Jackfruit Benefits (Ayurveda Insights)

CONSTITUTIONAL MEDICINE INSIGHTS

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!

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. It is heavy, moistening and cooling.

The mildness of jackfruit is ideal for cooking, as it takes on the flavor of whatever spices it is cooked with. Its spongy texture somewhat resembles meat.

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, sauteed 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. Almost all parts of the plant are edible or used for healing. The mild, mealy tasting seeds may be boiled or roasted.

Ayurvedic Analysis

Jackfruit is both sweet and astringent in taste. Less ripe, astringency prevails. More ripe, sweetness.

It has dense, slimy and cold qualities and, overall, it is a cooling, nourishing ingredient.

Texture wise it resembles the 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!

Jackfruit and the Digestion

Because of its dense, sweet, cooling nature, jackfruit can be heavy on digestion - but only for a half hour or so.

It is especially good for those with fast, hot digestion.

However, if digestion is weak, the heaviness of jackfruit can turn to gas and constipation might occur as the body does its best to process the density of the jackfruit.

Jackfruit may be most suitable for those with a strong Pitta-Vata constitution, for whom this will be a great nourishing, cooling option.

The sweet, ripe fruit, however, may be too Kapha provoking, leaving them feeling heavy or even sleepy. Kapha individuals might find the astringency of the less ripe fruit great for encouraging their digestion.

Jackfruit's astringency can be directly experienced as a rough, dry sensation on the tongue.

Vatas may do best with the ripe fruit, served cooked and spiced, for its moist nourishment. Black pepper, cumin, and ginger are examples of warming spices that will support the digestion of this cool, heavy, dense fruit.

The sweet taste of well-ripened Jackfruit encourages a laxative effect. As unripe jackfruit has much more astringency, it will help form the stool, or cause constipation.

Cool, Moist, Slimy

Like lychees, ripe jackfruit can have a slimy, damp feel. Jackfruit is best consumed in summer to cool, replenish and rehydrate the blood.

Pitta individuals, in particular, relish the cooler qualities of jackfruit as it pulls back heat and grounds the fire element. The cooling, moist, sweet nature of jackfruit balances Pitta dosha, making it a traditional remedy for heat conditions like gastritis or burning eyes.

In winter, Jackfruit is like a cold, wet towel on the head. It can provoke mucus and lung congestion. The dampness can aggravate cold damp arthritis in the joints. So be sure to add spices if you consume them in winter. Or, better yet, use it in a delicious traditional curry!

The heaviness can also cause grogginess and sleepiness in Kapha.

For Vata individuals that are aggravated by cold, jackfruit increased anxiety and jumpiness.

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.

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. The coldness and high fiber content can suppress appetite.

Unripe jackfruit is rubbery, spongey, dense, and chewy, forming a sticky wad in the mouth..

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.

But it's important to figure out whether ripe or unripe works best for your body, as their effects can be quite different.

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.

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 is general used for wound healing and reducing 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.

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.
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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 effects. This study was sponsored by the Joyful Belly School of Ayurveda, and specifically the Mastering Ayurvedic Digestion & Nutrition certification course.

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.

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.

Publix grocery stores in Florida sell ripe jackfruit frozen, or as at your local Asian store. Fresh-cut jackfruit sells quickly when available!

If fresh jackfruit is not available, or you don't have the patience to prep the whole fruit, we 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. 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.

• 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