Vitamins And Minerals In Jackfruit And Their Benefits

If you are trying to include more fruit and vegetables in your diet for a healthier lifestyle, then jackfruit could be a great option to consider.

It is poor in calories but rich in nutrients that include macronutrients but also vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, some of them being higher in jackfruit than in other fruits. Not only is it sweet when eaten raw, but it can also be used in savoury dishes as a plant-based option to replace meat.

Jackfruit: an overview

Jackfruit (also known by its Latin name Artocarpus heterophyllus) is a tropical fruit originating in the southern region of India and Malaysia. However, it is also commonly cultivated in Africa, Asia, and South America. 

The jackfruit tree is an evergreen plant that can reach up to 25 meters in height. The fruit takes about three to seven months to grow from the pollination phase until its full development, depending on the country and its climate conditions, as it grows in warm and moist areas.

Jackfruit is oblong and cylindrical with a green/yellow colour and size of 22-90 cm in length and 13-50 cm in diameter, with an average weight between 2 and 20 Kg. The fruit inside resembles a combination of several bulbs, each containing a seed. It is the largest existing edible fruit and contains not only proteins and carbohydrates but also many other nutrients, including vitamins and minerals.¹ 

The latter are hugely important for our health as they are involved in homeostatic processes that keep our system well balanced, and a deficiency of any of these could lead to medical conditions.

This tropical fruit is low in calories but rich in nutrients, making it a perfect natural product to integrate into our diets.

Nutritional composition of jackfruit

Jackfruit only contains 94 calories in 100 g of product, but it is a nourishing food composed of a high variety of macro and micronutrients.¹

Jackfruit has a higher content of proteins, vitamin B1, iron and calcium compared to other tropical fruits, and its ripe fruit is richer in vitamins and minerals than banana, apple, apricot or avocado.¹ Moreover, biochemical components are quantifiably correlated to the maturity stage of the fruit.

Macronutrients

Proteins 

Proteins are found with up to 1.9 g in the flesh of the ripe fruit and have the presence of six out of nine essential amino acids, which are not spontaneously produced by our body.¹

Carbohydrates

There is a high concentration of starch in both perianth and seed of the fruit, as the percentage can vary between 37.4% and 42.5% depending on the maturation phase.¹

Fibres 

Its content in fibre seems to be influenced by the season and the variety analysed but with no significant variation related to the maturity stage of the fruit instead.¹

Micronutrients

Vitamins 

Jackfruit is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C and some of the Vitamin B-complex and their levels in the flesh of the fruit have been demonstrated to also vary with the age of the fruit. Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), for instance, is higher between 55 and 75 days when it reaches the peak of 133 mg/100 g of fruit to then decrease again down to 48.2 mg around 85 days of maturity.¹

Minerals 

The ripened fruit contains also minerals such as magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium, zinc, and iron, which we are going to discuss in the related section of this article.¹

Phytonutrients 

Phytonutrients are natural chemicals that have a protective function towards our health and immune system, promoting healthy ageing. 

Phytonutrients have antiulcer, anticancer and antiageing properties, but can also lower blood pressure having therefore a beneficial impact on the cardiovascular system. These chemicals have the power to slow down the degenerative process in cells, with a consequent positive influence on healthy and younger skin.

Carotenoids, flavonoids, and tannins are some of the phytochemicals found in jackfruit, which have their levels dependent on their variety.¹ 

Which vitamins are jackfruit rich in?

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, not naturally produced by our body, meaning that it is fundamental to have in our diet. One of the benefits of jackfruit is that is a good source of vitamin C, with about 18.5 mg to 24.03 mg contained in the flesh for 100 g, depending on the maturity stage.¹

Jackfruit, thanks to this micronutrient, has antioxidant activity, protecting against oxidative stress caused by free radicals that can damage tissues and develop pathological conditions.

Moreover, vitamin C plays an important role in supporting the immune system, as it promotes the migration of neutrophils (white blood cells) to the site of infection and the degradation of foreign particles, whilst also protecting our body from being damaged by the triggered immune reaction. Moreover, it participates in the synthesis of several hormones involved in the cardiovascular response to infections.³

Vitamin C is also a co-factor in the synthesis of collagen in the human body, slowing the ageing process.⁴ 

Vitamin A

Jackfruit also contains provitamin A carotenoids, which are then converted in the intestine by our body into vitamin A. The consumption of jackfruit could help prevent a vitamin deficiency, as plant carotenoids are an amazing source of provitamin A available in our diet, and it has been shown that carotene is higher in ripe fruit. The content of vitamin A in jackfruit can go up to 175.0–540.0 IU (international unit) in the mature fruit.^2,5

Carotenoids are beneficial against some chronic and degenerative diseases, cardiovascular conditions, inflammation and cancer. They are also protective our sight against conditions more likely to affect the elderly such as cataracts or macular degeneration, as vitamin A supports the physiological activity of the conjunctival membrane and cornea. 

Vitamin B-complex

Jackfruit is one of the rare fruits that contain high levels of vitamin B-complex, compared to other fruits available in our diet.

B1 (Thiamine)

Studies have demonstrated vitamin B1 increases up to 0.09 mg/100 g in the ripe fruit. Thiamine is another vitamin that cannot be produced spontaneously by the human body, and that needs to be included in our diet at adequate levels. The recommended daily dose for vitamin B1 is between 1.1 mg and 1.2 mg, whilst it is 1.4 mg in case of pregnancy.⁶ 

Vitamin B is crucial in energy metabolism, as it is transformed into its active form known as thiamin pyrophosphate (TPP), which works as a cofactor with enzymes involved in the metabolic process of glucose, proteins and lipids.⁶

Thiamine is also fundamental for nerve function, as it supports nerve regeneration by promoting the use of carbohydrates to produce energy and therefore boosts the nervous system activity, but also protects the nerve cells against oxidative reactions.⁷

B2 (Riboflavin) 

The riboflavin content is about 0.05 mg to 0.4 mg for every 100 g of fruit, in the ripe fruit.⁵

Not only is vitamin B2 involved in energy metabolism by converting macronutrients into glucose that is therefore used as a final source of energy, but has also an antioxidant activity that supports the immune system.⁸

B3 (Niacin)

It is recommended to have a daily consumption of 14 mg to 16 mg of niacin, and 100 g of jackfruit can contain about 4 mg of this vitamin, which is important for energy metabolism, nervous system functionality and the synthesis of hormones.¹

Moreover, it is important to mention that vitamin B3 has a crucial role in protecting the cardiovascular system. It has been administered in coronary heart disease prevention for over 40 years, showing a reduction in mortality caused by cardiovascular events by increasing HDL cholesterol, also known as “good cholesterol”, by up to 25%, with a protective activity towards heart and blood vessels, as it contrasts the LDL cholesterol which can lead to blood vessels obstruction.⁹

B6 (Pyridoxine)

Vitamin B6, like niacin, has a positive impact on the cardiovascular system, by reducing the homocysteine levels involved in the generation of blood clots, with the risk of causing cardiovascular events.¹

Moreover, pyridoxine is used by our body as a co-factor in the biosynthesis of important neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, noradrenaline, melatonin and GABA. Their production is strictly influenced by levels of vitamin B6, and a small deficiency would lead to an imbalance of GABA and serotonin with consequent sleep disorders, mood swings, and cardiovascular issues. Vitamin B6 also controls the regulation of glucose use in the brain and seems to be protective against dementia and cognitive degeneration.¹⁰

Are jackfruits rich in minerals?

Jackfruit not only contains macronutrients and vitamins but also important minerals and we are going to see some of the main ones below.

Potassium

This mineral is present at a rate of up to 323 mg in 100 g of ripe fruit. It helps with contrasting high blood pressure and balancing the opposite effects of sodium on the heart and blood vessels. Not only does potassium have a positive impact on the cardiovascular system by preventing events and conditions associated with high blood pressure by lowering it, but it also improves the nerves and muscle activity.¹

Magnesium

With up to 27 mg of magnesium for every 100 g of mature fruit, jackfruit is also a good source of this mineral that improves absorption of calcium, also contained in this fruit, which consequently strengthens the bones preventing age-related conditions such as osteoporosis.¹ Magnesium also induces muscle relaxation and can be sometimes integrated as a supplement in sports for muscle recovery or in case of muscle spasms.

Iron

Iron can reach 1.9 mg in 100 g of fruit. This mineral is used by haemoglobin in red blood cells to transport oxygen via blood vessels in the circulatory system, making it fundamental for organs and tissues to survive and function.¹ A deficiency of iron would lead to a condition called anaemia.

Is jackfruit good for health?

Jackfruit is a nutrient-rich food composed of both macronutrients and important vitamins and minerals that play a crucial role in many physiological functions.

It has antioxidant, anticancerogenic, anti-inflammatory, cardio-protective, and neuro-protective activities thanks to the micronutrients it contains.

Jackfruit has been demonstrated to have benefits towards the sight thanks to vitamin A; to have a positive impact also regarding the energy metabolism, and nervous system, provided by the presence of the vitamin B-complex; a strong antioxidant anti-ageing activity led by the vitamin C; a cardiovascular protective function given by vitamin B-complex, potassium and iron; and a state of homeostasis in the muscles provided by magnesium.

Moreover, not only have the roots of jackfruit been demonstrated to control asthma when consumed after a boiling-extraction process, but also to treat skin-related issues and to calm common conditions such as diarrhoea and fever.⁵

How can I include jackfruit in my diet?

There are different ways that you can consider including jackfruit in your diet daily or as often as you can. 

• You can eat the raw fruit, however, it will not be easy to find it as it grows in tropical areas 
• There are dried jackfruit products available that are sold in pharmacies or health-wellbeing stores
• Jackfruit is also often used as a meat replacement in plant-based recipes in the vegan diet. There are some of the examples in the BBC food blog here

We shall clarify that eating jackfruit is not going to replace balanced nutrition and does not have to be considered as the sole source of nutrients in a healthy diet. 

It is important to include more fruits and vegetables, to be able to have a variety of many more vitamins and minerals that are not contained in the jackfruit instead, as most of them are essentials and cannot be produced by our own body and therefore need to be taken via nutrient-rich foods.

Summary

Jackfruit emerges as a versatile and nutritious addition to a healthy diet. Packed with proteins, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, this tropical fruit offers a low-calorie alternative with numerous health benefits. 

From supporting the immune system with vitamin C to promoting cardiovascular health through potassium and iron, jackfruit contains a diverse range of micronutrients. Its inclusion in the diet can be through various forms, including raw consumption, dried products, or as a meat substitute in plant-based recipes. 

While acknowledging its positive impact on aspects such as vision, energy metabolism, and nervous system function, it's crucial to view jackfruit as part of a well-balanced nutrition that encompasses a variety of fruits and vegetables to ensure comprehensive nutrient intake.