Jackfruit:healthy fruit

The Jackfruit (Artocarpus Heterophyllus) from tropical lowlands, is a species of tree in the fig, mulberry. According to archeological findings in India have revealed that jackfruit was cultivated in India 3000 to 6000 years ago. Even a small jackfruit weighs in at 15lbs (7kg) and biggest recorded specimens weighed more than 100lbs (45kg).

Researchers found jackfruit could be a replacement for wheat and corn under the threat of climate change.

Raw Jackfruit has a unique capability to boost physical strength and helps in increasing good cholesterol. Ripe jackfruit has a cooling effect and can tackle dehydration and increases oil-coating both inside and outside body and reduces discharge of acidic inner body fluids. The jackfruite tree can produce about 100 to 200 fruits in a year. The Jackfruit is multiple fruite, composing of individual flowers, and it is the fleshy petals that are eaten and has numerous medicinal and health benefits. Jackfruit is also used in Ayurvedic medicine. Jackfruit is Bangladesh’s national fruit.

The jackfruite comes from Portuguese jaca, which is derived from the Malayalam language term Chakka Pazham. The Portuguese who arrived in India at Kozhikode ( Calicut) on the Malabar Coast in 1498. And the name Chakka was recorded by Hendrik van Rheede (1678-1703) in the Hortus Malabaricus vol, III in latin. Centuries later a Scottish botanist, William Jack who worked for the East India Company between 12795-1822 in Bengal, Sumatra and Malaysia.

India produces about 1436 tonnes of jackfruit following by Bangaldesh 926 and Thailand 392 and Indonesia 340tonnes.