Jackfruit Benefits (According to Ayurveda)

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Sweet and creamy, jackfruit is an ancient fruit native to tropical Asia. You'll find this large, spiky fruit growing in India, Bangladesh, in South and Southeast Asia. The national fruit of both Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, it has festivals held in its honor around harvest time and is often gifted between households. All while looking like a prickly, outsized melon!

One of our students describes how best to get to grips with this giant fruit, "I currently have 4 jackfruit plants growing at varied stages of development in my garden. I like how almost every part of the plant can be utilized for healing as well as culinary fun. My favorite way of eating jackfruit is when it is ripe, and it becomes sweet.

First of all, the exterior of a jackfruit is spiky, rough, green, and pokey. To dismantle the fruit, you cut through the harder sections, tear off the rind and work through the sticky latex to get to the fruit, which surrounds a hard, inner core of a seed. It's a messy, involved process but I enjoy it. The raw fruit is a bit reminiscent of an artichoke... not only in taste, but also in texture.

The seeds are also edible and can be boiled or roasted; they are also mild in taste with a texture that varies from creamy to thick and mealy.

Both the green jackfruit and the seeds serve as perfect foils for spices, sauces, and flavorings as they will easily take on the flavor of anything added to them. This chameleon-like character to the jackfruit and its meat-like texture makes it possible to mimic meat dishes; that is why, in Bengali, the jackfruit is called Tree Goat or Gaach Patha. There is a heaviness and stickiness to the fruit which is moistening and cooling."

If you are not from a culture that celebrates the jackfruit, it can look intimidating. It has a tough, textured green exterior and, inside, seems to have several compartments where the fruit is housed. But don't judge this book by its cover! Often described as a cross between a banana and a pineapple (though that doesn't do it full justice!) jackfruit is sweet, fruity and extremely versatile, with deep nutritional benefits.

From the Moraceae family of trees, and a cousin of the fig, the 'pulled' fruit has become trendy as a plant-based alternative to pulled pork. More traditionally, the ripe fruit shows up in stews, salads or desserts; simmered, saut?d or sweetened. Its strong, sweet taste brings substance and weight to a dish.

But it's not only the ripe fruit that is prized. In fact the seeds, inner pulp, flower, bark and even the unripe fruit have all been used both as food and for their healing properties.

Ayurvedic analysis

Jackfruit is both sweet and astringent in taste. As is often the case, the more ripe fruit is sweeter. Whereas if you choose less ripe fruit you will likely get more of the astringent effect on the body. It has dense, slimy and cold qualities and, overall, it is a cooling, nourishing ingredient.

While the description of the experience of jackfruit differs a little from tongue to tongue, some comparisons our students found were heart of palm, artichoke and any combination of mango, apple, pineapple and banana. Not exactly like anything else, jackfruit is definitely worth trying to experience for yourself!

A student described their impression of ripe jackfruit as "mainly sweet, rich and gooey. It is also fibrous and has an aromatic smell. I also feel it's a cooling fruit by nature because it grows very well in a tropical climate. People eat that in a hot climate to keep the body cool."

Jackfruit and the Digestion

Because of its dense, sweet, cooling nature, jackfruit can be heavy on digestion. If your digestive fire, agni, is strong, you can welcome its weighty nourishment. It can be especially good for those with fast, hot digestion, "Luckily the heaviness was brief. About 30 minutes after eating the Jackfruit I did not feel the weight of it in my stomach anymore. Then my appetite came back with a vengeance."

However, if the digestion is weak, the weight of jackfruit can prove a little too much. A sense of heaviness, gas and constipation might occur as the body does its best to process the density of the jackfruit, which was the case for this student, "Jackfruit felt heavy on my stomach and that caused some constipation. I had harder stool and difficulty eliminating."

The demands of this ingredient tend to make it most suitable for those with a strong Pitta or Pitta- Kapha digestion, for whom this will be a great nourishing, cooling option. Kapha individuals might find the astringency of the less ripe fruit great for encouraging their digestion. The sweet, ripe fruit, however, may be too similar to the Kapha-characteristics, leaving them feeling heavy or even sleepy. Vatas may do best with the ripe fruit, served cooked and spiced, for its moist nourishment.

The more ripe the fruit is, the more its sweet taste encourages a laxative effect. One student, who failed to remove the bitter pods from the unripe jackfruit, noted they had a laxative effect as well! As unripe jackfruit has much more astringency, it will help form the stool. One student notes, "My saliva was gone leaving my tongue rough and dry." This astringent taste, and jackfruit's cooling effect increased constipation for some students, "Jackfruit felt heavy on my stomach and that caused some constipation with jackfruit. I had harder stool and difficulty eliminating."

To support the digestion of this cool, heavy, dense fruit use warming digestives like black pepper, cumin or ginger. In excess, the sweet slimy qualities of jackfruit can increase bowel transit time and result in diarrhea, "I could hear gurgling as it moved through my body, and 12 hours after eating I had a stitch in my side each time, and my transit speed was faster."

Cool, Moist, Slimy

Like lychees, ripe jackfruit can have a slimy, dampness to it. Says one student, "As I chewed on the jack fruit I could feel the slimy skin on my tongue. It felt very slimy on my teeth as well". Pitta individuals, in particular, relish the cooler qualities of jackfruit as it pulls back heat and grounds the fire element, "I usually have a Pitta burning chest, but this dampened out that fire, and I could fully breathe". Another reports, "I had no itchiness".

But for Vata and Kapha, the story is altogether different! As students experimented with jackfruit during the deep winter months, their feedback highlights the fact that the qualities of jackfruit are not for everyone. In fact, it tended to increase mucus. "There was an uneasiness within my lungs, like I was about to start wheezing. I had to drink hot water with some trikatu."

For Vata individuals that are aggravated by cold, jackfruit increased anxiety and jumpiness. 9 out of 28 students felt more tension after eating jackfruit, while only 3 felt less tension! Again it is worth remembering that this experiment was undertaken during winter. It will be exciting to see if this statistic remains through in the summer heat.

For Kapha-dominant students, the cold, dampness of the fruit had far-reaching effects, increasing arthritis and any stagnation of the joints and muscles - "My upper right stress-knot got worse" ... "It made all of my joints more stiff and dramatically increased my body pain, specifically in the low back, and knees."

The heaviness and density of jackfruit also impacted the mental clarity for some students, "I felt a little foggy after having jackfruit. My temperature felt a little cooler and my energy levels were slightly down" ... "I kept falling into heavy sleep mid afternoon every day and woke up very groggy. I wanted to rest. I am a doer and I want to accomplish many things. However, almost immediately I was drawn to eating more sweets and wanting to sit and watch movies while knitting a scarf for a loved one. It felt like I swiftly moved into Kapha mode".

One student reports "There was an uneasiness within my lungs, like I was about to start wheezing. I had to drink hot water with some trikatu". While Vata-dominant people can always use nourishment, the energy demanded to digest jackfruit may be too much.

If you do opt for jackfruit on a cold or rainy day, make sure to warm it up by sprinkling some ginger or cayenne on top. The pepper and ginger's sharpness helps to balance the sweetness and gooeyness of the Jackfruit. Or, better yet, use it in a delicious traditional curry!

The Nourishing Ripe Fruit

The ripe, juicy jackfruit is a rich source of carbohydrates, beta-carotene and sucrose. It packs a mineral punch, with niacin, folic acid, potassium and magnesium. This makes it a good option for someone who needs a little strengthening or bolstering. In Ayurvedic terms, it can increase bala, or strength in the body. For this reason, it is seen as a remedy for tiredness and fatigue. However, this can only be helpful if the person can digest the jackfruit well!

A student found this effect in their experiment with jackfruit, "It was nourishing, and I felt an all over lightness in my body until it was time to digest it entirely; it started to feel heavy and way too much for my system to process. I quickly became aware that jackfruit is heavy for me, and I needed to take this in smaller doses."

The cooling, moist, sweet nature of jackfruit balances Pitta dosha, making it helpful in cases of inflammation in the body, such as gastritis or burning eyes. Jackfruit gives a "cooling feeling like I had drunk a glass of cool water". It is heavy, & cold, slimy, dense, and dull - perfect and refreshing for a summer day, but not so much in chilly winter months. As one student described it, " I usually have a Pitta burning chest, but this dampened out that fire, and I could fully breathe."

While being a general building ingredient, jackfruit has an affinity with the semen or shukra dhatu, and is seen to increase both its quality and quantity.

The Unripe Fruit

Unripe jackfruit has much more astringency and less sweetness. It is also more difficult to chew and takes longer to digest, as one of our students discovered, "Due to its high fiber content, after eating the jackfruit I felt less hungry. It filled me up quickly." Unripe jackfruit is rubbery, spongey, dense, and chewy. One student touches on this when they say, "the fruit itself became a gummy ball in my mouth as I chewed it, becoming dense, chewy and unpleasant."

Because of this dry, cold, difficulty it is seen to increase Vata dosha. Interestingly, it is also said to increase Kapha in its unripe form. If the digestive system cannot process this food, it can lead to ama, or metabolic waste, increasing in the body. This can show up as weight gain and congestion. One student recounts her experience with unripe jackfruit, "My tongue was expecting sweetness and juiciness but received bitterness and a feeling of dryness instead!"

If the digestion is robust, however, the unripe fruit has the ability to strongly relieve burning sensations in the body. This is due, in part, to astringency's ability to balance Pitta, reducing inflammation. For this reason, it's important to get to know whether ripe or unripe works best for your body, as their effects can be quite different.

Jackfruit, Latex and Wounds

The leaves, bark and fruit of the jackfruit contain latex. This is a sticky 'sap' produced by laticiferous cells. It can feel sticky to touch and can actually be used as an adhesive! This latex is bitter in nature and has anti-inflammatory properties.

In traditional medicines it is often used to treat, and calm the area around, wounds.
Latex: wound healing, reduces inflammation near wounds and abscesses. Ayurveda has also taken advantage of the latex in treatments of glandular swelling. It has been mixed with vinegar and applied externally over the area.

Jackfruit and the Heart

In Ayurveda, jackfruit is considered to be a heart tonic. Its cooling, sweet astringency pulls heat from the blood and the nourishment it provides feeds the circulation with vitamins and minerals to be carried to every cell.

From a Western perspective, jackfruit is antioxidant-rich which prevents or delays the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein into atherosclerosis, or the build-up of residues on the artery walls.

Jackfruit is also a vitamin and mineral powerhouse. It is high in both Vitamin C and Vitamin B-complexes, especially B-6 which is necessary for the creation of red blood cells.

Leaves, Flower and Bark

It is not just the fruit itself that holds benefits. In fact, the leaves, flowers and bark all have their own healing properties. The flower is bitter, heavy and has an affinity for cleansing the oral cavity. Added to tea, it can be a great grounding, Pitta-reducing ingredients to support tooth and gum health.

The thick bark of the jackfruit tree holds its own benefits. It is often used to treat skin diseases and diarrhea, or decocted with the leaves to treat poisoning due to insect bites.

The leaves of the jackfruit are traditionally used in treatment of Bell's Palsy, a temporary weakness or paralysis of the muscles in the face. The jackfruit leaves are rubber with sesame oil and heated before being laid across the cheek.

Conclusion

Jackfruit has been having a 'moment' as an alternative to meat but its nourishing qualities should not be overlooked. For those with hearty digestion, like Pitta or Pitta-Kapha individuals, this can be a great ingredient to reduce inflammation and provide long-lasting energy. It carries significant amounts of nutrients, providing substance and weight to a dish.

It's cool, unctuous, sweet taste makes it ideal for a hot summer's day but is best avoided during the chill of winter and early spring.

However, jackfruit is difficult to digest. For those with slower Kapha digestion it should be well-spiced and taken as part of a balanced meal, to encourage digestion. For Vata-dominant people or those with weaker agni, digestive fire, jackfruit should be taken in smaller quantities or avoided until the digestion is strengthened.

About Jackfruit

Jackfruit is grown in subtropical lowlands. They have the largest fruit of any tree. Like fig trees, jackfruit are in the moraceae family. Footnote: The information for this article was in part gathered from a 2019 study and survey of 28 students of Ayurveda who experimented with jackfruit. During the study, students ate jackfruit for 3 days and journaled the pharmacological effects. This study was sponsored by the Joyful Belly School of Ayurveda, and specifically the Mastering Ayurvedic Digestion & Nutrition certification course.

Buying & Preparation

In the northern tropics, fresh jackfruit is available in June. It is ready to eat when the skin has soft spots, and a fruity smell. The more yellow the fruit the sweeter the taste! Ripe jackfruit is also more tender and oily. Unripe jackfruits are more astringent and have a meaty texture. With jackfruit, timing is everything.

Public grocery stores in Florida sell ripe jackfruit frozen, or as at your local Asian store. But be aware, you won't be the only one on the hunt, as one student learned when she asked about fresh-cut jackfruit and was told it, "disappears as soon as it is put out!"

If fresh jackfruit is not available, or you don't have the patience to prep the whole fruit, our students recommend Trader's Joe's canned jackfruit. Trader Joes also sells a Jackfruit crabless crab cake.
The whole jackfruit is difficult to prep. It has a spiky outer coating that is difficult to penetrate and cut with a knife. Once cut, a sticky milky latex oozes out that will stain anything it touches. One student complained about the "stickiness on my fingers as I cut them up". To prevent this, oil your hands.

This latex can also impart a bitter flavor in your cooking. So, even with canned Jackfruit, take the little pods of the jackfruit to remove the bitter latex.

Cooking Jackfruit

Ripe jackfruit is eaten alone, or in a dessert or candy. As a dessert, Jackfruit puree can be folded into a custard, baked in a jackfruit cake, or as a flavoring in shaved ice. It makes for a delicious lassi.

Unripe jackfruit, after cooking, has a meaty texture and bland taste, reminiscent of artichoke hearts, or heart of palm. This makes it pair perfectly with sauces & spices, as it will take on the flavor of any ingredient it is cooked with.

For example, try it with jerk or barbecue sauce, or teriyaki. Serve it shredded just like a pulled pork sandwich, only vegetarian. Or in big hearty chunks as a filling in tacos. Or, rolled into enchiladas and topped with cheddar cheese. In Bangladesh, unripe jackfruit (enchor) is served in a curry with shrimp.

The seeds are also edible, often served roasted or boiled. They are creamy, milky and mealy, somewhat like a brazil nut. Another student described them as "slightly sweet and having a nutty flavor like a chestnut."

• SERVING SIZE: 1 clove
• FAMILY: Moraceae
• SPECIES: Artocarpus heterophyllus
• MEAL: DRINK, LUNCH-DINNER, SNACK-DESSERT
• PREPARATION: GRILLED, PUREE, SAUTEE, SMOOTHIE
• EAT IN: SUMMER
• FOR OCCASION: ON-THE-MEND