Benefits of the African Breadfruit
African breadfruit has long been known among the people of Eastern Nigeria, where it is eaten boiled or used in preparing the delicious Ukwa soup. Called afon in Yoruba, Bafafuta by Hausas and Ukwa in Igbo languages, the tree, that produces this large round starchy fruit, has many health benefits, especially for the heart and blood vessels.
Scientifically known as Treculia Africana, African breadfruit which is similar to the breadfruit eaten in the Caribbean and South Pacific is used either singly or in combination with other herbs in the traditional herbal preparation by different communities to treat various diseases.
From its leaves, fruits, stem to other parts of the tree such as the root, experts have found African breadfruits and its other variants present in other parts of the world, immensely useful in the treatment of many chronic ailments such as diabetes and hypertension.
For instance, researchers at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences in a series of studies on the efficacy of breadfruit leaves (Artocarpus Altilis) reported that its extract could inhibit platelet aggression, reduces blood viscosity, and protect the heart from acute ischemia (lack of blood flow to the heart).
Their results found that the extracts of its leaves can prevent the thickening of the walls of blood vessel supplying the heart (atherosclerosis) by inhibiting fat accumulation in these blood vessel walls as well as lower blood cholesterol levels significantly.
In addition, toxicity tests on important organs in the body such as the heart, kidneys, liver and the blood profile indicated that this extract was safe. At varying doses, the functioning of these organs was not affected.
Similarly, a 2012 study in the Pharmaceutical Biology tried to explain how water extract of leaves of a variant of breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) can help to low blood pressure in healthy individuals.
The study, which was carried out in Sprague–Dawley rats with normal blood pressure, provided
Scientifically known as Treculia Africana, African breadfruit which is similar to the breadfruit eaten in the Caribbean and South Pacific is used either singly or in combination with other herbs in the traditional herbal preparation by different communities to treat various diseases.
From its leaves, fruits, stem to other parts of the tree such as the root, experts have found African breadfruits and its other variants present in other parts of the world, immensely useful in the treatment of many chronic ailments such as diabetes and hypertension.
For instance, researchers at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences in a series of studies on the efficacy of breadfruit leaves (Artocarpus Altilis) reported that its extract could inhibit platelet aggression, reduces blood viscosity, and protect the heart from acute ischemia (lack of blood flow to the heart).
Their results found that the extracts of its leaves can prevent the thickening of the walls of blood vessel supplying the heart (atherosclerosis) by inhibiting fat accumulation in these blood vessel walls as well as lower blood cholesterol levels significantly.
In addition, toxicity tests on important organs in the body such as the heart, kidneys, liver and the blood profile indicated that this extract was safe. At varying doses, the functioning of these organs was not affected.
Similarly, a 2012 study in the Pharmaceutical Biology tried to explain how water extract of leaves of a variant of breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) can help to low blood pressure in healthy individuals.
The study, which was carried out in Sprague–Dawley rats with normal blood pressure, provided