Thursday 27 February 2014

16. BREAD FRUIT


                                                   BREAD FRUIT




Nutrition in 100 gm
Carbohydrates
25 gm
Water
70 gm
Vitamin C
20 mg
Thiamin
100 µ gm
Potassium
Small amount
Zinc
Small amount


Breadfruit looks like a baby jackfruit. The tree is huge and gives many fruits. Bread fruit is mostly used as a vegetable in curry and other dishes. It is also deep fried to make chips. When cooked, it tastes like cooked potato or bread and hence it is called breadfruit.
It is rich in starch. They are preserved by peeling and storing in a leaf lined pit. After some weeks, they ferment to produce a sour, sticky paste. These breadfruits can be eaten even after 20 years!
In the 18th century breadfruit was used as a cheap and high-energy food for the slaves in Caribbean.
        Bread fruit is rich in Vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, iron and phosphorous.
        Bread fruit can be dried and powdered to produce gluten-free flour high in nutrients. It can be used as a substitute to wheat flour.
Benefits:
1. Breadfruit is used in the cure many diseases from sore eyes to sciatica.
2. Heart attack: Bread fruit reduces the bad cholesterol and triglycerides. These triglycerides are dangerous for the heart.
3. Diabetes: Fibre present in bread fruit can help reduce the absorption of glucose from the food we eat. Hence eating bread fruit is useful to diabetic patients.
4. Cancer: Bread fruit being rich in fibre, helps reduce the risk of cancer. It clears the intestines and helps move bowels.
5. Overall body health: Bread fruit contains ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids which help improve the overall health of the body especially the bones and mind.
6. Hair: If you want to look young and beautiful for long, just eat bread fruit at least twice a week.
7. The wood of the tree is resistant to termites and shipworms. Hence it was used to make canoes and surfboards. The wood is very light.
8. Wood pulp is used in the manufacture of paper, called breadfruit ‘tapa’.
9. All parts of the tree yield latex which is useful for boat chalking.
 

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