Jamun: Several health benefits,but beware of buying from the roadside

This purple tropical berry has a unique taste,colour and flavour. The most commonly found variety of jamun is often oblong and has a deep purple to bluish colour. The pulp of the fruit is grey or pink and has a seed in the centre. Another common variety is seedless.

The fruit is acidic and astringent in nature,with a sweet taste. Due to its acidic nature,it is usually eaten with a sprinkling of salt. Children are fond of this fruit as it colours the tongue purple due to anthocyanin,a plant pigment.

Jamun is 70 per cent edible. Glucose and fructose are major sugars found in a ripe jamun. The fruit is laden with a large number of minerals and provides fewer calories compared to other fruits. A medium-sized jamun provides about 3-4 calories. The seed of the fruit is also rich in protein carbohydrates and traces of calcium. It is also a source of iron,providing 1-2 mg per 100 grams and also vitamin C,providing 18 mg per 100 grams (the daily adult requirement of this vitamin is 40 mg). It provides folate and vitamin B,carotene,phytochemicals (anti-oxidants),magnesium,potassium and fibre.

Jamun is believed to be of special use in treatment of diabetes. In Unani and Ayurvedic system,it is used to treat digestive disorders including diarrohea. Extracts of the bark,seeds and leaves have been found to cause a marked prolonged decrease in blood sugar and glycouria (sugar in urine). Several studies provide evidence that jamun has hypoglycemic effects with up to 30 per cent reduction in blood sugar reported in some studies. Seeds are rich in alkaloids which have hypoglycemic effects.

Jamun has also been reported to play a protective role in liver disease,which could play an important role in prevention of liver damage (necrosis and fibrosis). In addition,studies also show an anti-cancer potential of jamun fruit extract. These could be possibly due to several bioactive phytochemicals including polyphenols,which include anthocyanin (the purple pigment). Studies show that consumption of jamun may also provide benefits during chemotherapy and radiation. Research confirms that polyphenolic compounds have far-reaching health benefits including prevention of several chronic diseases like cancer,heart ailments,diabetes,ageing and arthritis.

The fruit also has been known to have blood-purifying properties. The leaves of jamun tree possess anti-bacterial properties and are used to make medicines to strengthen teeth and gums.

The bark of the tree is useful for de-worming (antithelmintic property),urinary disorders and is used to formulate many herbal medicines by traditional healers. Extracts from bark of jamun tree are believed to possess moderate antibiotic activity. Due to its astringent properties,it is used for gargles and as a mouthwash,particularly for bleeding gums (gingivitis). The bark and leaves are used to control high blood pressure.

Jamun is best eaten raw with salt or preserved as squashes,jams and candies,which have a distinct flavour. Unripe fruits are used to make vinegar and ripe fruits are often made into excellent wines. The white-fleshed jamun has adequate pectin and makes a very stiff jelly,unless cooking is brief. The more common purple-fleshed variety yields richly coloured jelly but is deficient in pectin and requires the addition of a commercial jelling agent or must be combined with pectin rich fruits such as unripe or sour guavas.

Buying jamun from roadsides may be risky as the fruit may be contaminated by lead and heavy metals from exhaust fumes.