39 Amazing Benefits of Custard Apple
Custard apple or sugar apple is a delicious fruit that grows on the shrub of the same name and is botanically known as Annona reticulata. They are native to the tropical rain forest of Central America but are now grown in many tropical regions of South America, Asia, and Africa.
They provide many health and beauty benefits as they contain essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, polyphenols, and dietary fibers, etc.
Health Benefits of Custard Apple
Some major health benefits of custard apple are as follows.
(1) Promotes Weight Gain
Custard apple promotes weight gain because of its high calorific value. Eating 100 grams of custard apple provide 94 calories of energy.
Sugar in custard apple increases metabolic rate and stimulates our appetite.
With a higher metabolism, food gets metabolized faster and this leads to higher food intake which contributes to weight gain.
Ensure that you consume healthy food and not just any junk in the name of calories.
(2) Strengthens Immunity
Custard apple strengthens immunity as it contains antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E, and other antioxidantal compounds like phytonutrients, polyphenols, and flavonoids, etc that protect our immune cells or the white blood cells from free radical damage and thus strengthens our immune system.
The immune system is the defense mechanism of our body that prevents and treats various microbial infections, diseases, and as well as injuries, and wounds.
Vitamin C enhances the production of white blood cells, and further strengthens our immunity.
When we have stronger immunity, we are less likely to get a cough, cold, fever, and flu, etc.
Because of its anti-microbial properties, custard apple protects from various bacterial, viral, and fungal infections.
Other nutrients like zinc, potassium, magnesium, iron, and folate, etc in custard apple also contribute to better immune health.
(3) Provides Energy
Custard apple is an excellent source of energy and eating 100 grams of custard apple gives 94 calories of energy.
Natural sugars in custard apple provide energy for various activities of the day, and this makes custard apple a better alternative to chemical-laden energy drinks available in the market.
It provides nourishment as it contains essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals etc.
(4) Protection From Various Cancer(s)
Antioxidants and antioxidantal compounds like vitamin C, vitamin A, phytonutrients, polyphenols, and flavonoids, etc in custard apple protect our cells and tissues from free radical damage and minimizes the risk of several cancers like colon cancer, abdominal cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, stomach cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer, etc.
Free radicals are the unstabilized ions that stabilize by stealing electrons from the neighboring molecules, and doing so causes oxidative damage to them.
Antioxidants like antimycin and bullatacin provide anticancer and anti-helminthes benefits.
(5) Improves Brain Health
Custard apple is good for the brain.
Antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E, and other antioxidantal compounds like phytonutrients, polyphenols, and flavonoids, etc in the custard apple protects our brain cells or the neurons from free radical damage, and thus minimizes the risk of various neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, amnesia, and dementia, etc.
Other nutrients like iron, potassium, zinc, iron, and magnesium, etc in the custard apple also contribute to neurological health as they provide several cognitive benefits like a sharper memory, better focus, improved concentration, and reduced mental confusion, etc.
(6) Good For Teeth And Gums
Because of its antimicrobial properties, custard apple protects our teeth and gums from bacterial infections and promotes oral health.
Anti-inflammatory properties of vitamin C in custard apple minimize pain and inflammation of gums.
Vitamin C minimizes the risk of bleeding gums and swelling of gums.
(7) Provides Relief From Anemia
Custard apple helps in the prevention and treatment of iron-induced anemia.
Iron-induced anemia is a blood disorder mainly caused by the deficiency of iron in the body. It gives rise to symptoms like fatigue, weakness, pale skin, irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain, and cold hands or feet, etc.
Iron, a vital mineral in the custard apple promotes red blood cells production that carries oxygenated blood to cells and tissues and provides nourishment to them.
This minimizes the risk of anemia.
Vitamin C in it increases iron absorption and benefit against anemia.
(8) Keeps Our Eyes Healthy
Custard apple is good for the eyes.
Vitamin C, vitamin A and other antioxidantal compounds like phytonutrients, polyphenols, and flavonoids, etc in custard apple protects our eyes from free radical damage and thus minimizes the risk of age-related macular degeneration, cataract, and glaucoma, etc.
Vitamin A is an essential nutrient for the eyes as it improves vision, prevents eye dryness, and minimizes the risk of night-blindness.
(9) Is Anti-Inflammatory And Reduces Arthritis Risk
Vitamin C, an anti-inflammatory compound in the custard apple provides relief from pain and inflammation caused by inflammatory diseases like arthritis, rheumatism, rheumatoid, gouts, asthma and bronchial asthma, etc.
Magnesium in custard apple maintains electrolyte balance in the body, removes acid from the joints, and minimizes the pain associated with the inflammatory problems.
It also contains calcium that strengthens our bones and minimizes the risk of fractures.
(10) Cholesterol Management
Dietary fibers in custard apples reduce LDL cholesterol in the body and minimize the risk of atherosclerosis.
Atherosclerosis is a condition that leads to hardening and narrowing of the arteries due to the accumulation of plaque and fat deposits in the arterial walls and is a leading cause of several cardiovascular problems like heart attack, heart stroke, and coronary artery disease.
Niacin in custard apple also helps in reducing LDL cholesterol.
(11) Controls High Blood Pressure
Potassium, a natural vasodilator in custard apple relaxes our blood vessels, improves blood circulation, and provides relief from high blood pressure or hypertension.
Hypertension is a silent killer that affects millions of people around the world and gives rise to various health problems like severe headaches, nose bleed, chest pain, fatigue, irregular heartbeat, difficulty in breathing, vision problems, and blood in urine, etc.
Zinc and magnesium in custard apple also aid in regulating high blood pressure.
Consume custard apple in moderation as a high level of potassium may lower the blood pressure to an abnormally low level giving rise to symptoms such as dizziness, fainting, nausea, dehydration, lack of concentration, blurred vision, and pale skin, etc.
If you are already on blood pressure medication, then add custard apple to your routine only after having a word with your doctor to avoid the risk of food-drug intolerance.
(12) Improves Cardiovascular Health
Custard apple is good for our heart.
Antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin A and other antioxidantal compounds like phytonutrients and polyphenols, etc it protects our cardiovascular system from free radical damage and improves its efficiency.
Dietary fibers in custard apple manage cholesterol and minimize the risk of atherosclerosis which is a leading cause of several cardiovascular problems.
Custard apple contains potassium that relaxes our blood vessels and controls hypertension or high blood pressure, a major cause of several cardiovascular and other health problems.
Other nutrients like zinc, iron, magnesium, manganese, and copper, etc in custard apple also contribute to our cardiovascular health.
(13) Aids In Managing Diabetes
Custard apple is beneficial for people with diabetes and for those who are at risk of developing diabetes.
Because of its low glycemic index of 54, custard apple slows down the rate at which sugar is released into the bloodstream, prevents a sudden spike in blood sugar level, and thus helps in managing diabetes.
The dietary fibers in the custard apple slow down the rate at which sugar gets absorbed by the bloodstream and helps in controlling blood sugar levels.
Custard apple is super sweet and has about 28 percent natural sugars in it.
Eat custard apple in moderation as otherwise, apples can elevate blood sugar levels giving rise to symptoms such as increased thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, shortness of breath, abdominal pain, and fruity-smell breath, etc.
If you are on diabetic medication, consult your doctor before adding custard apple to your diet to avoid the risk of food-drug intolerance.
(14) Improves Digestive Health
Custard apple improves our digestive health as it contains dietary fibers, the natural laxatives that improve bowel movement, aids in stool elimination, and thus relieve constipation and other gastrointestinal issues like abdominal pain, irritable bowel syndrome, gas, bloating, and flatulence, etc.
Antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin A and antioxidantal compounds like phytonutrients, polyphenols, and flavonoids, etc in custard apple protect our digestive system from free radical damage and minimizes the risk of colon cancer, abdominal cancer, pancreatic cancer, intestinal cancer, and stomach cancer, etc.
Eating unripe custard apple aids in treating diarrhea and dysentery.
Other nutrients like zinc, iron, magnesium, and folate, etc also improves our digestive health.
(15) Provides Relief From Colic
Drinking tea made from custard apple tea provides relief from colic.
(16) Heals Wounds
Custard apple leaves aids in treating wounds and injuries because of their medicinal properties.
Applying custard apple leaves or custard apple paste on the affected area accelerates healing.
The anti-microbial properties of custard apple minimize the risk of bacterial, viral, and fungal infections.
(17) Aids In Maintaining Healthy Pregnancy
Custard apple helps in maintaining healthy pregnancy because of its rich nutritious profile.
Vitamin C and other antioxidantal compounds like phytonutrients and polyphenols etc in custard apple protect the uterus and the fetus developing in the womb from free radical damage.
Folate or folic acid in it promotes the brain development of the fetus and minimizes the risk of neural tube defects and spina bifida.
Copper, a trace mineral in custard apple helps in the growth and development of the fetus, and deficiency of it can increase the risk of premature birth.
Other nutrients like zinc, iron, potassium, magnesium, choline, and manganese, etc also play an important role in maintaining a healthy pregnancy.
Custard apple regulates blood sugar and minimizes the risk of gestational diabetes.
Consult your doctor before adding custard apple to your diet to avoid food-drug intolerance and ensure the safety of both pregnant women and the fetus developing in them.
(18) Keeps Infections At Bay
Antioxidants in custard apple strengthen our immune system and keep several diseases and infections at bay.
It has anti-microbial properties that minimize the risk of several bacterial, viral and fungal infections.
(19) Provides Relief From Morning Sickness
Eating custard apple relieve morning sickness, and is beneficial for pregnant women who usually experience the same.
It can fight against nausea, numbness, food craving, and mood swings experienced during pregnancy.
Talk to your doctor before giving it a try.
(20) Improves Respiratory Health
Custard apple improves our respiratory health.
Antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin A and other compounds like phytonutrients, polyphenols, and flavonoids, etc in custard apple protect our respiratory system from free radical damage and minimizes the risk of lung cancer.
Anti-inflammatory compounds like vitamin C, vitamin A and beta-carotene in custard apple protect our respiratory system from pain and inflammation and minimizes the risk of asthma, bronchial asthma, and lung inflammation.
Other nutrients like potassium, zinc, magnesium, and manganese, etc in custard apple also improve our respiratory health.
Beauty Benefits Of Custard Apple For Skin
Following are the major beauty benefits of custard apple for the skin.
(1) Keeps Premature Ageing At Bay
Antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin A and other antioxidantal compounds like phytonutrients, polyphenols, and flavonoids, etc in custard apple protects our skin cells from the free radical damage, and keep various signs of premature aging like fine lines, wrinkles, age spots, dark spots, and skin blemishes, etc at bay.
Free radicals are the unstabilized ions that stabilize by stealing electrons from the neighboring molecules, and in doing so they cause oxidative damage to them.
Vitamin C enhances the production of collagen, an amino acid that maintains skin elasticity and prevents wrinkles and saggy skin.
(2) Rejuvenates Skin
Custard apple is loaded with several essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, polyphenols and dietary fibers, etc that rejuvenates our skin and keep it healthy.
(3) Heals Skin Infections Naturally
Vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant in custard apple helps in the quick healing of the wounds and provides relief from common skin problems like ulcers, abscesses, and boils.
It enhances the production of collagen, a structural protein found in the connective tissues. It maintains skin elasticity and prevents wrinkles and skin sagging.
The anti-microbial properties of custard apple protect the skin from bacterial, viral, and fungal infections.
(4) Stimulates Development Of New Skin Cells
Vitamin C in custard apple enhances the production of collagen, an essential amino acid that maintains skin elasticity and is mainly found in the connective tissues like bones, tendons, blood vessels, and cartilage, etc.
It stimulates the growth of new skin cells and heals cuts and abrasions quickly.
(5) Treats Eczema And Psoriasis
The anti-inflammatory compounds like vitamin C in custard apple aids in treating inflammatory skin problems such as eczema and psoriasis.
Consuming custard apple either as fruit or juice helps, but it can also be used topically.
Applying latex of custard apple on the affected area minimizes pain and inflammation of eczema and psoriasis and aids in treating them.
(6) Protects From UV Rays And Minimize Skin Cancer Risk
Exposure to the harmful UV rays for long period may damage the skin and give rise to wrinkles, leathery skin, liver spots, actinic keratosis, and solar elastosis.
Vitamin C and other antioxidantal compounds like phytonutrients, polyphenols, flavonoids, etc in the custard apple protect our skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays and minimizes the risk of skin cancer.
“Acetogenin” in custard apple eradicates pre-cancerous skin lesions and reduces the risk of skin cancer.
Topical application of raw custard apple helps in treating skin burn and suntan etc.
(7) Reduces Brown Spot And Pigmentation
Custard apple helps in reducing brown spots and skin pigmentation as it decreases the clustering of melanin granules.
Because of its antioxidantal properties, it reverses the skin pigmentation caused by free radicals.
(9) Eases Symptoms Of Rosacea
Custard apple doesn’t treat rosacea but it can provide some relief from rosacea, a chronic inflammatory skin condition that causes redness of the face, small and superficial dilated blood vessels, and swellings.
The exact cause of rosacea is unknown but it is believed to be caused by a combination of hereditary and environmental factors.
Antimicrobial properties in it reduce the risk of bacterial, viral, and fungal infections that could worsen the rosacea.
B vitamins and vitamin C in custard apple strengthen capillaries and ease rosacea.
(10) Aids In Treatment Of Acne & Pimples
Custard apple helps in the prevention and treatment of skin problems like acne and pimples.
Acne is a common skin problem that affects millions of people around the world and is mainly caused by the accumulation of toxins, pollutants, dirt, impurities, and other unwanted substance within the skin pores.
The dietary fibers in custard apples eliminate toxins, pollutants, and other impurities from our system.
When there are fewer toxins, they are less likely to accumulate in skin pores, and thus minimizes the risk of acne and pimples.
Dietary fibers also control the secretion of excess oil from skin glands and prevent acne from worsening.
Custard apple can also be used topically for acne treatment.
For this, mix custard apple paste and lemon juice, apply it to the affected area. Wash off with water after 10-15 minutes.
Use thrice a week for quick results.
(11) Is A Natural Skin Detoxifier
Dietary fibers in custard apple make it a wonderful skin detoxifier that eliminates toxins, pollutants, impurities, and other unwanted substances from our system.
When there are fewer toxins in the body, they are less likely to clog up the skin pores, and thus minimize the risk of skin problems like acne and pimples.
(12) Hydrates And Moisturizes Our Skin
Custard apple is a wonderful skin moisturizer that moisturizes our skin and makes it soft and supple.
Vitamin E, an essential nutrient in custard apple lubricates our skin and protects it from environmental damage.
Water plays an important role in maintaining skin health as lack of water can cause skin dryness and other skin problems.
Our body is made up of 70 percent water, and for some vital organs like the liver and kidneys, it’s even closer to 80 percent.
Custard apples contain about 72 percent water that hydrates our skin and prevents skin dryness.
(13) Improve Skin Radiance
custard apple maintains skin health as it contains essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients, etc.
These nutrients nourish our skin, improves skin health, and make it soft, supple, and radiant.
Antioxidants and relevant compounds in custard apple protect our skin from free radical damage and helps in bringing out the natural glow of the skin.
It improves skin pigmentation and lightens skin tone.
Beauty Benefits Of Custard Apple For Hair
(1) Eliminates Lice And Nits
Custard apple can help in eliminating lice and nits from hair and scalp.
To get rid of lice, mix some water or coconut oil to unripe custard apple powder to form a fine paste.
Apply it on the scalp and after 10 minutes wash off with water.
(2) Promotes Collagen Production
Collagen is primarily known for maintaining skin elasticity but it also plays an important role in keeping hair and scalp healthy.
Vitamin C in custard apple enhances the production of collagen, an amino acid that promotes hair growth and hair regeneration because of its antioxidantal properties.
(3) Strong And Lustrous Hair
An abundance of water (around 72 percent) and other nutrients in custard apple keep our hair follicles and scalp well moisturized.
Custard apple seed oil makes our hair strong and lustrous.
Vitamin C and other antioxidantal compounds like phytonutrients and polyphenols in custard apple protect the hair follicles and scalp from free radical damage and nourish them.
This strengthens our hair follicles and brings out the natural glow of the skin.
(4) Keeps Premature Greying At Bay
Antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin A and other antioxidantal compounds like phytonutrients, polyphenols, and flavonoids, etc in the custard apple protect our hair follicles and scalp from free radical damage, and thus minimizes the risk of premature greying of hair, split ends, hair fall, and dry hair, etc.
Free radicals are the unstabilized ions that stabilize by stealing electrons from the neighboring molecules, and in doing so they cause oxidative damage to them.
Copper in custard apple increases the production of melanin, a natural pigment that maintains the natural color of the hair.
(5) Treats Scalp Infections
Acne is a common skin problem that affects millions of people around the world and is mainly caused by the accumulation of toxins, pollutants, dirt, impurities, and other unwanted substance within the skin pores.
It can also break out on the scalp and is then known as scalp acne.
The dietary fibers in custard apples eliminate toxins, pollutants, and other impurities from our system.
When there are fewer toxins, they are less likely to accumulate in skin pores, and thus minimizes the risk of acne and scalp acne.
Dietary fibers also control the secretion of excess oil from skin glands and prevent scalp acne from worsening.
(6) Controls Hair Fall And Promotes Hair Growth
Essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, etc in custard apple nourish our hair follicles and scalp and keep them healthy.
Antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin A and other relevant compounds like phytonutrients and polyphenols protect our hair follicles and scalp from free radical damage and improves scalp health.
Other nutrients like zinc, iron, folate, and potassium in custard apple improve blood circulation in the scalp, nourishes our hair follicles and scalp, and promote the growth of new hair follicles.
Disclaimer
This article provides general information about the topic and is not be taken as medical advice or as an alternative to medical advice, treatment, and/or diagnosis. Always consult with your doctor before trying out any of the remedies/recipes suggested in the blog post.
P.S- Consider sharing this post, if you find it useful and/or interesting.
