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The name ‘sapota’ might not be familiar to most of
us. Sapota is another name for the fruit better known as ‘chikoo’. When
we say sapota, we are basically referring to the tropical evergreen tree
that bears this fruit. Sapota is a delicious calorie-rich fruit
belonging to the category of fruits like mango, banana and jack fruit.
Its other names are nose berry, sapodilla plum, chickoo sapote etc.
The sapota fruit has its origin in the rain forests of Central America,
particularly in Mexico and Belize but it is easily available in India.
The fruit is a round or oval-shaped berry measuring around 10
centimeters in diameter and weighing 150 grams. It has 2-5 big, black,
shiny bean-like seeds in the centre. The unripe fruit has a hard surface
and white pulp due to its high content of latex. The latex content
reduces as the fruit ripens and its flesh acquires a brown color. It has
a smooth and grainy texture with a sweet and musky flavor. It is rich in
calories and its sweet flavor can be attributed to the presence of
simple sugars like fructose and sucrose that replenish energy and
revitalize the body.
Health Benefits Of Sapota/Chickoo:
Sapota is one of those fruits which are great for health besides being
extremely delicious, thanks to the wide array of nutrients contained in
this fruit. The tasty flesh of this fruit is easily digestible and
replenishes our body by providing energy due to its high content of
glucose. As already said, this fruit is rich in vitamins, minerals and
tannins. Due its sugary taste, it is widely used in shakes. The various
health benefits of sapota are given below:
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1. Good for the Eyes: Sapota contains a high amount of Vitamin A.
According to research, Vitamin A helps in improving vision even during
old age. Thus, in order to get or maintain good vision, you must try
eating sapota fruit.
2. Source of Energy: Sapota is rich in glucose which provides instant
energy to the body. Athletes require loads of energy and hence, are
recommended to eat sapota fruit.
3. Anti-inflammatory Agent: The high content of tannins makes sapota or
chikoo an important anti-inflammatory agent. In other words, it helps in
improving the condition of the digestive tract through prevention of
diseases like esophagitis, enteritis, irritable bowel syndrome and
gastritis. It also reduces inflammation by reducing any swelling and
pain.
4. Prevention of Certain Cancers: The Vitamins A and B help in
maintaining the health of the mucus lining of the body and the texture
of the skin. The antioxidants, dietary fiber and nutrients found in
sapota provide protection against cancer and tightly bind the
carcinogens (toxins) to protect the mucus membrane of the colon. Vitamin
A provides protection from lung and oral cavity cancers.
5. Healthy Bones: Additional amounts of calcium, phosphorus and iron are
required by bones to increase their endurance. Being rich in calcium,
iron and phosphorus, sapota fruit greatly helps in enhancing and
strengthening the bones.
6. Relief from Constipation: Sapota fruit provides a high amount of
dietary fiber (5.6/100g). Thus, it is regarded as an excellent bulk
laxative. The fiber content provides relief from constipation. It
supports the colons’ membrane and makes it resistant to infections.
7. Benefits during Pregnancy: Having a high dose of carbohydrates and
essential nutrients, sapota is extremely beneficial for pregnant and
lactating mothers. It helps in reducing weakness and other symptoms of
pregnancy such as nausea and dizziness.
8. Haemostatic Properties: The sapota herb is known for its haemostatic
properties i.e. stopping blood loss. Thus, this herb is beneficial in
reducing bleeding in case of piles and injuries. The ground seeds can be
applied as a paste for alleviating stings and insect bites.
9. Anti-viral and Anti-bacterial Properties: Due to the presence of
polyphenolic antioxidants, sapota is found to have several anti-viral,
anti-parasitic and anti-bacterial properties. The antioxidants prevent
bacteria from entering into the human body. Vitamin C destroys the
harmful free radicals whereas potassium, iron and folate, niacin and
pantothenic acid facilitate proper functioning of the digestive system.
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10. Anti-diarrheal: Sapota is regarded as an anti-diarrheal due to its
purgative properties. A decoction made by boiling this fruit in water
can cure diarrhea. It also helps in the alleviation of piles and
dysentery.
11. Mental Health: Being a potent sedative, sapota fruit helps to calm
the nerves and alleviate stress. Thus, it is advisable for individuals
suffering from insomnia, anxiety and depression.
12. Cold and Cough: Sapota fruit is effective in keeping congestion and
chronic coughs at bay by removing the phlegm and mucus from the nasal
passage and respiratory tract. Thus, it helps in the alleviation of cold
and coughs.
13. Kidney Stones: The crushed seeds of this fruit act as a diuretic,
thus helping to expel bladder and kidney stones. It provides protection
against kidney diseases as well.
14. Aids in Weight Loss: Sapota fruit indirectly helps in weight loss
and prevents obesity by regulating the secretion of gastric enzymes,
thereby regulating metabolism.
15. As a Detoxifying Agent: Sapota acts as a diuretic and thus helps in
removing waste materials from the body through frequent urination. It
prevents edemas or water retention by maintaining the water
concentration within the body.
16. Tooth Cavities: The high latex content of sapota fruit can be used
as a crude filling for tooth cavities.
17. Other Health Benefits: Magnesium contained in sapota is beneficial
for blood and blood vessels whereas potassium helps in regulating blood
pressure and promoting healthy circulation. Folate and iron prevent
anemia. Sapota helps in strengthening the intestines and in improving
their performance. In short, eating sapota or chikoo fruit helps in
developing body resistance against many infectious diseases.
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For best results, the sapota fruit should be eaten ripe. But you can
also choose to have the sapota juice if you please. Raw sapota fruits
are extremely bitter due to high content of tannin and latex, and can
cause mouth ulcers, itching sensation in the throat and difficulty in
breathing.
Hair Benefits of Sapota/Chikoo:
As we all know, proper supply of nutrients to our body and proper
absorption of these nutrients is inevitable for maintaining good hair
health. Hair problems are a result of exposure to harmful chemicals,
unhealthy lifestyle and inadequacy of certain essential nutrients in our
diet. Being loaded with essential nutrients, sapota has enough to
contribute towards healthy hair.
The benefits of sapota for hair are as follows.
18. Oil extracted from sapota seeds helps in moisturizing and softening
your hair, thus making it more manageable. It imparts sheen and is
considered excellent for curly hair. It gets absorbed easily without
leaving a greasy residue.
19. The sapota seed oil nourishes the scalp by alleviating irritated
skin conditions and promotes healthy hair growth. This oil is considered
to be effective in treating hair-fall caused by seborrheic dermatitis.
20. The seeds of sapota can be grounded to make a paste and mixed with
castor oil. This mixture should be applied on scalp and washed off the
next day. This makes your hair smooth and the problem of dandruff can
also be controlled.
Skin Benefits of Sapota/Chikoo:
The wide array of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants found in the
sapota fruit makes it an amazing choice for healthy and glowing skin.
Thus, this article will be incomplete without talking about the skin
benefits of this tasty fruit.
21. Sapota fruit helps to make your skin glowing, thus reducing your
requirement of skin care products to enhance your natural skin texture
and complexion. The Vitamin E in this fruit moisturizes your skin, thus
giving you healthy and beautiful skin. Hence, eating sapota fruit is
good for the skin.
22. Sapota fruit is rich in antioxidants. Therefore, it acts as an
anti-ageing agent by eradicating free radicals in the body which are
responsible for enhancing the ageing process. It is also effective in
reducing wrinkles.
23. The seed kernel oil of sapota is used as a skin ointment. The
residue of this seed, after the extraction of oil, can be applied as a
poultice on painful skin afflictions.
24. The milky sap of the sapota plant can be used to remove warts and
fungal growth on the skin.
25. The combination of Vitamin A and C beautifies the skin by imparting
it with a healthy glow.
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