White Sapote is a fruiting plant scientifically called Casimiroa edulis. Here we will talk a lot about the white sapote plant, including explaining what are the health benefits of white sapote or Casimiroa edulis. But, before we get into the main discussion, we must first discuss about this plant.
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What is White Sapote (Casimiroa edulis)
It is an evergreen tree that is characterized by spreading, drooping branches and belongs to a species of tropical fruiting plant in the Rue family (Rutaceae). The white sapote plant is native to eastern Mexico, Central America and southern Costa Rica. This plant grows in tropical highlands and is spread in sub-tropical areas of Latin America, New Zealand, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, India, Southeast Asia, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand. Besides being known as white sapote, this plant is also often referred to as Matasano, Casimiroa, White sapote, Zapote and Mexican apple. Some of the most popular of these trees are cochitzapotl in the Nahuatl language.
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The name of this genus is taken from the name of an Indian Otomi who fought desperately to win the Mexican War. His name is Casimiro Gómez, from the town of Cardonal in Hidalgo, Mexico. The sapote fruit can be eaten and is highly priced as food. It is often a cultivated plant to get its fruit in warm, sub-tropical climates, and it is also planted as an ornamental plant because it has a beautiful appearance.
Plant Description
The Casimiroa edulis is a medium to very large tree, it grows upright with spreading and drooping branches like some mango species. The leaves are large with five leaf sections in one petiole. The body of the white sapote tree can reach 30 feet to 60 feet or about 9 meters to 18 meters, to get the health benefits of white sapote you must use a pole to pick fruit from a tall tree (because it is fragile and should not be climbed). This tree grows in sub-tropical deciduous forest, upland forest, and lowland forest.
It grows well in areas with well-drained, sandy, loamy and lime-based soils. This plant can miscarry under a long drought. Its large, abundant leaves provide dense shade, and it is a fast-growing plant. The branches are very tight, drooping down when it comes to a certain time. The white sapote tree has a shallow root system, spreading like a citrus plant because its roots are dicotyledonous.
Young white sapote trees must be protected with scaffolding or poles as a support because they are fragile plants and break easily, especially when blown by the wind. So the white sapote tree should not be climbed even if the branches are old. When young, the bark is green and over time turns gray.
Different Varieties
White sapote trees vary, there are many varieties that grow and a number of white sapote varieties exist in America and Florida. The most common types found are ‘Reinikie’, ‘Dade’, ‘Pike’, ‘Suebelle’, ‘Smathers’, ‘Homestead’, and ‘Golden’. Here are some varieties of white sapote plants that are found growing in nature.
1. Coleman
Coleman is a type of white sapote found in California. The fruit is pale, wrinkled, greenish yellow, the flesh is delicious, but contains resin, the seeds are small and the fruit is ripe and can be harvested in late autumn to summer. This white sapote variety is difficult to reproduce and difficult to live.
2. Dade
This variety is available at the Agricultural Research and Education Center, Homestead, Florida. They grow this type of dade from seeds taken from local nurseries. This dade white sapote tree has been planted since 1935. The shape of the fruit is round, golden yellow, and slightly greenish, the fruit ripens in early June to July. This type of white sapote tree grows low and spreading.
3. Gillespie
The white sapote plant with the Gillespie variant grows in California. The fruit is also round like the Dade type, the skin is light green with russet cheeks. The flesh of the fruit is white and very tasty.
4. Golden or Max Golden
This is a unique white sapote tree with woolly leaves, cone-shaped fruit, depressed at the apex to 4 1/2 inches (11.25 cm) wide. Has a very hard yellow-green skin. The taste of the fruit is very strong, bitter, and has little seeds.
5. Harvey
Furthermore, the variant of the white sapote tree is the harvey. It is originally from California and is round and 3 1/2 inches wide. The skin is yellow green and smooth with orange cheeck. The flesh of the fruit is cream to pale yellow in color, it is famous for being a productive tree.
6. Maechtlen
Maechtlen is a property for the Maechtlen family in Covina, California. This plant is propagated through its shoots and sold in plant nurseries. To get the health benefits of white sapote and enjoy its distinctive taste, you can try growing this variant and getting the seeds in the nursery.
7. Maltby or Nancy Maltby
This type also comes from California and is round in shape with yellow green color and smooth surface, tastes good and slightly bitter. The skin of the fruit is slightly wrinkled with a slightly tapered base. This tree is strong and can be a good bearer.
8. Parroquia
The white sapote Parroquia tree is also native to California and the skin of the fruit is yellow-green, thirsty and thin. The flesh of the fruit is delicious and ivory, and has good health benefits. It also includes a productive and fruit-bearing variant.
9. Pike
If you want to get the health benefits of white sapote, you can plant the Pike variant. It is a tree with green bark, brittle branches, and yellowish and slightly white flesh, rich in taste and not as bitter as other types.
10. ‘Suebelle’ or ‘Hubbell
Lastly, the growing variant is Suebelle or hubbell. It is round in shape and comes from California, the skin is green or yellowish. it tastes good and sweet about 22% is sugar content. This type of white sapote can bear fruit all year round and is widely grown in California.
Health Benefits of White Sapote
White sapote fruit or Casimiroa edulis is also a fruit with many health benefits. Here are some of the benefits that can be obtained from consuming white sapote.
1. Maintain eye health
Eyes need adequate vitamin A to function properly, if there is a lack of vitamin A, various problems with vision can occur. White sapote fruit provides many benefits including sufficient for our needs for vitamin A so that our vision remains healthy.
2. Lose weight
White sapote fruit contains a lot of fiber, both soluble and insoluble fiber. It supports your weight loss. High-fiber foods provide a quick feeling of fullness and keep you satisfied longer, preventing you from snacking. This is because it has fewer calories and reduces the speed at which the stomach excretes digested food.
3. White sapote prevents coughing
White sapote fruit contains sapodilla whose benefits are to help make mucus and sputum in the respiratory cavity. This substance helps ana prevent and provide treatment for coughs.
The trick is to cut the fruit and remove the seeds and outer skin. Then eat the flesh of this sapote. Only by eating white sapote fruit, we get the benefits of relief from coughs.
4. Beneficial for bone health
One of the health benefits of white sapote is maintaining bone health. This fruit is rich in calcium, and contains phosphorus which is beneficial for bones, teeth and nails. Small children or toddlers need a lot of these nutrients to get good bone growth.
5. Prevent anemia
If you are prone to anemia, you can consume this fruit, it is a fruit among many other fruits that are rich in iron. Sapote contains iron and folic acid which are useful for preventing anemia and its bad effects.
6. Cure diarrhea
Furthermore, the health benefits of white sapote are curing diarrhea. Diarrhea is a condition where feces or feces do not have a heavy mass so that diarrhea occurs, this is caused by unclean food, contaminated with bacteria and other things.
One way to treat diarrhea is to consume sapote fruit or Casimiroa edulis. The method is very easy, take the white sapote fruit and peel it, then consume it as usual.
7. Good for digestion
Sapote fruit has benefits in maintaining digestive health and can be consumed raw. It is a good source of fiber.
8. Good for cardiovascular health
The benefits of white sapote fruit are not only for digestion, but also good for heart health. Consuming sapote is good for controlling cholesterol and reducing cardiovascular problems. Sapote fruit has many variations as we have mentioned, you can take the one you like and consume. Remember to overdo it for fear of side effects.
9. Boost immunity
Sapote fruit or Casimiroa edulis is one of the fruits to increase body immunity. The high vitamin C content of this fruit can fight free radicals and this triggers an increase in body immunity.
10. Sending oxygen to the brain
Sapote fruit contains vitamin B3 whose benefits are preventing Alzheimer’s. Research shows that vitamin B3 is good for preventing age-related diseases including preventing cognitive impairment.
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11. As an anti-inflammatory
White sapote fruit is a fruit that is rich in anti-inflammatory and this can fight various discomforts such as reflux-esophagitis, irritating bowel disorders, erosive gastritis, and enteritis, as well as several other diseases.
12. Reduces pre-menstrual pain
Consuming white sapote is good for preventing discomfort before menstruation and minimizing the rate of blood loss during menstruation. This is because this fruit can stabilize hormones so that it can naturally regulate the menstrual cycle.
13. Work as an energizer
Eating white sapote fruit can provide benefits to increase stamina. Just one serving with a size of 100 grams of sapote can provide about 80 cal of energy, this contains a lot of carbohydrates.
14. Benefits of white sapote for skin health
Among the health benefits of white sapote is to nourish the skin, beautify the skin and make it glow. In addition to containing iron, sapote is also a source of vitamin E which does have many health benefits for the skin. In addition, the benefits of vitamin E is to make our skin more radiant and elastic because it produces collagen.
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The benefits of white sapote and its traditional use
- Part of the sapote plant is used as a sedative, treating diabetes, rheumatism, arthritis, and treating rotten wounds.
- White sapote has long been used as sedatives, soporifics and tranquilizers.
- Water decoction of white sapote leaves has been used as a diabetes medicine in Costa Rica.
- Consuming sapote fruit can stimulate drowsiness,
- Consuming white sapote fruit is also beneficial for reducing pain, inflammation, and rheumatism.
- White sapote seeds contain zapotin and this is useful as an anti-carcinogen and this is potential against colon cancer cells.
- The bark, sapote leaves contain casimirosine, a glucoside, which is useful for lowering blood pressure, and relieving rheumatism.
- Eating sapote fruit or White sapote is useful for treating coughs, and preventing recurrence.
- A decoction of white sapote leaves is useful for treating hypertension, insomnia, cramps and relieving anxiety.
- The leaves contain anti-inflammatory, it is good crushed as an external remedy for bruises.
- Tea made from white sapote seeds is useful for treating insomnia, but this should be consumed in small amounts, because it has the potential to be toxic.
Precautions
– White sapote seeds are poisonous if eaten raw, either by humans or animals
– Odors that can cause drowsiness,
– The fruit is nutritious and can be eaten but must be in moderation,
– Avoid ingesting concoctions made from the leaves, bark, or seeds during pregnancy or breastfeeding
– If you are taking anti-hypertensive or anticoagulant (blood thinners) medications, you should consult your healthcare provider before trying them.
