Summer is the time when we need to supplement many types of fruit as well as fruit juices, to maintain good health and increase resistance in hot weather. Custard apple is a fruit that is easy to find in the summer, not only delicious but also very nutritious. Custard apple can be eaten as a daily fruit, to nourish the health of sick people, or as a weaning fruit for babies.
1. Nutritional composition of custard apple
Creamy custard apple is a delicious fruit belonging to the custard apple family. Custard apple is a popular and attractive fruit with delicious, soft, sweet, creamy flesh when ripe. Custard apple is an aggregate fruit, each carpel will develop into a berry and all of these fruits stick together to form a heart-shaped or spherical mass. The outside of the custard apple is green and has many grooves.
Scientific name: Annona reticulata.
1 serving = 120g of custard apple flesh (1/2 medium fruit) contains
- Rich in vitamin C (38% of the recommended daily intake per serving)
- Rich in magnesium (22% of the recommended daily intake per serving)
- High in vitamin B6 (15% of the recommended daily intake per serving)
- Source of iron (6% of the recommended daily intake per serving)
2. Health benefits of custard apple
Custard apple provides a higher amount of calories than soursop. 100g of custard apple contains 101 calories, compared to 56 calories from 100g of soursop respectively. Custard apple provides simple carbohydrates without saturated fat or cholesterol.
Custard apple brings many health benefits to users.
Like other fruits of the soursop family, custard apples also contain a number of polyphenolic antioxidants. Among them, the most prominent is Annonaceous acetogenin. Acetogenin compounds such as asimicin and annonacin are potent cytotoxins. These compounds have been found to have anti-cancer, anti-malarial and anthelmintic properties. Custard apples also contain more vitamin C (19.2 mg/100 g) than soursops. Vitamin-C is a powerful natural antioxidant. Eating plenty of fruits rich in vitamin-C helps the human body develop resistance against infectious agents and eliminate harmful, inflammatory free radicals from the body.
Other Health Benefits of Custard Apples
- High in Antioxidants
- May Improve Your Mood
- May Help Eye Health
- May Prevent High Blood Pressure
- May Promote Good Digestion
- May Have Anti-Cancer Properties
- May Be Anti-Inflammatory
- May Boost Your Immunity
Unwanted Effects of Custard Apples
Despite its many health benefits, custard apples contain small amounts of toxic compounds. Custard apples, like some other fruits in the soursop family, contain annonacin, a toxin that can affect the brain and nervous system.
In fact, studies conducted in tropical regions have linked high consumption of custard apples to an increased risk of a type of Parkinson’s disease and other neurological conditions. People with these conditions should avoid eating custard apples. All parts of the custard apple tree can contain annonacin, but the highest concentrations are in the seeds and skin. To enjoy custard apples and limit your annonacin intake, remove and discard the seeds and skin before eating. If you are particularly concerned about annonacin or have Parkinson’s disease or another neurological condition, it is best to avoid eating custard apples.
The fruit also has unwanted side effects when used.
3. Selection and storage
When buying custard apples, look for fresh, light yellow, compact, fully developed fruit with intact thick stems. The fruit can fully develop and continue to ripen at home at room temperature. If you want to buy ripe fruit, look for fruit that has a soft, sweet aroma and can be smelled from a distance. Avoid fruit that is very soft, mushy, broken, cracked or split skin as they may not be safe.
When you buy them, you should arrange the unripe fruit in a nice basket, then let them continue to ripen for another 4-5 days. Ripe fruit should be eaten soon to retain its nutritional benefits. Custard apples, like other soursops, should not be stored in the refrigerator for a long time because they are very susceptible to cold. However, if you juice or puree them, you can keep them in the freezer for several weeks.
4. Preparation
Custard apples do not require elaborate preparation. Simply wash the fruit to remove any surface dirt. Dry it with a soft towel. Fresh ripe fruit can be eaten without any additional seasoning. Gently pull back the skin of the fruit to reveal the white cream inside. You can use a spoon to scoop out the flesh of the custard apple and enjoy.
The seeds of the custard apple are not edible, so you should remove them. Be especially careful if you are feeding it to children. The seeds of the custard apple and parts of the leaves contain toxic alkaloids, and should therefore not be eaten. Never chew the seeds inside your mouth as this releases the toxins.
In case of accidental ingestion, whole custard apple seeds do not pose any danger as they are excreted from the digestive tract, as they are indigestible and are unlikely to be crushed in the digestive system.
5. Can babies eat custard apples?
Since most fruits can be used in the weaning menu for babies over 6 months old, the fruit can also be given to your baby after you have started feeding him solid foods. The steps to prepare a snack from custard apples are very simple. Mothers just need to remove the skin and seeds, mash them up and you can have a delicious fruit meal for your baby. The sweet and fragrant taste of custard apples will be a very attractive food for babies, especially those who are just starting to eat solid foods.
