India is a land of exotic fruits and vegetables. With every changing season, we get to enjoy a wide variety of seasonal produce - each of which are tasty and include several healthy nutrients. One such seasonal fruit is sitaphal (or custard apple). Grown widely during the early winters, this tropical fruit is fleshy with unique taste, aroma and texture and multiple black inedible seeds. That's not all. Sitaphal has a rich nutrient-profile too. According to Ayurvedic expert Dr. BN Sinha, "Custard apple is loaded with antioxidants, fibre, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium and more. These nutrients help benefit overall health." However, due to its rich sweet taste ad fleshy texture, people with diabetes often avoid custard apple in their diet. If you too avoid enjoying custard apple for any such reason, then this article is just for you.
Celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar recently took to Instagram to bust a few popular myths associated to custard apple. She clears, diabetics need no avoid eating custard apple as it is "low on glycemic index".Let's take a look at the 4 popular myths and facts about Sitaphal, as explained by Rujuta Diwekar:
Myth - Avoid if diabetic
Fact - It is low on glycemic index and local, seasonal fruits are recommended for diabetics.
Myth - Avoid if fat
Fact - It is a good source of vitamin B complex, especially vitamin B6. Custard apple even helps reduce bloating.
Myth - Avoid if heart patient
Fact - It is high on minerals like manganese and vitamin C and has an anti-ageing effect on the heart and circulatory system
Myth - Avoid if PCOD
Fact - It is a good source for iron and helps prevent tiredness, irritability and improves fertility
Earlier, Rujuta Diwekar shared another post on Instagram explaining the benefits of including custard apple in our daily diet during this season. Click here to know more.
Considering this, we can say eat every seasonal fruit and vegetable to enjoy its taste and benefits to the fullest. But always remember, moderation is the key.
Eat healthy, stay fit!