With the onset of rains, come the much loved jamuns.
If it is around 10 a.m.in the morning and you hear the melodious voice of a street hawker chanting “jamunooyeeeeooooooo…….jaaamuuuuuun lelooooo…..go out and buy some even if he refuses to negotiate 🙂 Trust me, Jamun (also called Blackberry/Black plum), the fruit with a sharp sweet and sour taste which turns our tongue purple is loaded with nutrients and has many health benefits which most of us are probably unaware of.
1. Good for diabetics
Undoubtedly jamun is one of the best fruits for diabetic patients. Jamun seeds (dried and powdered) contain a glucose called jamboline, which has the ability to control the conversion of starch into sugar. It is also helps in reducing the quantity of sugar in urine. A diabetic patient should have 1 teaspoon of this powder twice in a day (morning and evening).
2. Improves immunity and bone strength
The fruit also has healthy amount of nutrients like calcium, iron, potassium and Vitamin C making it great for your body’s immunity and bone strength.
3. Helps increase hemoglobin count
According to a study done by Annamalai university, the fruit also helps increase hemoglobin count. Vitamin C and iron, are two nutrients present in jamun that are responsible for this health benefit.
4. Keeps heart disease at bay
The potassium content in jamuns is high, with a 100g serving containing 55 mg of potassium. People who eat unhealthy diets may face deficiency of this vital ingredient, and that may lead to heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke among other things. It is important that you eat foods like jamun and tomatoes which are rich in this ingredient, as such foods often contain many other nutrients also that are beneficial for your health.
5. Leaves of the tree are good for your digestive and oral health
Tips by Dietitian Lavleen (Clinical Nutritionist in Chandigarh)
1. Even though they are very tasty raw, you can make a jamun smoothie if you want.
Recipe:
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 0 minutes
Makes 3 small glasses
Ingredients
Black jamun, deseeded and chopped 3/4 cup
Low fat curds (dahi)Â 2 cups
Sugar substitute 1 tsp
Ice, crushed 1/2 cup
Method
Mix together all the ingredients and blend in a mixer till smooth.
Pour the smoothie into 3 small glasses and serve immediately.
2. Buying jamun from roadsides may be risky as the fruit may be contaminated by lead and heavy metals from exhaust fumes.
3. Due to its acidic nature, it is usually eaten with a sprinkling of salt.