Kokum is a tropical summer fruit with a sharp tangy taste. The small round kokum fruit is red in colour when on the tree but the colour changes to deep purple, almost blackish when it is ripe and dried. The kokum tree is indigenous and extensively found along the Western Ghats in India. You will find the dried kokum fruit is often used in various traditional preparations in the cuisines of this region mostly as a souring agent. Chilled kokum juice is consumed as a delicious and cooling summer drink. In fact, all parts of the kokum fruit including its seeds are very rich in nutritional content and have the power to benefit your body in many ways, building your natural immunity.
Did you know that this local summer fruit is power-packed with so much nourishment that it can give you some really great health benefits? Here are 7 health benefits of the kokum fruit that you may be surprised to learn about.
Kokum Is Useful To Ease Acidity And Improve Digestion
For long, it has been known and advised to have kokum for good digestion and to soothe acidity attacks and those burning sensations in the heart and stomach due to indigestion. As per ayurveda, the dried kokum fruit, made into and consumed as kokum juice is a natural remedy to enhance the digestive agni or fire and improve the body’s pachan shakti or digestion.
Kokum Can Elevate Your Mood
The simple kokum fruit has the wonderful health benefit of easing your anxiety, calming your mind, and uplifting your mood when you are feeling low. Consuming kokum helps increase the level of serotonin in your body; the mood-enhancing hormone which is responsible for making you feel positive and cheerful. When serotonin level increases, brain activity is stimulated and that helps to drive away stressful and negative emotions and feelings.
Kokum Is Good For Healing Cuts, Wounds, And Swelling
Studies have shown that kokum has anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic properties. This is due to the presence of certain phenolic compounds in the kokum fruit. That is why kokum has several healing applications according to ayurveda. It is said that applying kokum to any allergy sores, swelling, cracks, cuts, and even a burn injury can help to soothe and lessen the inflammation.
Kokum Can Be Helpful For Weight loss
If you are struggling to manage your weight, along with following the recommended workouts and diets, do give kokum a try. The rind of this locally grown fruit is rich in hydroxy citric acid, a compound that can help you lose weight naturally. How you may ask. In many ways actually; it helps burn excess fat through oxidation, induces a feeling of fullness so you don’t feel too hungry and eat less. Plus kokum has zero fat itself and almost no calories at all. That is why it is great for helping you achieve your weight loss goals.