Udara: 10 Health Benefits of the African Star Apple (Agbalumo)

Udara (African Star Apple) fruit is a popular fruit in Africa, West Africa mainly. The African Star Apple is also known as agbalumo by Yorubas, Chiwo by Hausas, its English name is African star apple. The botanical name for the udara fruit is Chrysophyllum albidum. The health benefits of Udara, the African Star Apple, include use as a herbal medicine, pregnancy and more. Udara (Agbalumo as known in the western parts of Nigeria) is in season December to April and it is filled with numerous health benefits.

Here are 10 Health Benefits of the African Star Apple:

1. Udara otherwise known as agbalumo is a great source of calcium. This fruit can give you up to 10% of your required daily calcium intake. This calcium will help build and maintain strong bones and teeth.
2. This fruit is used in herbal medicine. It is often used to treat malaria and yellow fever. The cotyledons on the leaves are helpful in treating vaginal infections. This treatment is commonly done in the western part of Nigeria.
3. Udara has high Vitamin C content. This helps in curing colds and preventing scurvy. Per 100g of this fruit, you can get 25g of Vitamin C.
4. It can be used for healing and treatment of wounds such as cuts, sprains etc, especially the leaves, roots and barks as they have healing components. The seed’s extract is blood seizing thus preventing continuous bleeding and speeding up the healing process.
5. Udara helps with weight loss. The fruit is high in fiber which reduces your appetite and prevents you from eating too much.
6. The fruit helps in lowering cholesterol and blood sugar reducing your chances heart-related diseases.
7. Udara eases digestion thus preventing bloating and constipation.
8. The acidic taste of the fruit is helpful during pregnancy. It prevents the urge to vomit.
9. This fruit is a natural anti-oxidant. Antioxidants remove potentially damaging oxidizing agents in a living body. Vitamin C is an anti-oxidant thus making udara high in natural anti-oxidant.
10. The longer you store it the more nutrients you will get.