Hog plum is the name given to fruits from the hog plum tree, which is native to Peru and belongs to the Spondias genus. The fruit comes in a wide range of colors, including green, purple, red, orange, and yellow. The thicker, leathery skin covers a pink-yellow pulp inside, with a texture that is much like avocado. Hog plums are high in antioxidants, which have numerous health advantages.
In Nigeria, the fruit is called Iyeye in the Yoruba language, ngulungwu in Igbo language, Isada in Hausa language, and Ughighen in the Urhobo language. The scientific name of hog plum is Spondias mombin.
Table of contents
Nutritional Values of Hog Plum
The nutritional profile of hog plum contains sodium, calcium, magnesium, and much more, as shown below.
- Ash 0.75
- Moisture 83.6g
- Energy 65.4g
- Iron 0.33mg
- Magnesium 15mg
- Dietary Fibre 1.87g
- Sodium 5.5mg
- Calcium 11mg
- Copper 0.12mg
- Carbohydrates 13.80g
- Fats 0.62g
- Protein 1.06g
- Potassium 287mg
- α-carotene 340μg
- Zeinoxanthin 550μg
- Phosphorous 32.7mg
- Manganese 0.03mg
- Lutein 634μg
- β-carotene 314μg
- β-criptoxanthin 1700μg
7 Health Benefits of Hog Plums
1. Beneficial to Digestive Health
Hog plums are high in dietary fiber, which aids in the maintenance of a healthy digestive system.
The fiber content aids in the improvement of digestive health in general. It also prevents any troubles that may emerge as a result of poor digestion and other digestive health disorders such as bloating and gas.
2. Enhances hemoglobin production
It contains minerals such as iron, which aids in the production of hemoglobin and myoglobin, which transport oxygen throughout the body’s systems.
While the iron content in the fruits helps improve Haemoglobin, which is the iron and oxygen-binding protein found in the blood, it also helps improve Myoglobin, which is the iron and oxygen-binding protein found in the muscles.
Iron is an essential micronutrient for the body that plays an important role in preventing anemia and other blood problems.
3. Have a High Vitamin C Content
Contain a high concentration of vitamin C, which is essential for overall health and bodily function, such as bone and tooth maintenance and repair, as well as the treatment of a variety of disorders.
Vitamin C is one of the antioxidants found in fruits and operates naturally as an agent that suppresses damaging oxidation processes in the body caused by free radicals, which can damage the body’s important organs and cells.
Vitamin C also aids in the creation of collagen, a protein found on the skin that serves to keep it healthy, firm, and wrinkle-free.
4. Improves Bone Health
It is a fat-free, sodium-free, cholesterol-free fruit that is high in vitamin K, which promotes bone health.
Vitamin K not only aids in blood clotting, but it also strengthens bones, assisting in the prevention of bone health disorders such as bone fractures, etc.; its effects on osteoporosis have not been validated medically, despite most people take it for this reason.
According to research, hog plums include copper, which helps to preserve bone and other connective tissues in the body and is also required for adequate vitamin C absorption.
5. High in Antioxidants
Hog plums are high in vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, which help with oxidation in the body.
Its high antioxidant concentration helps to lessen the effects of oxidative stress caused by free radicals in the body, which can lead to organ damage.
6. Muscle Strengthening
Thiamine is one of the vitamins present in hog plum, and it has many purposes in the body, one of which is its capacity to aid in muscle contraction and nerve signal conduction.
Its deficiency can cause a variety of symptoms, including muscle weakness and disorientation. Adequate consumption of this fruit can help reduce the likelihood of developing this illness.
7. It acts as a diuretic and a febrifuge.
The use of hog plum fruits or juice is therapeutic and can treat a variety of health issues.
It assists the body in properly and adequately removing fluids (water) from the body through urine, hence reducing the quantity of salt (sodium) in the body and lowering the risk of high blood pressure.
It also acts as a febrifuge, in the sense that it can be used as a substitute for fever drugs in the reduction and treatment of fever/malaria, and has been used locally in many tropical places due to its properties such as flavonoids, anthraquinones, sesquiterpenes, quinoline, and others.
Conclusion
The hog plum has numerous major health benefits, some of which have been listed above. There is no question that eating hog plums is extremely helpful, but there is still a need for additional research to be conducted in order to determine the impacts that they have on humans. Before beginning treatment with a herbal plant, you should always be sure to talk it over with your primary care provider.
