15 Benefits of star fruit/carambola for skin, hair, and health
Benefits of star fruit for skin, hair, and health can surely be experienced by you if you eat them regularly. Star fruit is the common name of carambola fruit which is available and grown extensively throughout the countries of southeast Asia like India, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, etc.
This fruit appears like a star and has a distinctive sweet and sour flavor. It is highly rich in many nutrients like vitamins and minerals which make it extremely healthy for our body. There are 2 types of star fruit or carambola, a small variety, and a large variety. The smaller star fruits are sour and the larger ones are sweet in taste.
Star fruit nutrition facts:
Star fruits are highly nutritious and they contain many vitamins and minerals. They are rich in dietary fiber which makes them extremely helpful for our digestive system. They contain a good amount of proteins which are building blocks of our body.
They contain many antioxidant vitamins like lutein zeaxanthin, vitamin C, and vitamin E. They are also rich in vitamin B1 or thiamine, vitamin B2 or riboflavin, vitamin B3 or niacin, vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid, vitamin B6 or pyridoxine and vitamin B9 or folic acid. Star fruit is also a good source of choline vitamin.
In addition to vitamins, Star fruits also contain many pivotal minerals like calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, iron, potassium, sodium, zinc in adequate quantities required by our body.
Benefits of Star fruit:
1. Help in weight loss:
Many of us try out various diets for losing excess weight. Consuming Star fruit is a great way to shed those extra pounds. Star fruit contains 31 calories of energy for every 100 grams of fruit. This energy content is very low in comparison to many other high-calorie foods.
Star fruit has very low-fat content which makes it ideal for weight loss. It is rich in water and fiber which makes you feel satiated and fuller for a longer period of time. When you eat star fruit as part of your meals or half an hour before your meals, you tend to eat smaller portions of your meals or carbs helping in weight loss.
2. Reduces cholesterol:
Star fruit contains insoluble fiber which lowers the levels of various harmful fats or lipids in our body like LDL or low-density lipoproteins, total cholesterol, triacylglycerol as per a research study. [3]
As the accumulation of harmful fats or cholesterol in the body is the main reason behind the development of various heart diseases, star fruit surely aids in preventing heart ailments.
3. Benefits of star fruit for Diabetes:
Star fruits contain many helpful substances like polyphenols, flavonoids, saponins and phytosterols. Theses substances are helpful to our body in numerous ways. They help in reducing the levels of blood sugar, cholesterol in our body. [4]
This property of blood sugar control makes star fruit really good for people with diabetes. In addition to these effects, they also possess significant antioxidant properties.
4. Fight free radicals:
Free radicals are produced in our body due to various metabolic processes. They adversely affect our health. They lead to disorders of the heart, brain and also many types of lethal cancers.
We need to consume foods with antioxidants to fight the free radicals effectively. Star fruit contains many antioxidant substances like lutein zeaxanthin, vitamin C, and vitamin E. They fight the free radicals and help in the prevention of cancers, heart and brain disorders.
5. Prevent heart diseases:
Heart diseases ae becoming very common these days. Modern lifestyle, high consumption of junk foods, high-stress levels, a high prevalence of people with diabetes, high cholesterol levels has led to the high incidence of heart diseases. Free radicals also play a pivotal role in causing heart diseases.
Star fruit has many beneficial substances which help in reducing the levels of high blood sugar and harmful cholesterol or fats in the body. They also help to fight the free radicals. These properties of star fruit ward off heart ailments and also prevent them if eaten regularly.
6. Boost immunity:
We need a healthy immune system to fight all infections. People wth weak immune system tend to suffer from many health ailments and they often catch infections like cold and flu.
Star fruit contains vitamins and minerals that strengthen the immune system. Vitamin C content of star fruit is really high. It boosts the immune system and helps in treating cold and flu fast. If you eat star fruit regularly, you will suffer from cold and flu less often.
It also detoxifies our body and fights the free radicals which make star fruit a very good fruit for boosting our immune system.
7. Treats anemia:
Anemia is caused due to deficiency of hemoglobin n the body. Star fruit contains good amounts of iron which helps in the formation of hemoglobin in the body.
The high vitamin C content of star fruit further assists in the absorption of the iron and acts synergistically along with iron to promote hemoglobin formation.
8. Benefits of star fruit in breastfeeding:
Many women suffer from the problem of inadequate breast milk supply. Mothers get really worried when they are unable to give sufficient milk to their newly born baby. They consult many doctors for drug treatment and to know home remedies to increase the breast milk.
Star fruit helps in increasing the breast milk supply in the breastfeeding or nursing mothers. So, you can use it as an adjunctive food along with the drugs prescribed by your doctor to boost breast milk supply.
9. Prevents cancers:
Star fruit or carambola contains many antioxidants which make help in fighting free radicals. Free radicals are implicated in causing various cancers in the body. So, the free radical fighting ability of star fruit helps in preventing cancers.
Certain studies have proved that extracts of star fruit roots help in treating breast cancer. [5] Certain studies in animals have also shown that extracts of star fruit have a preventive action against liver cancer or hepatocellular carcinoma. [6] Further research is being conducted on humans to see the efficacy of star fruit in preventing liver cancer.
10. Relieve constipation:
Star fruit contains good amounts of fiber. This fiber absorbs the water and makes the stool soft and easy to pass through the digestive system. Star fruit is a must have food for people suffering from constipation.
Constipation leads to many more problems like hemorrhoids or piles, anal fissure, colorectal cancer, etc. So, eating star fruit regularly can save you from all these maladies.
11. Good for Hypertension:
Star fruit contains both sodium and potassium. But the sodium content of starfruit is low in comparison to the potassium. Sodium leads to water retention and increased blood pressure.
As star fruit has low sodium content, it doesn’t lead to water retention and increased blood pressure. The low sodium content of star fruit makes it safe for people with high blood pressure or hypertension.
12. Treat insomnia:
Many people suffer from lack of sleep or insomnia. This makes them restless and irritable during the daytime. Star fruit is rich in essential minerals like magnesium. This makes the nervous system strong and relaxed. It improves the quality of your sleep.
Star fruit also boosts the immune system and makes your body healthy overall. This also assists in making you have a sound sleep.
13. Has anti-inflammatory activity:
Bacteria and also free radicals lead to inflammation in our body. Inflammation of various body parts leads to various diseases.
Star fruit contains many substances like flavonoids, saponins, etc which reduce the inflammation. Star fruit contains compounds which kill various bacteria like E.coli, salmonella, Bacillus cereus, etc.
It also fights the free radicals very effectively. Due to all these properties, Star fruit is an excellent food to combat inflammation.
14. Benefits of star fruit for skin:
Healthy skin requires adequate nutrition, a good supply of vitamins and minerals. Star fruit is highly rich in all the essential vitamins and minerals required by the skin. They nourish the skin and make it healthy.
The antioxidant substances in star fruit like lutein zeaxanthin, vitamin C and vitamin E help in fighting free radicals and preventing early aging. They also fight all signs of aging like fine lines, wrinkles and age spots.
Star fruit also helps in removing all the toxins out of our body. This detoxification helps in preventing acne or pimple breakouts on our skin. If you are suffering from acne, you can surely eat star fruit and reap its benefits. It also helps in treating skin diseases like Eczema.
15. Benefits of star fruit for hair:
Healthy hair requires you to eat a nutritious diet in addition to oiling your hair regularly and using various hair masks. Internal nutrition is absolutely essential apart from external hair care treatments. Hair needs vitamins and minerals for good growth.
Star fruits in rich in vitamin B, C, E and many other minerals which nourish the hair nad make it strong, healthy and thick. Star fruit also helps in reduction in the hair fall. Don’t you want to have lovely tresses? If yes, eat star fruit regularly.
Caution:
- Star fruit contains a compound called carambola. This accumulates in toxic quantities in patients suffering from chronic kidney disease and it impairs the nervous system. So, Star fruit should not be consumed by people suffering from chronic kidney disease or renal impairment. [2]
- Star fruit has drug interactions with certain drugs like statins (taken to treat high cholesterol), benzodiazepines, opioids, etc. So, consult a doctor first before eating star fruit if you are taking any medications or drugs.
Other names of Star fruit: [1]
Spanish: Carambola, carambola, tamarindo chino, tamarindo culí, balimbín
Portuguese: Carambola
Ecuador: Fruta china
Indonesian: Belimbing
Thai: Ma fueang
Chinese: Yángtáo
Vietnamese: Khế
Myanmar: Sungwarthi
Assamese: Kordoi, Rohdoi
Bengali: Kamranga
Hindi:Kamrakh
Kannada: Karambal drakshi, kaparakshi hannu
Malayalam: Chaturappuli, vairappuli
Marathi: Karambal
Odia: Karmanga
Tamil: Thambaratham
Telugu: Ambanamkaya
You have seen all the benefits of star fruit for skin, hair, and health. Let us know do you eat star fruit regularly. In what all ways do you use star fruit? Do you notice any improvement in your health after eating star fruit? Share your experience with us.
