Commonly known as the 'aristocrat of fruits', custard apples generally have a green bumpy skin, while the inside of the fruit is a treat unlike any other fruit ever tasted. As custard apples are grown in Australia and available fresh from March through to December, consumers can choose a range of varieties to their liking.
Natural Sugars
This delicious fruit as the sugar content is accompanied by fibre and other nutrients. Custard apples provide sugars that give sustained energy and do not over react the body's insulin output like processed sugars. These sugars designed by nature are complemented by other natural products such as vitamins, minerals, fibre and protein necessary for energy production.
Vitamin Vitality
Custard apples are a well-balanced food having protein, fibre, minerals, vitamins, energy and little fat. This fruit an excellent source of Vitamin C, a good source of dietary fibre, a useful source of Vitamin B6, magnesium and potassium, and with some B2 and complex carbohydrate.
Helps with Vitamin C:
100g of flesh will provide over 110% of the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin C. If eaten daily, a small custard apple weighing around 250grams is sufficient to obtain a person's Vitamin C intake, without the need for additional supplements.
Very little Vitamin C is stored in the body, so it should be digested every day. Vitamin C is also an anti-oxidant which helps to neutralize unstable substances, (known as free radicals), that can damage cells.
Extra Vitamin C may be needed during:
- Times of stress
- When fighting infection, or
- After surgery or if a wound is slow to heal
Mineral Rich
Magnesium:
Magnesium is essential for all the body's major processes and 100g of custard apple flesh supplies almost 10% of daily needs. Magnesium has a major role in enabling muscles to relax and as such may be the most important nutrient to protect against heart disease, so eating food rich is magnesium seems a very healthy thing to do.
Calcium:
Custard apples also have a mild tranquillising action, as Calcium is a natural tranquilliser.
Potassium:
Custard apples are also a good food source of Potassium which is most effective in the presence of Vitamin B6. Like Vitamin C, Potassium is not stored in the body and anyone indulging in even moderate amounts of caffeine or alcohol or having too many processed foods in their diet, will benefit from extra potassium.
Copper:
Custard apples are also a good food source of copper.
Those athletes training for competitive sport, or persons simply aiming to keep fit will benefit from nutrients that can help reduce soreness and minimise damage to tissues and joints. Some of the important ones are Vitamin C, the B Vitamins, Calcium, Magnesium, & Potassium.
See also the Nutritional Chart and Serving Suggestions Sections
