Immune System Reinforcement With Sapodilla

Introduction

We live in a world with other living things. These include the land animals, sea creatures and the tiniest of bugs that could be a bother sometimes. However, there are also living creatures that we cannot see. They are called microorganisms, and some examples are bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Some of these microorganisms are harmful to us and for that we need a defence mechanism. Our immune system is our defence mechanism.

The immune system is largely made up of 2 parts, the first is called innate which means we are born with this defence. This defence includes our skin (which is a barrier against harmful microorganisms), the stomach acid and mucus produced in some parts of our body. The second part of our immune system is called acquired and this develops as we get older. This is largely made up of special cells that attack and destroy certain microorganisms when they encounter them.

Without our immune system, we would be prone to many different diseases and quite frankly, we would not be able to live very long. This is why our immune system is very important and we must do what we can to ensure we have a healthy one. Maintaining a healthy diet is one major way of keeping our immune system strong because there are many foods/fruits that have been associated with a stronger immune system. In this article, we will explore one of such foods, a fruit called sapodilla.

What is sapodilla?

Sapodilla is an evergreen tree which was originally seen in southern and central Mexico but can be found in several other regions of the world today including tropical Asia and the Caribbeans. It has many names, some of which include sapote, chicoo, chicozapote, chicle, nispero and soap apple. This tree can live to be a hundred years old and can grow to heights of more than 30 metres bearing fruit twice every year. Its fruit is about the size of a lime fruit, about 4-8cm in diameter with sweet pale yellow to brownish coloured flesh on the inside.

Sapodilla is a nutritious fruit made up of good amounts of fibre and other vitamins and minerals. 100g of this fruit contains:¹

• Calories 83kcal
• Carbs 19.96g
• Dietary fibre 5.3g
• Fat 1.1g
• Protein 0.44g
• Vitamin C 18% of the required daily value
• Vitamin B₅ (Pantothenic acid) 5% of required daily value
• Vitamin B₆ 3% of the required daily value
• Vitamin B₉ (Folic acid) 4% of the required daily value
• Iron 6% of the required daily value
• Potassium 6% of the required daily value
• Magnesium 3% of the required daily value

There are other vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin A, B₂, B₃, Calcium, Zinc, Phosphorus which are present in smaller amounts in this fruit.

Sapodilla has been historically used by native tribes to cure several diseases. The fruit itself is used as a natural remedy against diarrhoea due to its high fibre content. The seeds found in the fruit have been used to cure kidney stones and bladder infections due to their diuretic effects. Potions made from the leaves are used to cure respiratory illnesses such as cold and pastes made from the seeds can have a soothing effect when applied to stings and bites.

Immunomodulatory properties of sapodilla

Sapodilla has anti-inflammatory properties important in the workings of the immune system. Inflammation is originally a normal reaction of your body to harmful organisms or toxins and kickstarts a response from the immune system with the aim to neutralise or destroy the cause of the inflammation. If the inflammation process is not curbed, it can become chronic and dangerous. Chronic inflammation has been linked to may diseases such as diabetes mellitus, arthritis, liver disease and others. The immune system, thus, has the responsibility to regulate inflammation such that it does not remain persistent. Sapodilla is one of such fruits that helps in the regulation of inflammation because of its vitamin content.

The vitamins and compounds present in sapodilla modulate the inflammatory process by influencing the production of certain substances and the reduction of other substances. These substances are called cytokines, and they are produced by specialised cells of the immune system. Cytokines that increase inflammation such as IL-1, IL-6, TNF, IL-12, and others are suppressed while substances that reduce inflammation such as IL-10 are enhanced. This influences the immune system to curb inflammation reducing the possibility of persistent tissue damage due to chronic inflammation.²

Sapodilla also has some antioxidant properties that assist the immune system in body protection. It does this by protecting us from specific substances called reactive oxygen species (ROS). These are very damaging substances that are a product of pollution or toxins present in our environment. Not only does this fruit protect us from these harmful substances, it also appears to react to ROS by leading white blood cells to infected cells so those cells can be destroyed.³

Sapodilla has been traditionally used for respiratory illnesses because of its influence on special white blood cells in the body. The vitamins and compounds present in sapodilla support white blood cells like neutrophils, monocytes, and macrophages in their function of destroying infected cells. This seems to affect how long a respiratory illness last and how severe it is.³

Scientific studies and research

Research has been done, not only on the sapodilla fruit but on the leaves and the tree bark as well. These studies have had favourable outcomes when assessing the ability of sapodilla to affect and in some cases, reverse disease processes.

One of such studies worked with the powdered form of the fruit checking for its effect on an illness called Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in rats. NAFLD is a disease that affects the liver causing the liver enzymes to rise and in severe cases, deteriorate liver function leading to advanced liver disease. NAFLD also increases the risk of medication-related acute hepatitis. In this study, sapodilla caused a reduction of liver enzymes to normal range and even reversed structural changes seen in the liver. This showed a reversal of the disease process to the extent that it was described as regeneration of the liver tissues.⁴

Another study using the sapodilla fruit and leaves from the tree revealed significant reductions in the levels of blood glucose, insulin, cholesterol, and leptin in the animals tested. Although the levels of cholesterol were reduced, the values of the high-density lipoprotein (HDL), which is known as the good lipid, were increased in the tested animals. This could be very useful in the management of diabetes mellitus by reducing the blood sugar levels and reducing complications from raised cholesterol levels which are commonly seen in diabetes mellitus.⁵

Other studies have shown strong antibacterial properties of the leaves of the sapodilla fruit which explain why it was traditionally used to treat illnesses.⁶

Incorporating sapodilla into the diet

Sapodilla can be eaten raw, just like any other fruit but take care to remove the seeds before eating as the seeds have a hook that can get stuck in the throat. You can scoop out the flesh and add it to your oatmeal, cereals, juices, shakes or smoothies. Sapodilla can also be made into a jam or added into ice-cream or can sometimes be used in cakes or desserts. It is a very versatile fruit.

Ensure that you eat the ripened sapodilla because unripe sapodilla has a high amount of some chemicals that can cause mouth sores, irritate the throat or in some rare cases, cause difficulty in breathing.

Summary

Sapodilla is a fruit that has many benefits attributed to it. The fruit is not the only part with amazing properties, the leaves and bark of the tree are also nutrient packed with protective functions for the body. Extensive studies have been and are currently being conducted due to these properties and compounds from the fruit might be used in western medicine someday. In the meantime, you can help your immune system and body tissues by incorporating sapodilla into your diet if you have access to this wonder fruit.