The custard apple is a great source of many essential vitamin and nutrients including vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6, magnesium, copper, potassium, and iron. It also contains dietary fiber, which helps in digestion.
Check out this article to know more about the health benefits of using custard apple. You would also realize its benefits for pregnancy as well as its medicinal value.
Table of Contents
Health Benefits Of Custard Apple
1. Improves Eyesight
Custard apple helps to improve and maintain eyesight.It contains vitamin A and C, as well as riboflavin, which fights free radical destruction. This protects the eye from vision impairments and maintains healthy vision.
2. Fights Anaemia
Anaemia is a condition where the body has lower amounts of red blood cells, which carry oxygen to the tissues.Iron is an important component of red blood cells. Being a rich source of iron, custard apple helps to treat anemia.
3. Aids Weight Gain
Custard apple is beneficial for those who wish to gain weight. It is rich in calories and stimulates appetite. This increases your food intake and helps you to gain weight.
4. Reduce Diabetes
Anti-diabetic properties of custard apple help to manage glucose levels in the blood and improve its utilization within the body. The fiber from custard apple also slows down sugar absorption, to reduce type2 diabetes.
5. Maintains Blood Pressure
The abundance of potassium and magnesium in custard apple help to maintain healthy blood pressure levels. This property of custard apple would be particularly useful for those with fluctuating blood pressure.
6. Prevents Arthritis
Custard apple lowers the risk of arthritis and rheumatism due to its abundance of magnesium. This helps to maintain healthy electrolyte and fluid balance in the body, also removing fluid from the joints to reduce inflammation.
7. Combats Cancer
Custard apple contains compounds that are used to fight various types of cancers. It decreases the risk of skin, colon, liver, and breast cancers.
The presence of tannin and astringent properties of custard apple bark finds application in making herbal supplements that are used to treat cancers and tumor growths.
Acetogenin and alkaloids that occur in custard apple are believed to reduce one’s risk of getting cancer, by combating cancerous cells.
Antioxidants in custard apple have properties that neutralize effects of free radicals and help to prevent cancer.
8. Improves Digestion
It eliminates toxic wastes from the digestive tract to ensure smooth digestion and bowel movement. The copper and fiber present in the fruit aids the process of digestion. It relieves indigestion and constipation.
Custard apple is also known to prevent ulcers, acidity, gastritis, and heartburn. Unripe custard apple id used in the dried powdered form to treat diarrhea.
9. Oral Health
Custard apple skin can be helpful in relieving oral health issues such as toothaches, decay and gum pain.
10. Maintains Healthy Heart
Magnesium and vitamin B6in custard apple protects the heart from cardiac arrest and heart diseases. It also relaxes the muscles, relieves cramps, and maintains blood pressure.
Niacin and fiber present in custard apple also lower cholesterol levels in the blood, to promote a healthy heart.
11. Prevents Asthma
Vitamin B6 found in custard apple relieves bronchial inflammation to prevent asthma.
12. Better Immune System
Vitamin C present in custard apple is an antioxidant that relieves inflammation and boosts immunity. It helps to protect the body from various diseases and infections.
13. Reduces Fatigue
Custard apple reduces fatigue and weakness. It boosts energy levels that deal with exhaustion. Potassium helps to reduce muscle weakness. It improves blood circulation and also helps to maintain healthy bones.
Custard Apple Benefits For The Skin
14.Skin Rejuvenation
Being rich in vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C and antioxidants, custard apple rejuvenates the skin, making it youthful and healthy.
15.Aids Skin Regeneration
Antioxidants present in custard apple enhance regeneration of the skin. Regular consumption of custard apple aids the formation of new skin layers. It also helps to heal wounds and cuts.
16.Treats Skin Problems
Custard apple is used to heal many skin diseases. The fleshy part of the custard apple is used to treat boils, ulcers, and abscesses.
The latex from the tree is applied to the skin to treat skin diseases including eczema, psoriasis, and inflammation.
17.Protects From Sun Damage
It also protects the skin from damage caused by sun exposure.
18.Relief From Rosacea
Custard apple can relieve the symptoms of rosacea, which is and inflammatory disease of the skin with dilated blood vessels and redness.
19.Reduces Acne And Pimples
Custard apple controls sebum production, thereby reducing pimples and acne. Regularly eating custard apple can be effective in controlling the breakout of acne and pimples. It also reduces inflammation and opens up pores to allow the skin to breathe.
A paste of custard apple and some lemon juice can be beneficial to the skin.
20.Fights Signs Of Ageing
It stimulates collagen formation, which increases the elasticity of the skin and fights wrinkles. Vitamin C present in custard apple is effective to prevent premature aging.
It delays signs of aging and reduces blemishes, fine lines and pigmentation. Antioxidants fight free radicals in the body and prevent oxidation.
21. Reduces Risk Of Skin Cancer
The antioxidants and acetogenin found in custard apple reduce the risk of developing skin cancer, by eradicating pre-cancerous skin lesions.
22.Fights Pigmentation
Consuming custard apple can fight pigmentation by free radicals. It also reduces clustering of melanin granules, thereby reducing pigmentation and spots on the skin.
23.Natural Detoxification
The fruit also helps to naturally detoxify the skin. It aids in the elimination of body wastes and toxins from the body and clears their build-up. Custard apple is rich in fiber and water content, which eases bowel movement to eliminate waste.
24.Healthy And Glowing Skin
Custard apple moisturizes the skin and makes it supple. It has a high water content that hydrates the body.
It is found to improve circulation and improve the skin tone naturally. Regularly eating this fruit can help to maintain healthy, glowing skin.
Custard Apple Benefits For The Hair
25.Get Rid Of Lice
Custard apple helps to remove lice from the hair. To get rid of lice, mix some powdered unripe custard apple with coconut oil or water, and apply this to the scalp. Wash off with water after ten minutes to eliminate lice.
26.Enhances Collagen Production
By enhancing collagen formation and improving nutrient absorption, custard apple maintains a healthy hair and scalp.
27.Fights Premature Greying
Custard apple helps to maintain the natural hair color and prevent premature greying. The presence of copper and vitamin C, which is an antioxidant, prevents oxidative damage and keeps premature greying at bay.
28. Maintains Healthy Scalp
Antioxidants and vitamins in custard apple can help to reduce flaky scalp and dandruff, by controlling sebum production in the scalp.
It also fights scalp inflammation and infections to reduce hair fall.
29.Moisturises And Nourishes Hair
Custard apple moisturizes the scalp, nourishes the hair and keeps it hydrated. Custard apple seed oil is particularly beneficial for people with coarse, wavy hair to improve its texture.
30. Promotes Hair Growth
Various nutrients and vitamins present in custard apple are good for the hair. It also improves absorption of nutrients. The iron in custard apple enhances blood flow to the scalp, stimulates follicles and promotes hair growth.
Health Benefits of Custard Apple During Pregnancy
Eating custard apple is beneficial for pregnant women and the developing baby.
Here is how it works:
- Custard apple helps in the development of the brain, nerves, and immune system in the growing fetus. Being loaded with vitamins and nutrients, it is also good for the skin tissues, hair, and eyesight of the fetus.
- Custard apple contains copper, which is essential for the formation of hemoglobin to ensure proper development of the growing fetus. Reduced amounts of copper can result in premature birth. Pregnant women are advised to take 100 milligrams of copper daily.
- It enhances production of breast milk, which is essential for the healthy growth of the child.
- Custard apple cures morning sickness in expecting mothers, thanks to its abundance of vitamin B6. It helps pregnant women to better deal with mood swings, nausea, and food cravings.
- Custard apple can also serve as an alternative to milk. This is helpful for pregnant women who are allergic to milk and dairy products.
- The fruit also minimises the risk of miscarriage and reduces labor pain.
- Custard apple also provides pregnant women with the extra healthy calories they require.
- They are good sources of dietary fiber, which relieve constipation and other digestive issues that arise during pregnancy.
- The fruit also provides relief from dental problems faced by pregnant women, such as toothaches and inflammation of the gum.
- The presence of antioxidants and fiber in custard apple helps to cleanse the body naturally by eliminating toxins.
- The fruit ensures intake of magnesium, which is essential for muscle relaxation and prevention of cardiac problems.
Medicinal Benefits Of Custard Apple
A. The paste of custard apple flesh can be used to treat ulcers and boils.
B. A paste made from custard apple leaves help to heal wounds. It also provides relief from burning sensation.
C. The juice from unripe custard apple is used to relieve and treat insect bites.
D. The fruit is an expectorant.
E. The bark of the tree can be used to treat toothaches.
F. The seeds of the fruit are finely ground and applied to the hair to get rid of lice. However, ensure that this does not go into the eyes.
G. The bark of the tree is used to treat diarrhea and dysentery. It also contains tannin and astringents.
H. Custard apple leaves help to promote normal blood flow during menstruation.
I. Crushed leaves can be used to treat hysteria and fainting spells.
How Is Custard Apple Consumed?
With high calories and natural sugar, custard apple can be taken through various preparations. It can be consumed as the fruit itself, or it can be used to prepare smoothies, desserts, ice creams, and snacks, which are packed with nutrients.
A fully ripe custard apple is soft, with a sweet and mildly tangy flavor. Its core and stem can be pulled out easily, while the fleshy, creamy portion can be scooped out with the help of a spoon.
The central, fleshy portion is the tastiest, and you may experience a slight bitterness as you eat the part closer to the skin.
Side Effects Of Custard Apple
Understanding a few side effects of consuming custard apple would help you to take necessary precautions, while you enjoy the benefits of this fruit.
- Consuming excess amounts of custard apple can make you ill since the fruit is cold.
- Do not consume or chew on the seed, as they are found to release toxins. In pregnant women, it may negatively affect the fetus.
- The kernels of the seed are toxic. A whole seed swallowed accidentally would usually pass through the digestive tract undigested.
- Custard apple contains high amounts of sugar. Hence, diabetic people are advised against consuming large amounts of the fruit.
- Women with gestational diabetes should refrain from consuming this fruit.
- Unripe custard apple may irritate and trigger digestive problems. Therefore, one should consume the fully ripe, soft fruit.
Include custard apple in the fruit diet and lead the happy life.
