Snake fruit is cultivated in several parts of the world. It boasts a distinctive flavor, and also an impressive nutrition profile. Read ahead! Snake fruit - no matter how unusual the name sounds - is an exotic fruit that tastes delicious, and also offers a wide range of health benefits. Also called salak, it's native to Java, Sumatra, Malaysia, and several other South Asian Islands. It has a distinct flavor (a blend of different fruit flavors such as banana, apple, and pineapple), making an amazing ingredient in various dishes including desserts. Also, it's an excellent source of nutrients like dietary fiber, protein, calcium, potassium, iron, phosphorus, beta carotene, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B2, and more. Without further ado, let's get a look at the potential health benefits that snake fruit has to offer. May support digestion Snake fruit is loaded with dietary fiber that helps improve the overall functioning of your digestive system. It contains several essential nutrients like tannins, saponins, and flavonoids that stimulate the release of certain juices that aid in your digestion process. It feeds the good bacteria and also fights off the bad bacteria living in your gut. If consumed regularly, snake fruit can reduce your risk of gas, bloating, IBS, and various other issues. May enhance eyesight It contains huge amounts of beta-carotene that converts into vitamin A in your body. This vitamin helps improve your vision, and also prevents the risk of myopia, cataracts, night blindness, etc. Snake fruit has several other antioxidants that protect your cornea from damage and reduce the risk of eye-related diseases. May control diabetes The high fiber content of snake fruit helps control your blood sugar levels as well. The fruit contains pterostilbene which inhibits the spike of glucose in your bloodstream to a significant extent. A report by the Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine also found that this fruit might be beneficial for those struggling with type-2 diabetes. May boost memory power Snake fruit is nicknamed "memory fruit", and for good reason. It contains minerals like pectin, beta-carotene, potassium, etc. that help increase blood supply to the brain tissues. What's more, regular consumption of this fruit reduces oxidative stress and helps your brain muscles to work efficiently. All these, in turn, boost your memory to a great extent. May improve heart functions As already mentioned, snake fruit contains a high amount of potassium. This mineral, in the long run, significantly regulates your blood pressure levels. Also, on the other hand, the high amounts of fiber present in the fruit helps reduce your LDL cholesterol levels. Both, in turn, promote the functions of your heart significantly. There's also some evidence that people who eat at least one snake fruit daily are at a lower risk of getting a heart attack. Apart from these, it may also stimulate the metabolic rate, support weight loss, boost the immune system, etc.
