Fresh Sun Fruit - Great Taste, Health & Beauty Benefits! Read and watch a video on the benefits of figs, how to choose and eat them. Fresh figs are a deliciously delicate fruit filled with thick honey syrup and small round seeds that gently burst between your teeth. Plucked fruits are able to persist for a very short time, therefore, they are more often delivered to consumers in dried form.
The origin of figs
The fig tree, also called fig tree, belongs to the genus of ficus plants. It looks like a large sprawling ficus, dotted with pear-like small fruits of a pale yellow or purple color.
Figs grow in tropical and subtropical zones. Most often it can be found in Greece and Spain, Turkey and the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Crimea. The history of the fruit is more than 5000 years old, and ancient Caria, a mountainous area in Asia Minor, is considered its homeland.
Fig trees are long-lived and can bear fruit for about 200 years. They tolerate being close to other trees well, grow on stony soils and rocks, and are resistant to harmful insects and drought.
Interesting facts about figs
- In ancient Greece, the fruit was so valuable that any attempt to take it outside the country was equated with smuggling and was considered treason. There is an opinion that it was this forbidden fruit that Adam and Eve tasted, for which they were expelled from paradise.
- The great doctor Avicenna considered the fruits of figs to be indispensable foodstuffs for elderly people. They strengthen the cardiovascular system, are indicated for injuries to bones and joints, and contain the highest percentage of fiber compared to other fruits.
- The soldiers of the army of Alexander the Great in their battles and campaigns ate exclusively figs and raisins. Isn't this what gave them strength and helped to conquer almost half of the world ?!
- 100 g of fresh figs contain no more than 70 kcal, so just one fruit weighing 15 g can satisfy your hunger. People who have undergone serious illness and stress, mentally and physically exhausted, fresh fig fruits are literally put on their feet.
- Interestingly, smaller fruits are considered tastier and healthier, while a pale yellow color indicates the best variety. The fruit is considered good if it contains about 900 seeds.
Composition of figs: vitamins, trace elements and calories
Fresh figs contain 14 minerals and 11 vitamins, as well as 14 amino acids, which are involved in building protein tissue. Calcium, magnesium, beta-carotene and iron, about 25% glucose and fructose contribute to the normalization of the digestive system. The fruit is rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which fight anemia and strengthen the nervous system. The calorie content of a fresh product is much less than that of dried fruit, so its use will not harm the figure.
Also, the fruits of the fig tree (another name for figs) significantly surpass apples in iron composition, and in the amount of potassium, the fruit is second only to nuts. Regular consumption of fig fruits prevents the appearance of cancer cells due to the rich content of catechins and epicatechins.
Calorie content of fresh figs
per 100 g - 57 kcal:
- Proteins - 0.7 g
- Fat - 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates - 13.7 g
Calorie content of dried figs
per 100 g - 257 kcal:
- Proteins - 3, 1 g
- Fat - 0.8 g
- Carbohydrates - 57, 9 g
The benefits of figs
Jam, marmalade, jelly, and even wine are made from fresh fruits. And Central Asian dushub - concentrated thick syrup is used in cooking. The sunny fruit is used for all kinds of desserts, and its combination with meat and cheese dishes gives them a piquancy and a special aroma.
Fresh fruits are especially valuable because they have a lower calorie content. But in this form, they are available only in summer and autumn. Therefore, in order to prepare a storehouse of valuable vitamins for future use, the fruits are dried. This process not only does not reduce useful substances, but rather concentrates them and makes the product even more valuable.
A whole treatise can be written about the beneficial properties of figs. It is known for wound healing and antipyretic properties, is a medicine for anemia, bronchial asthma, tachycardia, and kidney disease. A strong cough and sore throat will be relieved by figs boiled in milk. Ointment treats vitiligo and skin baldness.
This fruit contains ficin, it helps to cleanse the inner walls of blood vessels and prevents the development of thrombophlebic disease, as well as hypertension and venous insufficiency.
People who are engaged in mental and creative work need to eat figs, as it promotes blood thinning, resulting in improved oxygen supply to the brain.
In cosmetology, based on the fruits of the fig tree, cleansing masks and nourishing creams are made, which are indicated for any skin. They are especially good with increased dryness, do not cause irritation, return color and youth to the face, and have a lifting effect.
If you take a fresh ripe fruit, cut it in half and massage the face, neck, hands with the pulp, then after several such procedures the skin becomes velvety, tender and moisturized.
Watch a video about the beneficial properties of figs:
Harm of figs and contraindications for use
In reasonable proportions, figs can be consumed by everyone. However, in the human body with obvious signs of obesity, metabolic processes are disrupted, which will interfere with its absorption, which will result in weight gain.
It is not recommended to use the fruit for diabetes and pancreatitis, it is also undesirable for those suffering from gout to eat it, since it contains a lot of oxalic acid, and for its proper metabolism, the body must have a healthy metabolic system.
