Have you ever tried a rose apple? It tastes like snow pear, and it has really high water content. What’s interesting is that it doesn’t look like a regular apple but rather a pear or guava. You can eat it after removing the hairs and seeds, but people usually dry it and prepare it as a tea.
The most popular edible variety is the Syzygium Jambos.
But, do you know if it’s rich in some essential nutrients and whether it provides some therapeutic benefit?
Here’s everything you need to know about rose apples, and whether people with diabetes should use them. We tried to answer the question ‘Are rose apples good for diabetes prevention and treatment?’ as well as find some other traditional uses of this interesting fruit.
Nutritional Value
Rose apples contain high levels of dietary fiber, vitamin C, calcium, vitamin A, iron, niacin, thiamin, potassium, and sulfur. When it comes to organic compounds, they contain friedelolactone, betulinic acid, and jambosine.
Food Value Per 100 grams
- 56 calories
- 5 – 89.1 grams of moisture
- 1– 1.9 grams of fiber
- 4 mg magnesium
- 19-45 mg calcium
- 50 mg potassium
- 13 mg sulfur
- 45 – 1.2mg iron
- 7 – 30mg of phosphorus
- 521 – 0.8 mg niacin
Health Benefits of Rose Apples
1. Improve Digestion
Rose apples are abundant in fiber which facilitates the passage of food through the digestive tract. Besides improving digestion, they help relieve constipation, dysentery, and diarrhea.
2. Regulates Cholesterol
Rose apples can improve unhealthy cholesterol levels by boosting the levels of good (HDL) cholesterol thanks to the niacin content, and reduce the bad cholesterol.
This, in turn, reduces the risk of artery plaque buildup (atherosclerosis) and other cardiovascular problems such as coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart attacks. That’s why consuming this fruit could help support your heart health.
3. Boost the Immune System
Thanks to rose apple’s active and volatile compounds, they possess antifungal and antimicrobial properties which help protect the skin against infections. Also, they help boost the immune system in the protection against infectious diseases.
4. Diuretic
According to studies, the edible variety of rose apples called Syzygium Jambos has diuretic properties which means it helps cleanse the liver and kidneys.
5. Brain and Liver Stimulant
Rose apples were used as a liver and brain tonic in the traditional Indian medicine.
6. Anti-Diabetic Properties
Rose apple leaves contain the alkaloid called jambosine which helps prevent starch converting into sugar. This could be extremely beneficial for people with higher risk of developing diabetes and prediabetes.
Also, one study shows that tea prepared form Syzygium Jambos leaves helps lower blood glucose levels, even though the reduction was not significant.
Other Traditional Uses
- It is believed that a sweetened preparation of rose apple flowers can help reduce fever.
- People at Nicaragua are said to use an infusion of roasted, powdered rose apple seeds to improve their diabetes management.
- In Colombia, people believe rose apple seeds have anesthetic activity.
- Some claim powdered rose apple leaves can help relieve smallpox symptoms
- Rose apple leaf decoction is said to reduce symptoms of rheumatism and to provide expectorant properties
Note: Make sure you consult a doctor or nutritionist before using the fruit or leaves of rose apples, especially if you have diabetes. Also, the seeds, roots, and leaves of some rose apple varieties could be poisonous, so be careful.
