Rambutan is a tropical fruit native to Southeast Asia. Rambutan gets its name from the Malay word for hair, as it is about the size of a golf ball with a red and green hairy skin that resembles a sea urchin. When eaten, the white flesh is slightly sweet and has a seed in the center. The article below will explain what rambutan is good for and whether rambutan is good for you.

1. Provides many nutrients and antioxidants

Rambutan is rich in minerals, vitamins and beneficial plant compounds. Specifically:

• Fiber : The fruit flesh provides about 1.3-2 grams of fiber per 100 grams – similar to the amount found in apples, oranges or pears.
• Vitamin C : Vitamin C in rambutan helps the body absorb iron from food more easily. This vitamin also acts as an antioxidant, protecting your body’s cells from damage. Eating 5-6 rambutans will meet 50% of your body’s daily vitamin C needs.
• Copper : Rambutan also contains a significant amount of copper, which helps in the development and maintenance of various cells, including bones, brain and heart.
• Other minerals : Rambutan also provides small amounts of manganese, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron and zinc. Eating 100 grams (or about 4 fruits) will meet 20% of your daily copper needs and 2-6% of your daily recommended intake of other nutrients.

Although rambutan peels and seeds also contain some nutrients, antioxidants and other beneficial compounds, they also contain some compounds that are harmful to humans, so it is advisable to avoid eating the seeds completely to ensure your health.

2. Promotes Digestive Health

Rambutans can promote a healthy digestive system because they contain both types of fiber:

• Insoluble fiber: accounts for 50% of total fiber, passes through the intestines without being digested, contributing to increased stool weight and increased intestinal transit speed, thereby reducing the risk of constipation.
• Soluble fiber: Provides food for beneficial bacteria in the intestines. In return, these bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids such as acetate, propionate and butyrate that nourish cells in the intestines, reduce inflammation and improve symptoms of intestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.

Eating rambutan will help you have a healthy digestive system.

3. Aids in weight loss

Like most other fruits, eating rambutan can prevent weight gain and promote weight loss over time. With about 75 calories and 1.3-2 grams of fiber per 100 grams, rambutan is relatively low in calories compared to the amount of fiber it provides. This means that eating rambutan helps you feel full longer, reduces the likelihood of overeating, and aids in weight loss.

In addition, the soluble fiber in rambutan can dissolve with water to form a gel-like compound in the intestine, slowing down the digestion and absorption of nutrients, helping you feel less hungry and fuller longer.

4. Aids in fighting infections

Eating rambutan can help strengthen the immune system in several ways. Specifically:

• Rambutan is rich in vitamin C, which promotes the production of white blood cells that the body needs to fight infections.
• Rambutan peels have long been used to fight infections, as they contain compounds that can protect the body from viral and bacterial infections. However, while some people eat the peels, most rambutan peels are generally considered inedible.

Vitamin C in rambutan helps fight infections

5. How to eat rambutan

Rambutan can be purchased fresh, canned, juiced or dried to make jam. If you want to choose fresh rambutan, to make sure the fruit is ripe, you can rely on the color of its thorns. The redder the rambutan thorns, the sweeter the fruit will be.

You should remove the rambutan peel before eating by using a knife to cut across the peel, then twist the two sides of the peel with both hands to reveal the white flesh inside. The fruit flesh is edible while the rambutan seeds are not. You can remove the seeds with a knife or spit them out after eating the fruit flesh.

The rambutan flesh can be combined in many different recipes, salads, smoothies, ice cream, cakes, etc.

In general, rambutan is a very nutritious fruit and brings many health benefits such as: weight loss, stimulating digestion and increasing resistance to infection. Rambutan season usually lasts from April to June of the solar calendar. During this time, rambutan is very fresh, delicious, and cheap, making it easy to incorporate into people’s diets.