8 Health Benefits of Eating Imbe Fruit

 Eight Health Benefits of Eating Imbe Fruits. 

The post describes the nutrition of the Imbe fruit, the African Mangosteen, uses and cultivation and suggests its health benefits, uses and cultivation. 

Photo By Christopher Hind, Attribution, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5088374

This post is for letter I of the Blog Chatter A2Z writing challenge for April; for H is here.

The post touches on the following:

Introduction and the history

Imbe is a fruit known as African Mangosteen, Lowveld Mangosteen or Garcinia Livingstonei.  It is a small fruit, thin-skinned, edible, and bright orange in colour.  The taste is sweet and slightly acidic.  Is a traditional fruit plant in Africa.  Native to a broad area of tropical Africa, from cot-d'Ivoire, east to Somalia and south to South Africa.  The fruit is eaten fresh and in juice. 

Did You Know?

The fruit belongs to the Garcinia family, having more than four hundred types.  

The name commemorates one Laurent Garcin (1683-1751).  He was a botanist who lived in India, where the genus of the tree is diverse. 

 The tree is grown more for ornamental purposes and is also used for food.  It occurs naturally in the regions of Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, and has a presence in Victoria Falls in Zambia and Zimbabwe.  The grows in the natural landscapes in Africa: the Okavango Delta in Botswana, the sand dunes of the Tana Delta in Kenya and the open bushveld of South Africa.  

 The tree is known after David Livingston, famed after Victoria Falls.

A product of South Africa.

Imbe is known for growing in tropical and subtropical climates; in South Africa, farmers grow them using greenhouse facilities.  The tree grows in pots and small gardens. 

Benefits.

Nutrients: 

• The following nutrients are found in Imbe fruit:
• Calcium
• Carbohydrates
• Copper
• Dietary Fiber
• Iron
• Magnesium
• Manganese
• Phosphorous
• Potassium
• Protein
• Sodium
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5 and B9, and
• Zinc

Health Benefits

1.  The fruit may have antioxidant properties.

2.  Help protect against cell damage caused by free radicals in your body

3.  It may help the body resistance to infection and diseases.

4.  It may protect organs and tissues from deterioration.

5.  It may help improve mental functions

6.  May regulate blood Cholesterol levels.

7.  It may have anti-inflammatory benefits.

8.  Has the potential to improve nutrition, boost food security, foster rural development and support sustainable land care. 

Me and Imbe

I have seen Imbe rarely, a general fruit only sometimes available in the markets I frequent in Cape Town. 

I have eaten them in Kerala, where it is known as Mangosteen.  It has a purple colour and white flesh.

 This blog is for the letter I in the series of my A2Z blog posts, lasting for the entire month and is part of the A2Z Blog chatter challenge.  To read earlier posts, click on these letters.  A B C D E F G H.