Breadfruit is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry family, Moraceae, that is native to the Malay Peninsula, through all of Island Southeast Asia and into most Pacific Ocean islands. The ancestors of the Polynesians found the trees growing in the northwest New Guinea area around 3500 years ago. They gave up the rice cultivation they had brought with them from ancient Taiwan, and raised breadfruit wherever they went in the Pacific (except Easter Island and New Zealand which were too cold). Their ancient eastern Indonesian cousins spread the plant west and north through Insular and coastal Southeast Asia. It has, in historic times, also been widely planted in tropical regions elsewhere.
Health Benefits of Breadfruit
Breadfruit is unlike any other fruit you’ve eaten before. That’s because breadfruit does not have the look, feel or consistency of a typical fruit, but like its name suggests, looks much like bread. When the breadfruit is ripe it is relatively soft and the inside has a yellow, cream colored flesh that resembles bread. The flesh of the breadfruit is somewhat sweet and has a nice fragrant smell.
Breadfruit is native to the Malay Peninsula and the western Pacific islands, but has also been widely grown in tropical regions across the world. Breadfruit is a staple food, sought after for its cheap cost and it being a source of high energy. In fact, breadfruit was first brought to the Caribbean and the Americas by Captain William Bligh in the late 18thcentury as a cheap high energy food source to feed and energize slaves in the new world. Bread fruit has the health benefit of providing high energy to those who eat it through its carbohydrate, carbohydrates that the body needs for warmth and maintenance during daily activities.
Not only is breadfruit a rich source of energy, breadfruit also contains significantly high amounts of fiber. According to the American Heart Association fiber decreases bad cholesterol and triglycerides which increases heart attack risks. An increased intake of fiber lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol levels in the body, while elevating HDL (good) cholesterol levels in the body. Breadfruit protects the body against heart disease and heart attacks.
Additionally, the fiber found in breadfruit can help those with diabetes to control the disease. Research shows that fiber can control diabetes by reducing the absorption of glucose from the food we eat.
