6 Benefits of Kakadu Plum on Your Health

The Kakadu plum tree, indigenous to Australia, holds global recognition owing to the significance of its fruits. Renowned for their extensive medicinal, cosmetic, and nutritional values, Kakadu plum benefits span diverse applications and are highly regarded worldwide. Explore the wonders of this extraordinary fruit and its multifaceted benefits.

Thriving in Australia's Eucalypt open woodlands, the Kakadu plum tree undergoes leaf shedding during the dry season while adorning itself with cream-colored blossoms from August to October. These blossoms transform into tangy, slightly bitter-tasting fruits between March and June.

What's intriguing is that the fruit of the Kakadu plum tree goes by eight distinctive names, including billy goat plum, green plum, mild plum, murunga, marnybi, salty plum, gubinge, and kullari plum. Small and egg-shaped, the pale yellowish-green fruit, housing a single seed, boasts a smooth, fleshy texture and is commonly consumed raw.

# Promotes Eye Health

Kakadu Plum benefits extend to the eyes. The fruit has high amounts of lutein, a carotenoid found in the human eye (macula region of retina). The compound is responsible for light filtration and protecting eye tissue. Ingestion of Kakadu Plum fruit reduces the risk of cataracts, vision problems, and age-related macular degeneration.

# Reduces Oxidative Stress

Free radicals are unstable compounds that damage the body’s DNA and healthy cells, causing fatal diseases. Antioxidants like Vitamin C and ellagic acid present in the Kakadu Plum neutralise these free radicals and reduce oxidative stress. This reduces the risk of developing chronic diseases.

# Controls Blood Pressure

The potassium to sodium ratio in the Kakadu plum is high. Foods with high potassium blunt the effects of sodium which is directly responsible for increasing blood pressure. This makes Kakadu plum a potent food to help control high blood pressure.

# Protects Against Cancer

The nutrients in the Kakadu Plum confer protection against some types of cancers. The anti-inflammatory properties of the fruit are known to increase cancer cell death, thus acting as a potent immune defence formula against cancer and cell mutations.

# Fights Inflammatory Diseases

Inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis are triggered by certain infections. The Kakadu Plum fruit and leaf extract contain high amounts of tannin derived from ellagic acid. Tannin is a complex chemical substance derived from phenolic acid (ellagic acid) which confers protection against such diseases by inhibiting the growth of the bacteria.

# Helps Prevent Food-Borne Infections

Kakadu Plum is a natural antibiotic. Extracts from its fruit, seeds, bark, and leaves thwart the growth of common food-borne bacteria like Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus. This also makes Kakadu Plum extract a potent natural food preservative.