated in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia for hundreds of years.
Ripen Starfruit at room temperature until yellow then store in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.
Health Benefits
Starfruit benefits digestion because of its high fiber content. These fibers will prevent the absorption of cholesterol from food in the intestines, helping the intestinal mucous membrane from toxic substances, as well as avoiding the risk of colon cancer.
Starfruit is rich in antioxidants such as flavonoids, polyphenols. Some types of flavonoids are quercetin, epicatechin, and gallic acid. Total polyphenols in these fruits at 43 mg/100 g. These compounds help protect the body from the effects of free radical damage.
In addition to antioxidant-rich, the starfruit is a source of B-complex vitamins such as folate, riboflavin, and pyridoxine (vitamin B-6).
Starfruit contains a number of minerals and electrolytes such as potassium, phosphorus, zinc and iron. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Thus, it will suppress the bad influence of sodium. Healing therapy of hypertension is mostly done with starfruit, by consuming them regularly.
Starfruit contain pectin substances that reduce cholesterol in blood. Pectin binds cholesterol and issued bile acids in their secretions. Of course this is very good for people with symptoms of diabetes.
*Disclaimer: Please seek professional medical advice for a diet that fits your needs.