There are various benefits of gooseberry fruit for health, ranging from supporting digestive tract function to controlling blood sugar levels. A series of properties that come from a variety of important nutrients contained in it.
The gooseberry or otaheite gooseberry fruit is usually green and small. This fruit has a sour but refreshing taste, so it is often processed into sweets or pickles.
Not only refreshing, this fruit also has various benefits for health because it contains important nutrients for the body. In 150 grams of mirror fruit there are 66 calories and various nutrients, such as:
- 7 grams of fiber
- 15 grams of carbohydrates
- 1 gram protein
- 22 mcg of vitamin A
- 40 mg of vitamin C
In addition, gooseberry fruit is also rich in antioxidants and other important nutrients that bring health benefits, such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and folate.
Various Benefits of Gooseberry Fruit
As previously mentioned, the benefits of gooseberry fruit for health are obtained from the various nutrients in it. These various benefits include:
1. Improve digestive tract health
Gooseberry fruit can be used as a healthy snack because it is low in calories. In addition, this fruit also contains high enough fiber so that its consumption is good for improving digestive health.
2. Control blood sugar levels
Consumption of gooseberry fruit is known to control blood sugar levels. This benefit comes from the fiber content and chlorogenic acid in it.
Fiber has a function to slow the absorption of sugar into the blood, while chlorogenic acid plays a role in reducing the absorption of carbohydrates in the intestine.
3. Suppress stomach acid production
Gooseberry fruit is believed to suppress gastric acid production, so its consumption is useful in preventing the recurrence of dyspepsia. This is thought to be due to the potassium content in it which can neutralize acids. Even so, these benefits still need to be investigated further.
4. Maintain eye health
Gooseberry fruit contains vitamin A, so its consumption is good for maintaining eye health. In addition, the content of vitamin A in this fruit is also able to maintain the function of the cornea of the eye so that the quality of vision remains good.
Vitamin A is also needed to prevent various eye diseases, such as macular degeneration, cataracts, and night blindness.
5. Maintain healthy skin
The next benefit of gooseberry fruit is to improve skin health. This benefit can be obtained thanks to the high vitamin C content in it. Vitamin C is an antioxidant, so it can prevent skin damage triggered by exposure to free radicals.
Not only that, vitamin C is also useful for stimulating the production of collagen, an important protein needed to maintain skin moisture and elasticity.
6. Maintain bone health
To maintain and maintain bone health, you must meet the needs of calcium properly. The trick is to eat foods that contain calcium, one of which is mirror fruit.
The efficacy of mirror fruit in maintaining bone health can not only be obtained from its calcium content, but also phosphorus.
7. Reduce the risk of heart disease
Consumption of mirror fruit can reduce the risk of heart disease, because this fruit contains a variety of important nutrients that can improve heart health.
An example is potassium which is known to prevent constriction of blood vessels. In addition, there are also flavonols and anticyanins that can lower blood pressure while improving blood vessel function.
The benefits of gooseberry fruit for health are varied and the way to consume it varies. In addition to sweets or pickles, you can process them into snacks, fruit juices, and even jams to accompany bread.
Even so, the consumption of mirror fruit directly is recommended so that the benefits can be obtained to the maximum.
To find out the benefits of mirror fruit and the appropriate dose of consumption according to health conditions, you can consult a doctor first, especially if you are suffering from certain health problems.