Atis Fruit Nutritional Facts

Atis Fruit Nutritional Facts

Atis is the Philippine name for Sweet Sop and Sugar Apple. Atis is a relative to custard apple and belongs to the Annona family. Atis is native to Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America. Atis was introduced to the Philippines during the Spanish times.

Atis is a small tree that grows between 10 to 20 feet high when fully matured with oblong leaves and green heart-shaped fruits with polygonal tubercles. The atis fruit has a white, sweet flesh and black seeds.

The Atis tree is easy to grow. Just plant a seed on almost any soil and atis will grow. However, it requires tropical or near tropical weather. When planted, Atis will begin to bear fruit in about a year's time. It will bear fruit about 3 times a year and the sweetest fruits are those borne during the summer months.

Atis Fruit Nutrition

al Value (edible portion)

Food Value of Atis Fruit	Per 100g	Vitamins & Minerals	Per 100g
Calories Water Carbohydrates Protein Total dietary fiber Fat Total sugars Tryptophan Lysine Methionine	91 g 70 g 22 g 2.0 g 2.0 g 0.60 g 15% 9 mg 60 mg 7.5 mg	Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) Thiamine Riboflavin Niacin Carotene Ash Phosphorus Calcium Iron	40 mg 0.12 mg 0.14 mg 0.80 mg 6 I.U. 1 mg 40 mg 30 mg 1.0 mg

Toxic Properties of the Atis Fruit

All parts of the at is tree have medicinal value. The seeds however are poisonous. The seeds are pounded and made into paste. This can be applied to the scalp of the head to kill hair lice. Care should be taken when applying atis seed paste on the scalp as this is extremely irritating to the eyes and can even cause blindness. The paste when applied into the uterus can cause abortion.

Atis Use as Herbal Medicine

• A decoction (boiling in water) of the leaves induces or hastens menstrual flow and used to treat dysentery, colds and fever. The decoction is also used for bathing to alleviate rheumatic pain.

• Crushed leaves are inhaled for dizziness and fainting.
• The bark of the atis tree is used as a decoction for diarrhoea.
• The root is a strong purgative and used to treat dysentery.
• Infected insect bites can be cured by applying the juice from an unripe atis fruit.

Atis health benefits:

1. Helps prevent asthma (Vitamin C – 151%)

If you’re suffering from asthma, sugar-apple may be good for you. Eating sugar-apple can supply an excellent amount of vitamin C, one of the potent anti-oxidants which may help decrease the risk of developing asthma, a common airway inflammation.

2. Helps control sugar levels (Fiber – 44%)

Two sugar-apples can provide over half of the DV of fiber. Dietary fiber has shown to slow down the absorption of sugar in the body and a high fiber diet has been linked with a lower risk of developing type-2 diabetes.

3. Keeps the heart healthy (Vitamin B6 – 25%)

How can the sugar-apple apple be heart-friendly? Through its rich vitamin B6 content. This B vitamin has been found to prevent homocystein build-up. A high level of this amino acid in the blood is associated with a higher risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.

4. Lowers blood pressure levels (Potassium – 18%)

It is also rich in potassium, the mineral known to regulate blood pressure levels by controlling the effects of sodium in the body.

5. Helps the body produce energy (Thiamin – 18%)

Feeling a little tired? Sugar-apple is a good source of thiamin, a nutrient which helps sugar turn into energy.

6. Maintains supply of other B vitamins in the body (Riboflavin -17%)

One of the important roles of riboflavin in the body is to see to it that the body has all the other needed B vitamins. The B vitamins are a group of water-soluble vitamins which are essential for growth, development and other important bodily functions.

7. Keeps bones strong (Magnesium – 13%)

Magnesium is now one of the minerals added in bone strengthening supplements as they have proven to be effective together with calcium in increasing bone density and keeping the bones strong. Nuts, legumes and leafy greens are some of the highest sources of magnesium.

8. Helps lower cholesterol levels (Niacin – 11%)

Sweetsop is packed with is niacin, a B vitamin which has been found to be effective in increasing the good cholesterol in the body.

9. Helps maintain thyroid health (Copper – 11%)

Sugar-apple contains a good amount of copper, a trace mineral that is important for the production of the thyroid hormone called thyroxine.

10. Help prevent pregnancy problems (Folate – 9%)

Did you know that folate is one of the B vitamins? It is also called vitamin B9. Folate is best known for its very important role in conception especially in preventing neural tube problems for the baby. Folate rich fruits include avocados, guavas and papayas.

* Nutrient data source: USDA

Source: http://brient-archangel.blogspot.com/2011/03/atis-fruit-sweet-sop-sugar-apple-anona.html