fig health benefits - Delicious, sugared fig fruit is one of the popular returns enjoyed since ancient times. Fig is rich in natural health benefiting phytonutrients, antioxidants, and vitamins. Perfectly developed and ripe fig peculiarities bell or pear appearance with succulent, juicy flesh inside. Dried figs, really, are a highly concentrated source of minerals and vitamins.
Botanically figs are members of the mulberry kinfolk( Moraceae ), in the genus: Ficus. Scientific name: Ficus carica.
The fig tree is native to temperate various regions of Asia Minor or Turkey, and today, grown as an important fruit of exchange in the eastern Mediterranean environments, USA, and Spain. It too nurtured as a fruit tree in their own homes plots in many other regions as well. During each season, fig gives several hundreds of pear-shaped returns twice a year, which vary in immensity and dye is dependent on the variety.
Interiorly, fig fruit peculiarity countless, insignificant club-shaped ovaries extending towards the central hollow cavity. In their natural habitat, "caprifigs" pollinated by insignificant "gall wasp"( Blastophaga psenes) insect that enters grow clusters through a small opening at the apex.
Several cultivars of fig lie; some of the usual mixtures routinely grown in the USA are Brown Turkey, Conadria, Kadota, and Black mission. However, since the wasp does not exists in the North America, the majority of them returns develop by parthenogenesis( without pollination) and therefore, do not possess "true" seeds.
Health benefits of figs
- Fig fruit is low in calories. 100 g fresh fruits carry only 74 calories. However, they contain health advantaging soluble dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins, and stain antioxidants that contribute immensely towards optimum health and wellness.
- Dried figs are an excellent source of minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. In information, dehydrated figs possess higher concentrations of energy, minerals, and vitamins. 100 g dehydrated figs furnish 249 calories.
- Fresh figs, specially pitch-black operation, contain polyphenolic flavonoid antioxidants such as carotenes, lutein, tannins, chlorogenic battery-acid, etc. Their antioxidant value is comparable to that of apples at 3200 umol/ 100 g( Trolox equivalents ).
- Additionally, fresh figs contain adequate levels of some of the anti-oxidant vitamins such as vitamin-A, E, and K. Altogether these phytochemical compounds in fig fruit assistance scavenge harmful oxygen-derived free radicals from the human body and thereby protect us from cancers, diabetes, degenerative diseases, and infections.
- Furthermore, research studies felt that chlorogenic battery-acid in the figs cure lower blood sugar grades and control blood glucose grades in type-II diabetes mellitus( adult-onset) condition.
- Fresh, as well as baked figs, contain healthy levels of a B-complex group of vitamins such as niacin, pyridoxine, folates, and pantothenic battery-acid. These vitamins run as co-factors for metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
- Dried figs are excellent sources of minerals like calcium, copper, potassium, manganese, cast-iron, selenium and zinc. 100 g of baked figs contain 680 mg of potassium, 162 mg of calcium, and 2.03 mg of cast-iron. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps holding heart rate and blood pressure. Copper required in the production of red blood cells. Iron is essential for red blood cell formation as well for cellular oxidation.( Informant: USDA National Nutrient Database ).
