Star fruit, also known as carambola, is a star-shaped tropical fruit with a sweet and sour flavour. It has gained popularity across the world for its myriad uses and benefits. Biting into the star fruit is extremely satisfying as it is both crunchy and juicy and gives a tangy flavour.
India’s star fruit season is year-round, although carambolas flourish during two particular times: September through October and January through February. In some areas, it is relished as a local delicacy, while other areas consume it as a delightful exotic fruit. Every region has incorporated this fruit uniquely into its local cuisine
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Apart from being one of the most nutritious fruit, it has a lot of health benefits:
Prevents inflammation
The star fruit is a good source of vitamin C. A single serving of this fruit can take care of 57% of your daily recommended vitamin C intake. It also helps your body to fight against the flu and common colds.
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Good for the heart
Star Fruit contains important minerals like sodium and potassium that regulate your blood pressure.
Healthy levels of both these minerals will ensure that your blood pressure never fluctuates radically and your heartbeat rhythm stays stable. It also contains calcium which is again very beneficial for your heart.
Fights diabetes and high cholesterol
100g of star fruit contains 2.8g of fruit fibre that helps check your blood sugar level. Fruit fibre curtails glucose release that happens after you eat something. Doing this, it helps regulate your blood sugar and insulin levels.
Since star fruit is so easy to eat and rich in fibre, it makes for a healthy, guilt-free snack for both diabetic and non-diabetic people.
Being high in fibre also helps in tackling high cholesterol and resulting in susceptibility to heart ailments. Moreover, every 100g of this fruit contains just 0.3g of fat, making it extremely suitable for maintaining healthy cholesterol levels.
Better digestion and metabolism
The rich presence of dietary fibre in this fruit has another health advantage- it improves your digestion.
People suffering from constipation will find relief as this fruit stimulates your digestion and betters your bowel health. Good bowel health will also ameliorate other symptoms of poor digestion like cramps and bloating.
Healthy hair and skin
The rich presence of antioxidants along with vitamins B and C in starfruit aids the healing of skin and hair cells which in turn leads to shining hair and glowing skin. More particularly antioxidants like gallic acid and quercetin display immense anti-inflammatory and antihistamine properties.
Regulate weight
Being low in sugar makes the star fruit an ideal snack to munch on without worrying about gaining weight. The high fibre content also makes your metabolism work fast, ensuring you burn your calories quickly.