Kakadu Plum

Kakadu Plum

Other Names : Terminalia ferdinandiana, Gubinge, Billygoat Plum, Gurumal, Kabiny Plum, Murunga, Bush Plum, green plum, salty plum, Mador

Health Benefits and Uses of Kakadu Plum

Considered a gift of the Dreamtime, the Kakadu Plum is Australia’s star superfood performer. Kakadu Plum has exceptional nutritional and antiseptic properties and has been an important food and medicine in Northern Australia for millennia.

• Vitamin C : Highest recorded levels of Vitamin C of any fruit in the world. It is an essential antioxidant that slows down the aging process. It helps to form proline, an amino acid that makes collagen. Since kakadu plums contain a rich amount of Vitamin C, they are popularly used in many skincare products. Kakadu Plum contain even more Vitamin C than orange, kiwi fruit and chili pepper.
• Antioxidants : Kakadu plums are also rich in phenolics, phytochemicals that have been shown to possess extremely strong antioxidant properties. In fact, research suggests that the phenolic content of a fruit or vegetable may be the single best indicator of the food's antioxidant capacity (even better than the food's vitamin C content). It exhibits outstanding antioxidant capacity, being 5.2 times more potent than the blueberry.
• Alzheimer's Disease : Due to its exceptional anti-oxidant composition, it is believed that Kakadu Plum could provide the most powerful Alzheimer’s treatment to date.
• Cancer: Kakadu plum has phytochemicals like gallic and ellagic acids. Gallic acid contains antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-mutagenic and anti-bronchodilatory properties. Ellagic acid shows anti-carcinogenic effects to maintain healthy human tissues. A study published in the journal Nutrition and Cancer found that polyphenols extracted from Kakadu plums had significant inhibitory activity against cancer cell lines. These anti-cancer effects were largely attributed to the ability of the Kakadu plum extract to induce apoptosis (self-destruction) in cancer cells.
• Anti-Bacterial Properties : A study published in the February 2011 issue of the journal Pharmacognosy Journal reported that Kakadu plum extracts also have strong anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties. A deionized water extract of Kakadu plum, for example, inhibited the growth of 11 of the 14 bacteria tested (79%). It showed particularly strong anti-bacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria, inhibiting the growth of all tested Gram-positive microbes (B. cereus, S. aureus, S. epidermidis and S. pyogenes).
• Antifungal and antiviral agent.
• Vitamin E : A vegetarian source of iron and Vitamin E and contains 110μg of folate per 100g – the same amount found in broccoli.
• Skin care: Kakadu plum is used in many nourishing facial crèmes and masks. This gives a natural shine and glow to the skin. It can also prevent ageing of the skin.
• Vitamin C can be useful to clear pimple-causing bacteria on the face. It can be mixed with clay to soothe the skin and flush off the impurities for an even complexion. Apply this weekly to the entire face to get rid of pimple-causing bacteria. Wash off after 10 minutes for a lighter and re-balanced skin. This treats the spots, pimples and heals blemishes.
• Men’s skin care: Antioxidants in skincare products can repair the skin damage caused by the sun or due to ageing. This fruit is useful to stimulate the collagen production to remove fine lines or scars. This also has gallic acid that acts as an astringent, antimicrobial, antifungal and antibacterial agent. Kakadu plums are included as an ingredient in many natural men’s skincare products. They are added to exfoliators, toners, masques, cleansers, serums, creams and moisturizers.
• Skin infections: The inner bark of the kakadu plum tree can cure many skin disorders and infections. This is also used to heal wounds, sores and boils. It is also effective to prevent or control fungal and bacterial infections. This is proven to be an excellent wound healer and to help treat psoriasis.
• Digestion: It contains a good amount of fiber and soluble carbohydrates. This helps to preserve the vital Vitamin C that leads to healthy digestion and absorption in the gut.
• Anti-Aging: Kakadu plum is consumed in many food products as well. They can be eaten raw, as a whole fruit purée, juice or as an extract. Kakadu plum is used in products like sauces, relishes, juices, jams, preserves, desserts and ice creams.
• Weight Loss: Kakuda plum is an effective fruit to consume in your daily diet for weight loss. Antioxidants in this fruit have a “significant potency” to fight against fat cells and prevent weight gain. This also helps to cure metabolic syndrome (MetS) that causes obesity, hypertension, and disturbed glucose and insulin metabolism. This in turn can cause diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
• Hair health: Kakadu plum gives moisturization and hydration to your hair. It maintains the level of collagen and elastin, which is essential for healthy and lustrous hair. This also adds instant hydrating and detangling to your hair. They are included in many shampoos to fill your hair with moisture and gloss. Regular use of this shampoo can smoothen and hydrate normal to dry hair.

References

• I. Konczak et al (2010). Antioxidant capacity and hydrophilic phytochemicals in commercially grown native Australian fruits. Food Chemistry, 123(4), 1048-1054.
• M. Netzel et al (2007). Native Australian fruits – a novel source of antioxidants for food. Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies, 8(3), 339-346
• Aaron C. Tana, Izabela Konczak and Iqbal Ramzan (2011). Native Australian Fruit Polyphenols Inhibit Cell Viability and Induce Apoptosis in Human Cancer Cell Lines. Nutrition and Cancer, 63(3), 444-455.
• I.E. Cocka and S. Mohantya (2011). Evaluation of the antibacterial activity and toxicity of Terminalia ferdinandia fruit extracts. Pharmacognosy Journal, 3(20), 72-79.