Top 7 Local Nigeria Fruits And Their Health Benefits

Nigeria is located in the tropical zone and hence a lot of amazing fruits abound. 

African pear: Ube or Atili is commonly known as African Pear. It is botanically known as Dascroides Edulis. African pear is a very delicious fruit and it can be eaten raw or roasted with salt.

The Health benefits of African pear are based on its nutritional value. It contains 48 percent oil, vitamin D, ascorbic acid, calcium, folic acid and magnesium.

Health benefits are: It contains a lot of antioxidants due to the presence of rich vitamin C content; it has a lot of calcium, which means that taking it often can notably reduce the risk of osteoporosis; presence of folic acid makes it great for pregnant women because it helps them avoid infant deformity; and the fleshy back of the fruit can be used to treat skin disease like body rash.

Black velvet tamarind: The fruits are very small; about a centimetre in diameter and it has a black velvet shell. It is normally eaten by cracking the shell to reveal an orange pulp, that is sucked or chewed. They can be taken as snacks or soaked in water to produce a kind of drink.

The health benefits are: Due to its numerous nutritional contents, it has manifold functions in the body like regulating cell function or red blood cell production; it has antioxidant properties (tartaric acid) that prevent free radicals from harming the body; it has lot of dietary fiber that reduce the bad cholesterol in the body; and it is also used medicinally as a laxative.

Soursop: Also known as graviola, Soursop is a fruit with green, spiny skin. It has a whitish inside which is eaten. It is extremely delicious and has a considerable amount of sourness. This fruit is packed with coolness and is wonderfully refreshing when taken in dry season.

The Health Benefits of Soursop are: It is used herbally to reduce stomach pain and cramps; it can also be used to treat respiratory system problems like cough; it contains many phytochemicals that slow down the growth of cancer cells.

Garden egg: Locally known as Anara to the Igbos and Igba to the Yorubas, the fruit has a spongy, seedy flesh that is crunchy and slightly bitter. When it is eaten with a peanut paste (Ose Orji), it gets very delicious. Garden egg is scientifically called Solanum Melongena,

The nutritional contents of garden eggs are, dietary fiber, manganese, potassium and magnesium, and the health benefits are: It is excellent for people that want to lose weight, because of its poor calorie count; it is very good during hot weather, it can hydrate you immeasurably; it is good for the nervous system and heart; and it helps in lowering blood sugar level.

Pepper fruit: It is locally known as Mmimi among the Igbos and Ata Igberi among the Yorubas respectively. It is a spicy fruit, small in size. When unripe, they are green in color, but when ripe, they are red with sweet soft, juicy flesh. It can be eaten as a snack or even used as a condiment.

The Health benefits of pepper fruits are: Because of its spicy pungent aroma, it is used to treat nasal congestion and cold; it is used to prevent glaucoma, because it reduces intra ocular pressure; it is given to pregnant women, because it helps in uterine contraction.

African star apple: This is known as Agbalumo to the Yorubas and udala to the Igbos. This is a very popular African fruit. It has an orange skin, a deep orange pulp and brown strong seeds. This fruit is delightfully sweet and commonly seen around December to March.

The nutritional values of African star apple are: Dietary fiber, calcium, vitamin C and Iron and the health benefits; It is very powerful in the treatment of diarrhea and fever; it is great for weight loss because it just contains 65 calories and is poor in fat content.

Almond fruit: To almost every Nigerian, this fruit is simply known as fruit. It is a very common fruit that grows many times a year. It is green when unripe and yellow when ripe. The nutritional value of the almond fruit are: protein, vitamin E, magnesium, calcium and potassium; while the health benefits are: They reduce heart attack risk; it helps alkalize the body because of high amount of calcium and potassium; it provides healthy fats and aid weight loss.