Rambutan (scientifically termed as ‘Nephelium Lappaceumis’) is a fruit that definitely features in the list of ‘Most Exotic fruits of Our Planet’. It’s a fruit not a lot of people know about. However, some experts call it ‘super fruit’ because of the many benefits its ingestion has. This fruit resembles lychees in the way it looks- it is red coloured on the outside while it is inside it white, it is oval in shape and is generally one to two inches in length. Moreover, like lychees, it is also found in bunches with stems sticking out of them. The fruit has a thin, leather-like skin layer with multiple tube-like structures sticking out of it that seems like spikes on a hedgehog. Sometimes, one can also find rambutans having greenish yellow or orange exterior skin colours. The fruit, in many ways, also looks exactly like a sea urchin.
The trees on which this fruit grows have some interesting characteristics as well. The fruit grows on trees which are about 10-20 feet (which is nearly 3.05-6.1 m) high. These trees generate cultivable fruits twice every year- a smaller batch of mid-spring along with a bigger one at the end of fall. Some of the rambutan trees are male and therefore do not produce fruits at all. Several trees are hermaphrodites, i.e., producing both female and male flowers, while some are entirely female. The hermaphrodite trees, thus, are the most fruitful (pun intended).
They’re white or even green in colour, plus some variation exists in between the female and male flower. Biologically speaking, cross-pollination is essential for female trees, in order for them to bear fruits. The rambutan flowers help majorly in this by attracting the bees to their high-quality nectar. Thus, without the flowers, there would be no fruit at all.
Rambutans, apart from tasting quite good, have several nutritional characteristics which are beneficial for our health.
Benefit of Rambutan:-
Helps You Lose Weight
Rambutan resembles a lychee fruit and can be found naturally throughout Southeast Asia. These fruits are a pretty low source of essential nutrients, but they make up for it thanks to their moderately high concentration of manganese, niacin, magnesium, and vitamin C. Rambutan fruits are known to provide many nutritional and health benefits, which is why there are so many dishes involving it.
Although eaten raw the fruit has a somehow low nutritional value, its skin contains potent antioxidants and anticancer polyphenols like caffeic acid, ellagic, and gallic acid. Over the next few minutes, we will go through the ten biggest health benefits of Rambutan.
Because of its high fibre yet low-calorie contents, Rambutan can help you lose quite a bit of weight. This is not only due to its low-calorie contents but also because of how much water they contain, which is assimilated by the body over time while tricking your stomach into thinking it is full. Its seeds also help reduce weight, but you must remember that raw seeds can be somehow dangerous, which is why it is advised to crush the seeds and combine them with other foods.
Rambutan Regenerates Blood Cells
Thanks to its high copper contents, Rambutan will accelerate your body’s white and red blood cell regeneration. Red and white cells are responsible for carrying oxygen throughout the blood system while defending the organism from a microbial attack at all times. Rambutan also contains manganese which humans need to produce useful enzymes that perform a variety of vital biochemical functions.
Makes Your Skin Smoother
Rambutan is known to possess many health benefits, yet many of the women who are fond of it swear by its ability to smoothen the skin. Due to their high water content, Rambutan will hydrate the skin, making it soft and supple. Then again, many fruits possess the capacity to smoothen the skin thanks to their rich water content. Rambutan, however, doesn’t contain the calorie concentration of other fruits, thus being better for people who are on a diet.
Rambutan Makes Your Bones Stronger
Not many fruits contain the high concentration of calcium, phosphorus, and iron that Rambutan fruits contain. Your body needs calcium on a daily basis to strengthen the bones, while phosphorus helps with their regeneration. Like we said, Rambutan also contains quite a bit of iron which helps haemoglobin transport oxygen from the lungs to different organs and tissues throughout the body.
Good for Your Kidneys
Like we already pointed out, Rambutan contains phosphorus among a diversity of other useful contents. Now phosphorus has many functions within the body, from helping bone regeneration to protein formation and cellular repair. It also plays an important role in keeping your kidneys healthy. It does this by encouraging the healthy balance of all fluids eliminated from the body, thus helping your kidneys remain toxin-free.
Rambutan Prevents Constipation
Apart from its high water content that helps the body stay hydrated and balanced, Rambutan also contains around 3g of dietary fibre per 100g of pulp. Because of this, it contributes to relieving constipation quite a bit. You see, dietary fibre adds bulk to stools, encouraging their proper elimination. Rambutan is also known for killing and expelling intestinal parasites thanks to its antifungal properties.
Gives You Energy
Thanks to their high carbohydrate contents, Rambutan can be used as a natural energy booster. Its almost 20% carbohydrates content helps regulate blood sugar levels thus providing your body with enough energy to perform a variety of cognitive and physical activities. Because of this, your body no longer needs to use proteins for energy, using carbohydrates to perform essential cellular functions instead.
Rambutan Contains Vitamin C
Even a handful of Rambutan is enough to provide your body with all the vitamin C and manganese it needs to function properly. Manganese and vitamin C are responsible for protecting you against oxidative stress chronic diseases, and premature ageing. Furthermore, vitamin C stimulates collagen production, a protein that our body needs to maintain the structure of our blood vessels and skin.
Can be Used to Treat Common Illnesses
Interestingly enough, you can use Rambutan to treat common illnesses like thrush, headaches, or even dysentery. Traditionally, people have been applying Rambutan leaves on their forehead whenever they had a headache to ameliorate the pain. By creating a paste from the tree’s bark, you can treat thrush apparently, while its roots can be used to treat fever. This being said, you can use Rambutan to cure almost any common illness along with a few uncommon ones as well.
Rambutan Fights Cancer
Not only can Rambutan be used to treat common illnesses, but the antioxidants contained by its fruit can help protect you against cell alteration and DNA deterioration, which are the main causes of neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Like we already said, Rambutan contains a variety of useful contents like vitamin C, manganese, p-Coumaric acid, caffeic acid, ellagic acid, and gallic acid, chemicals that have been known to reduce stomach cancer, ulcers, and neurodegenerative diseases like dementia or Parkinson’s.
