Jackfruit, have you eaten it this year?
Many people know that durian is the “king of tropical fruits”, but they don't know that jackfruit, which is as ugly as durian, is known as the “queen of tropical fruits”. Although it looks a bit ugly, its flesh is thick, soft, sweet and delicious. Like durian, it also has a special taste, but its acceptance is much higher than that of durian.
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In today’s article, let’s learn about jackfruit and see what nutritional values this “Queen of Tropical Fruits” has that are different from durian?
What is the relationship between jackfruit and durian?
Jackfruit, also known as wood pineapple, is a tropical fruit and is known as the “Queen of Tropical Fruits”. It is widely grown in Southeast Asia, Pacific island countries and tropical and subtropical regions of Central and South America. my country has introduced jackfruit for more than a thousand years. Hainan is the largest jackfruit production area in my country.
Some people think that jackfruit and durian are vaguely related. Not only do they both have strange tastes, but they are often sold together and are released on the market at about the same time.
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In fact, there is no special relationship between the two except that they are both tropical fruits. Durian belongs to Malvaceae (some materials say Kapokaceae), and jackfruit belongs to Moraceae. And durian is a single fruit, while jackfruit is an aggregate fruit, which has many independent small fruits when opened.
Source: Plant Intelligence China
In terms of nutrition, the nutritional content of the two is similar. However, the calories of jackfruit are slightly lower than those of durian, but the vitamin C content is 3 times that of durian.
Jackfruit contains a variety of nutrients
Jackfruit flesh is rich in fragrance, sweet and sour, and is loved by everyone. It is also nutritious, containing dietary fiber, vitamin C, potassium, selenium, polysaccharides, carotene and other nutrients.
1. Mineral Potassium
The potassium content of jackfruit is 330 mg/100 g, which is 1.3 times the potassium content of bananas we often eat, and nearly 18 times that of papaya, which is also a tropical fruit. It is relatively friendly for people who need to control blood pressure.
2. Mineral Selenium
The selenium content of jackfruit is 4.17 micrograms per 100 grams, which is higher than most common fruits and 41.7 times that of apples. Selenium is an essential trace element for the human body, involved in regulating thyroid function, metabolism, blood circulation, and maintaining normal immune function.
3. Carotene
Jackfruit is rich in carotene, which is the coloring substance of the jackfruit flesh. The red flesh contains more carotene than the yellow flesh, which is good for eye health and is the “guardian” of retinal health. Therefore, compared with the yellow flesh, the red flesh variety of jackfruit has more market advantages in nutritional value, appearance quality, flavor and taste.
4. Flavonoids
Flavonoids are also the coloring substances of jackfruit, and flavonoids in red-fleshed jackfruit show an advantageous accumulation. This ingredient has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, which can help us reduce the body's inflammatory response and protect cardiovascular health.
Figure: Reference 2
5. Polysaccharides
Jackfruit is rich in polysaccharides. In vitro studies have shown that jackfruit polysaccharides have strong antioxidant effects, can remove free radicals, and reduce the risk of disease. Animal experiments have also shown that jackfruit polysaccharides can improve immunity and induce the secretion of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β).
As for the dietary fiber and vitamin C content of jackfruit, it does not have a special advantage among fruits. The dietary fiber content of the pulp is 1.0~1.5 g/100 g, which is similar to that of apples; the vitamin content is 7~10 mg/100 g, which is less than one-third of that of oranges.
Don’t throw away jackfruit seeds!
Many people throw away the core of jackfruit when eating it, right? This core is the seed of jackfruit, which is completely edible and nutritious. It is a pity to throw it away!
Picture: Jackfruit seeds were taken by myself
Jackfruit seeds are very nutritious, high in starch (more than 60%), high in protein (more than 12%), low in fat (less than 1.5%), and rich in dietary fiber, which can enhance satiety, promote gastrointestinal motility, improve intestinal flora, protect intestinal health, and prevent cardiovascular disease. In addition, jackfruit seeds are also rich in mineral potassium, plant polyphenols and other nutrients.
In addition, some studies have found that jackfruit seeds also contain the functional factor γ-aminobutyric acid, with a content of up to 413.76 mg/100g. This ingredient has the functions of promoting memory and relieving fatigue. There are also many health products related to γ-aminobutyric acid on the market, which mainly promote its effects of relieving stress and promoting sleep.
Therefore, when you eat jackfruit in the future, don't throw away the core. Boil it in salt water and eat it directly. It tastes soft and sticky, a bit like chestnuts. You can also cook it with rice (it is best to peel off the outer skin). It is rich in lysine, up to more than 1%, while grains lack lysine. Eating the two together can form nutritional complementarity and improve the absorption and utilization rate of protein.
Picture: Jackfruit core rice (without peeling, a bit troublesome to eat) Photographed by myself
Three types of people should not eat too much
1. People who want to lose weight
The calories and carbohydrate content of jackfruit are not low, which can be said to be among the top fruits, nearly twice that of apples. 100 grams of jackfruit (about 5 pieces without the core) has 105 kcal, which is almost equivalent to a small bowl of cooked rice. If you eat too much, you will definitely gain weight.
Picture: 100g of pitted jackfruit, about 5 pieces
2. Diabetes
The postprandial blood sugar GI value of jackfruit is 75, which is a high GI food and is not friendly to people who need to control blood sugar. It is better for diabetics to eat less, and it is recommended to eat it with a few nuts to help stabilize blood sugar.
3. Patients with high uric acid and gout
The fructose content of jackfruit is as high as 9.19%. Excessive fructose intake will increase uric acid levels, induce gout, and is not conducive to gout patients controlling their disease.
Finally, we would like to remind you that the whole jackfruit is recommended to be stored at 10-15℃. Temperatures lower than this may cause the jackfruit to be damaged by chilling. If the whole jackfruit is stored at 5℃, serious brown spots will appear on its surface.
In contrast, peeled fresh jackfruit pulp is more tolerant to low temperatures than whole fruit. Storage at 10°C can keep the respiration rate of fresh jackfruit pulp at the lowest level, making it more resistant to storage. The moisture content of jackfruit is above 70%. As the storage time increases, the moisture will gradually be lost, the hardness will decrease, the freshness will decrease, and the skin will turn brown. Therefore, on the whole, fresh jackfruit pulp is best stored at 8~12°C to better prevent browning and maintain its own flavor. It can generally be stored for about 7 days.
Summarize:
Jackfruit is really delicious! In addition to eating the flesh directly, you can also try roasting the jackfruit:
① After removing the core and slicing the jackfruit, preheat the oven to 200℃ and bake for 5-10 minutes (adjust according to personal taste);
② Bake in the air fryer at 140℃ for 10 minutes, turn over and continue baking for about 5 minutes. The baked jackfruit is not only sweeter, but also a little crispy, with a unique taste!
references
[1]Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Tables 6th Edition Volume 1[M].Peking University Medical Press, 2018
[2]Cen Yi, Cheng Jun, Ding Yuanhao, Wu Gang, Wu Baoduo, Fan Rui, Tan Lehe, Hu Lisong. Analysis of flavonoids in different colored jackfruit pulp[J].Journal of Tropical Crops, 2021, 42(11): 3301-3306.
[3] Zhang Yanjun, Wang Shaoman, Zuo Huiyu, et al. Main functional active ingredients of jackfruit and their research progress[J].Journal of Food Science and Technology, 2019, 37(6): 16-22. DOI: 10. 3969/j. issn. 2095-6002. 2019. 06. 003.
[4]iPlant Plant Intelligence——Plant Species Information System
[5] Hettiaratchi UP, Ekanayake S, Welihinda J. Nutritional assessment of a jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) meal. Ceylon Med J. 2011 Jun;56(2):54-8. doi: 10.4038/cmj.v56i2.3109. PMID: 21789865.
[6]https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/174687/nutrients
[7]Gou Ling, Dai Rui, Lin Bing, Lu Haixiao. Research progress on nutritional components and comprehensive utilization of jackfruit seeds[J]. Grain and Oils, 2022, 35(11): 5-715
[8]Shi Jiang, Cao Haiyan, Guo Fen. Nutritional analysis and safety evaluation of jackfruit seeds[J]. Food Research and Development, 2018, 39(14): 193-196.
[9]Mei Chengming. Study on the quality changes of fresh-cut jackfruit during storage at room and low temperatures[D]Hainan University