Jamun | What is Jamun Fruit | Health Benefits of Jamun Fruit

Jamun | What is Jamun Fruit | What are the Health Benefits of Jamun Fruit | Varieties of Jamun Fruit | Uses of Jamun Fruit | Nutritional Value of Jamun Fruit

Jamun tree is an evergreen tropical tree which belongs to the flowering plant family of Myrtaceae. It is native to India, Pakistan and Indonesia. It is also widely cultivated in southern and southeastern Asia including the Philippines, Myanmar, and Afghanistan. The tree is large and has loads of branches. An average tree grows to a height of about 30 meters. The bark of the tree is brown or greyish, extremely smooth and is about 2.5 cm thick. Leaves are elliptic oblong or broadly ovate, and are extremely shiny.

These trees grow really fast and can reach upto a height of 30m, and can live for more than 100 years. They provide a lot of shade and are often grown for their ornamental value. Jamun trees can often be spotted on the road sides as they give a lot of shade, which provides the people some respite from the scorching sun. The wood obtained from the jamun tree is extremely strong and is used in the fabrication of train sleepers.

A Jamun trees flowers from March to April. The flowers are fragrant and small, about 5 mm in diameter. The fruits develop by May or June and are very much like large berries in appearance. The fruit is oblong, ovoid, and green in the initial days, but turns to a crimson black as it matures. The fruit has a sweet, mildly sour and astringent flavour and lends a purple tinge to the tongue when eaten.

Jamun fruits are a good source of iron and are said to be useful in the troubles of heart and liver. The seeds of jamun are an effective medicine against diabetes and their powder is widely used in India to control diabetes.

The most commonly found variety of jamun fruit is often oblong and has a deep purple to bluish colour. The pulp of the fruit is grey to pink in colour, and has a seed in the centre. The other variety which one can find is a seedless variety ranging in colour from purple to white.

Jamun is a rich source of vitamin A and vitamin C. It is often used in the following:

* Fresh fruits are tasty to eat and also if taken with salt.
* Jamun is processed to form a distinct flavour of jams, jellies, preserve and squash.
* Ripe jamun fruit is fermented to fabricate excellent quality wine.
* Juice of the raw fruit is used to fabricate vinegar.
* The fruit also possesses antibiotic properties and is used to formulate medicines to treat a number of ailments.

The whole tree of jamun is known for its medicinal properties. It is therefore used very extensively in traditional methods of medicine like Ayurveda and Unani.

** The bark, leaves, fruit and seeds are commonly used for treatments of various disorders.

** The bark of jamun has astringent, carminative, diuretic, digestive and constipating properties.

** It is good for sore throat, bronchitis, asthma, thirst, dysentery, blood impurities and ulcers.

Nutritional Value of Jamun Fruit:

** Its fruit is a good tonic and have cooling effects.

** The fruits of jamun are used to prepare vinegar which is very good carminative.

** The ash from burnt leaves is good for gums and teeth.

** Many research studies have shown that jamun is one of the best medicines for treatment of diabetes and also other various ailments.

** For diarrhea the dried powder of jamun seeds is mixed with mango seed powder and jaggery.

** The paste of jamun leaves is very good to dry the pus-filled wounds.

** The diabetic patient can include jamun fruit and its dried seed powder to control the blood sugar level.

** To get relief from vomiting and its burning sensation, one can take extracts of soft mango and jamun leaves mixed in honey two times a day.

** The use of jamun as medicine will be more beneficial if taken in care of a doctor.