| Most people have never heard of gac fruit, yet it | | | | Nutritional Constituents of Gac Fruit |
| is very popular in South East Asia, particularly in | | | | Not so with gac fruit, because in addition to the |
| China and Vietnam. The fruit is grown on vines | | | | beta carotene and lycopene content, it is also rich |
| that reach the size of a cantaloupe and from | | | | in long-chain fatty acids, particularly linoleic and |
| North East Australia across to China and Vietnam | | | | alpha linoleic acids. Not only that, but its beta |
| it is used as both a food and a medicine. It is only | | | | carotene content is around ten times that of |
| fairly recently that it has found use in the West | | | | carrots, and it contains 70 times the lycopene of |
| as a health food | | | | tomatoes! Vitamin C is another very powerful |
| So what's so special about this fruit, known also | | | | antioxidant, and gac contains 60 times the Vitamin |
| as baby jackfruit and sweet gourd? Its bright red | | | | C of oranges. It is also rich in other free radical |
| color should provide a clue, since it is jam packed | | | | busters, such as xeoxanthins and alpha-tocopherol, |
| full of beta carotene, lycopene and other strong | | | | a form of vitamin E. |
| antioxidants that not only helps to support the | | | | Altogether, gac fruit contains a free radical killing |
| immune system, but also helps to retard the | | | | arsenal that should be enough to scare even the |
| effects of aging. It has been used in Vietnam in | | | | most courageous free radical back to where it |
| particular to overcome the effects of an endemic | | | | came from. Other constituents of gac are |
| deficiency in vitamin A, and is rich in provitamin A | | | | numerous minerals, particularly zinc and iron. |
| carotenoids. It is also widely used in Chinese | | | | That is why the sweet gourd is such a prized |
| medicine to treat a variety of complaints. | | | | fruit, and why Southeast Asian women have |
| Antioxidants and Free Radicals | | | | skins that western women of the same age |
| Antioxidants can boost health in a number of | | | | would die for! Antioxidants help to prevent the |
| ways, and it might help you understand better the | | | | disruption and destruction of skin cells that are the |
| benefits that gac fruit can provide to explain what | | | | major reason for aging looks, and why skin |
| antioxidants do and why they are such an | | | | creams are packed with vitamins A and E, both |
| essential part of our diets. Every millisecond of | | | | strong antioxidants. |
| every day of our lives, our natural metabolism of | | | | Health Benefits of Gac |
| the conversion of blood glucose to energy | | | | Most of the health benefits of gac are provided |
| generates small oxygenated molecules known as | | | | by its antioxidant properties. Thus, if you have a |
| free radicals. | | | | high cholesterol level, gac can help you to avoid |
| Free radicals are molecules that possess an | | | | atherosclerosis by preventing the oxidation of the |
| unpaired electron and are highly unstable. Electrons | | | | LDL cholesterol, which is the precursor to it |
| generally travel in pairs, and when one of that pair | | | | depositing on your artery walls. The body needs |
| is lost through a chemical reaction, the other | | | | cholesterol, but levels should be kept to within |
| electron has only one purpose in its short life: to | | | | certain limits or the resultant atherosclerosis can |
| pair up with another electron and it will do | | | | narrow your arteries leading to cardiac problems |
| whatever it has to in order to achieve that. It is | | | | and strokes, particularly in the very narrow |
| called a free radical, and its life is short. Free | | | | arteries of the brain. |
| radicals destroy body cells, and this can have a | | | | Gac also supports the immune system and helps |
| dramatic effect, both visually on your skin, and | | | | to maintain prostate health, largely through its |
| internally on your general health. | | | | alpha tocopherol, or vitamin E content. Vitamin E is |
| Apart from those generated by your body's own | | | | easily destroyed by free radicals, which is where |
| biochmemistry, free radicals are present in car | | | | the beta carotene is of benefit. This is the body's |
| emissions and other pollutants such as pesticides, | | | | first line of defense against free radicals, and each |
| smog and fried and barbecued foods. They are | | | | molecule can neutralize up to 20 free radical |
| also formed in your skin by excessive exposure | | | | molecules before it is destroyed. This helps to |
| to the UV component of the sun's radiation. That | | | | save other antioxidants such as vitamin E. |
| is why the skin of those living in hot climates | | | | Lycopene is particularly beneficial to the prostate |
| tends to age earlier. | | | | and current research indicates that it can help to |
| Free radicals are what make you look older as | | | | prevent prostate cancer and cardiovascular |
| you grow older: they destroy skin cells as they | | | | disease, plus some other diseases such as |
| are formed, but that is one of the least of their | | | | macular degeneration that affects your sight. |
| effects. They can also oxidize low density lipids | | | | Perhaps this is one reason why the gac fruit |
| (LDL) that carry cholesterol around your body, | | | | membranes are used in Vietnam to promote |
| causing it to deposit fatty plaques on the walls of | | | | healthy vision, and they also help to cure dry |
| your arteries, which is a serious cardiovascular | | | | eyes. Lycopene remains in your body fat longer |
| condition known as atherosclerosis. | | | | than normal beta carotene, and recent studies |
| Antioxidants can donate an electron to free | | | | have found that men with high amounts of |
| radicals without then becoming free radicals | | | | lycopene in their body fat are up to 50% less |
| themselves, and so destroy them as they are | | | | likely to suffer heart attacks as those with low |
| formed. However, the antioxidant can then lose | | | | amounts. |
| its reducing power. Free radicals do not roam the | | | | Gac fruit is jam-packed full of nutrients and |
| blood seeking victims as many imagine them to, | | | | antioxidants, and has no known side effects. It is |
| but react almost instantly, as soon as they are | | | | used in Asia for weddings and other special |
| formed. It is important, therefore, that | | | | occasions, and is grown on lattices in many |
| antioxidants are present in or close to every cell | | | | gardens, although it has a short season. However, |
| of your body. To achieve this, they must be | | | | gac fruit is not known as the "Fruit from Heaven" |
| bound to a fatty molecule, and the problem with | | | | for no reason, and if you were allowed the choice |
| many phytonutrients is that they have no | | | | of only one fruit in your life, then this would be |
| associated fats or oils to carry them into the | | | | the one. |
| fatty tissues of the body. | | | | |