Sweet and delicious fig with its smooth texture can be hard to forget. Originally from Western Asia, fig was first planted in California in 1759. Plato held figs in high esteem and recommended nutritious figs to be taken daily so as to boost athletes’ performance. This could be because of the high glucose content of figs. No wonder Greeks had to restrict export of figs so as to improve their athletes’ performance at the Olympic Games! There are many health benefits associated with fig.
Benefits of Fig:
Following are some health benefits of fig:
- Reducing Hypertension: Experts believe that high sodium-rich food intake coupled with low intake of potassium-rich food can lead to hypertension. Since fig is a good source of potassium, this can help in controlling blood pressure, thereby keeping a check on hypertension.
- Weight Loss: It is suggested that the presence of dietary fiber in fig can help in losing weight. Dietary fibers can keep a check on ‘hunger feeling’ by slowing down the process of digestion, thereby promoting weight loss.
- Reducing Sugar: It is suggested that the antidiabetic property of fig can help in reducing the requirement of insulin in our body. This can help in reducing sugar and in treating diabetes.
- Reducing Cholesterol: It is believed that the presence of soluble fibers in fig can help in reducing cholesterol. While passing through the digestive tract, such fibers can help in absorbing and expelling cholesterol out of our body.
- Strengthening Bones: The presence of calcium in fig can help in increasing bone density. This can help in strengthening our bones.
- Macular Degeneration: It is suggested that vitamin-A rich figs can promote the overall health of retina and its surrounding tissues. Presence of these strong antioxidants (vitamin A) can slow down macular degeneration.
People with kidney or gallbladder problem may want to avoid fig because figs are natural sources of oxalates. The tendency of oxalates to crystallize in our body fluids can aggravate symptoms of such diseases.
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October 20th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
There are a number of studies showing the value of vitamin A in helping to preserve vision and photoreceptor cells for eye diseases such as macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa and cone-rod dystrophy.
A 1993 study (Berson and others, 1993) found a significant beneficial effect for 15,000 IU of vitamin A supplements and a suggested adverse effect for 400 IU of vitamin E on the course of the common forms of RP. In other words, vitamin A slowed the rate of decline retinal function while vitamin E accelerated the decline. Larger doses of vitamin A were not associated with greater benefit.
Reference: Berson, Rosner, Sandberg, Hayes, Nicholson, Weigel-DiFranco, and Willette, 1993. A randomized trial of vitamin A and vitamin E supplementation for retinitis pigmentosa. Archives of Ophthalmology (June 1993), volume 111(6), pages 761-772.
April 27th, 2009 at 3:42 am
Antioxidants and other nutritional supplements can help protect against the eye disease muscular degeneration. Thanks for sharing a very informative article.