Edible fruits of palm trees. Acai berries (Euterpe) For the cardiovascular system

All the gifts of nature have a certain value for the human body. Recently, the Brazilian acai berry has gained worldwide popularity. For its beneficial properties, it has received many names: "Amazonian pearl", "royal superberry", "fountain of eternal youth", "Amazonian Viagra" and others. Unfortunately, this “magic” berry can quickly deteriorate, so everyone will not be able to try it. Most often it is available in the form of dietary supplements. Let's find out what this berry is and whether it is really so useful.

Description

The inhabitants of the Brazilian Amazon have been familiar with Acai for a very long time. They actively eat these berries and grow palm trees on which they grow. For them, it is not only a dessert, but also one of the staple foods.
The rest of the world learned about the miraculous acai in 2004, after the results of studies on the unique composition of these fruits were published. Since then, the media in the US and other countries have often discussed their usefulness, these fruits have been given the title of "superfood".

Did you know? Brazilians from the Caboclo ethnic group eat a lot of acai: it makes up almost half (about 42%) of their daily menu..

The famous berries grow on tall palm trees (20 m) with long leaves, which are also called açai or euterpe. Trees are common in the northern part of South America, and more precisely in the Amazon River Valley. For the sake of their fruit and edible core, they are cultivated in Brazil, mainly in the state of Pará.
The berries look very similar to grapes with large seeds. And the clusters are more like long garlands hanging down with dark purple balls instead of light bulbs. Berry pulp is very tender and perishable, loses its properties within a day.

It is difficult to describe the taste in one word, as the opinions of those who have tried the Brazilian "grape" are divided. Some say that the fruits of Euterpe are sweet and sour, like blackberries or red grapes, while others have tasted a nut-chocolate flavor in them.

Delicious juices and smoothies, various desserts and other dishes are prepared from berries.

Compound

Compared to other acai berries, they are very high in calories: 100 g of the product contains approximately 160 kcal.

Nutritional value of "superberries":

proteins (3.8%);
fats (0.5%);
carbohydrates (36.6%).

A rich set of chemical elements makes the fruits of Euterpe especially unique:

vitamins: group B, E, C, D and beta-carotene;
macronutrients: potassium, calcium, silicon, magnesium, sodium, sulfur, phosphorus, chlorine;
trace elements: aluminum, boron, iron, iodine, cobalt, manganese, copper, rubidium, fluorine, chromium, zinc;
essential and partially replaceable amino acids: arginine, valine, histidine, leucine, lysine, methionine, threonine, tryptophan, phenylalanine;
nonessential amino acids: alanine, aspartic acid, glycine, glutamic acid, proline, serine, tyrosine, cysteine;
fatty acids: Omega-6 and Omega-9;
anthocyanins, which provide berries with color and have antioxidant properties.

Did you know? In terms of protein content, acai is equivalent to cow's milk, and the presence of beneficial omega acids put the Brazilian "superfood" on a par with olive oil.

Beneficial features

Due to the presence of so many vitamins, minerals and other valuable components, acai can have a therapeutic and preventive effect on many organs and systems of our body:

cardiovascular system: the heart is strengthened, blood circulation improves, the amount of “bad” cholesterol decreases, due to which the vessels are cleared of plaques, prevention is carried out coronary disease heart and blood pressure normalizes;
cancer: antioxidants actively fight free radicals, preventing the appearance and growth cancer cells;

vision: prevention of glaucoma and night blindness, reduction of the yellow spot, slowing down the process of vision loss in diabetic retinopathy;
immunity: T-lymphocytes are activated, which increases the body's defenses;
gastrointestinal tract: digestion is normalized and metabolism is improved, which prevents the appearance of excess weight;
brain and nervous system: cognitive abilities improve, it is easier to cope with stress and insomnia;
the skin acquires a healthy appearance, becomes smooth and clean, the aging process slows down;
increases male potency.

Important! According to different sources, if you do not process açai within 2-5 hours, then they will lose 70-80% of their useful properties .

The use of fresh Euterpe fruits has practically no side effects. An exception may be isolated cases of individual intolerance. But an immoderate amount of berries or products based on them, for example, dietary supplements, can be harmful to health.

People who are prone to allergies may have an allergic reaction to an exotic product.
Those who want to lose weight should be careful with this high-calorie berry.
The high protein content of acai can lead to health complications. nervous system, kidney and liver.
An excess of carbohydrates, which this miracle berry is rich in, can increase blood sugar levels, which increases the risk of obesity.
Excessive consumption can increase cholesterol and provoke problems of the cardiovascular system.

As you can see, the Brazilian acai berry is really very useful. But, like other gifts of nature, the “Amazonian pearl” should be consumed correctly and in limited quantities.

Description of peach palm fruits, taste and aromatic characteristics. Chemical composition, benefit and harm. How are palm peaches eaten? Popular recipes.

The content of the article:

Peach palm (lat. Bactris gasipaes) is a plant of the Palm family without a voluminous crown, which has a not very thick trunk up to 30 m high with evergreen leaves, the length of which can be 3.6 m. The flowers are yellow-white in color, the fruits are edible, yellow, orange or red, depending on the season, are collected in clusters of 50-70 pieces, the skin is thin. Inside lies a juicy pulp with a sweet aftertaste and one large bone. The jungle of South America is called the birthplace of this palm tree - Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia. In the wild, it grows mainly along the shores of the Amazon, and is cultivated in Costa Rica and India, the Philippines, in a word, in the tropics, where all year round hot and sunny. In food, the fruits are most often consumed in a fried or boiled form.

Composition and calorie content of peach palm fruits

The calorie content of peach palm fruits has not been fully elucidated, but it is definitely low. But it is known that 100 g of pulp contains 37 g of carbohydrates necessary to maintain vitality for high level and improving performance.

Consider the benefits of vitamins in the composition of fruits:

Vitamin C. It ensures the normal functioning of the immune system, increases the body's defenses and prevents you from getting sick, especially in winter.
Vitamin E. Necessary for the timely regeneration of tissues after injuries, maintaining the water-salt balance, preventing diseases of the heart and blood vessels.
Vitamin A. Promotes a good metabolism, which eliminates the appearance of obesity, diabetes and a number of other problems. It is a powerful antioxidant that neutralizes the negative effects of free radicals and thus prevents premature aging and the growth of neoplasms.
Vitamin B. With its help, the condition of the skin, nails, hair improves, the level of hemoglobin normalizes, visual acuity increases, all metabolic processes in the body are restored and bad cholesterol is removed from the blood.
Vitamin K. Participates in the work of the liver, kidneys, gallbladder, pancreas. It is also important that it neutralizes the strongest and most dangerous poisons - aflatoxin, coumarin, etc. This reduces the likelihood of the appearance of cancer cells and reduces their number in time if they are nevertheless formed.

The peach palm fruit contains a number of micro and macro elements. First of all, it is necessary to mention gland, without which the normal processes of hematopoiesis would be simply impossible. This element is needed to maintain hemoglobin levels at a high level and to prevent hair loss.

Particularly worth highlighting magnesium and potassium which have a positive effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular system. They strengthen the heart muscle, normalize its contractions and supply it with enough blood to prevent a heart attack.

deserves the closest attention, and calcium with phosphorus, which strengthen bones and teeth, promote tissue renewal after injuries and prevent the development of various dental diseases (caries, periodontal disease) and rheumatic, such as arthrosis.

Palm fruits are also rich in zinc, which is very useful for men who want to lead a full intimate life. It also has a positive effect on blood sugar levels, reducing it. It is a reliable antioxidant that protects cells from destruction.

Note! The fruits are high in starch and vegetable fats.

Useful properties of peach palm fruits

They improve overall well-being, as a result of which fatigue and migraine disappear, appetite is restored and mood rises, and the amount of vital energy increases. Sleep is also normalized, due to which bags under the eyes, swelling on the face and a number of other signs of fatigue are eliminated. All this is possible due to the fact that the product has tonic and soothing properties.

Here are the benefits of peach palm fruit:

Normalizes cardiac activity. This is facilitated by strengthening the heart muscle, restoring its normal rhythm, providing this organ with a volume of blood sufficient for stable functioning. Such effects can minimize the possibility of a heart attack, stroke, angina pectoris, arrhythmia and a number of other cardiac diseases. That is why the product is more useful than ever for people who have crossed the 60-year mark, who are more prone to this than young people. It should also be noted that the pressure level decreases, which, in turn, improves the general condition.
Takes care of blood vessels. The pulp of fruits cleanses their walls from cholesterol accumulating there for years, sooner or later forming life-threatening plaques. She dissolves them and gently brings them out, without clogging the passages and without disturbing the blood flow. This helps to restore it and prevent a lack of oxygen in various internal organs, to which it enters just along with the blood. In the same way, the development of thrombophlebitis, varicose veins, atherosclerosis and a number of other vascular diseases is prevented.
Accelerates skin regeneration. The fruits of the tree contain iron, potassium and magnesium, which are actively involved in the renewal of damaged tissues. Therefore, they will be most welcome for those who suffer from dermatitis, eczema, urticaria and other skin diseases. They are recommended to be included in the diet even in the presence of wounds and cuts on the body, which, due to this, heal many times faster.
Strengthens health. Fruits increase immunity, due to which the body becomes stronger and less exposed to harmful bacteria, viruses and infections. This minimizes the possibility of influenza, tuberculosis, hepatitis. It also reduces the likelihood of infection with helminths, staphylococcus, streptococcus, and this is very important for the prevention of tonsillitis, tonsillitis and other otolaryngological pathologies.
Increases hemoglobin. If its level in the blood is low, then a person may be disturbed by constant dizziness, nausea, a feeling of coldness in the limbs, weakness, hair loss, peeling of the skin and exfoliation of nails. As a result of insufficient production of red blood cells, the internal organs do not receive the amount of blood and, accordingly, oxygen necessary for normal operation. The same fruit eliminates such a deficiency and provides normal nutrition for the liver, kidneys, heart, intestines, etc. It is worth looking at the fruits of this palm tree very carefully, first of all, for pregnant women, in whom in most cases low level hemoglobin.
Improves bone health. Fruits supply the body with phosphorus and calcium, which are especially valuable for the joints. They make them stronger and more durable, which minimizes the risk of injuries (dislocations, fractures) and various rheumatic diseases - arthrosis, arthritis, osteoporosis, etc. For this very reason, they are recommended to be included in the menu primarily for older people who are at risk of developing these pathologies is much higher than in young people.
Increases potency. This is made possible by the content of zinc in the product, which is widely known as the “male” trace element. It improves the quality intimate life, enhances libido and sexual arousal, promotes good erections and prevents impotence.

Note! Fruits have immunocorrective, firming, analgesic, hemostatic and regenerating properties.

Contraindications and harm to peach palm fruits

It is strictly contraindicated to use them for people with an allergic reaction to these fruits, which usually looks like redness and itching of the skin, irritation of the nasal mucosa and sore throat. The product must be included in the menu for pregnant women and the elderly very carefully. It is also worth doing this with great care for any diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

To exclude harm from the fruits of the peach palm, you should try not to eat them in the morning. Before this, you should either have breakfast with something else, or, in extreme cases, drink a glass of warm water, which will eliminate irritation of the gastric mucosa with fruit pulp.

How are peach palm fruits eaten?

Raw they are practically not eaten because of the specific taste. Before cooking, the fruits are poured with water and left for 1-2 hours, after which they are dried and boiled in salt water for 2-3 hours. They are served hot to the table, most often with some kind of gravy.

No less popular is the combination of pulp with cheese and mayonnaise. It can be boiled, fried, stewed. The peel from the fruit and seeds are always removed. They make wine, various soft drinks, desserts. There is also experience in manufacturing oil and flour based on the product.

Peach Palm Recipes

You need to take only fresh, raw fruits, not covered with mold and with a rather hard peel, which, moreover, should also be smooth. They can be added to absolutely different dishes - salads, desserts and even soups. They can be fried, stewed, boiled, stuffed and baked in the oven, they are very tasty and healthy.

Of all the recipes with peach palm fruits, the following can be offered:

Jam. Wash the "peaches" (1 kg), dry them, cut in half and remove the seeds. Then chop, add boiled water (50 ml) and cook over low heat for 20 minutes. After the appearance of a large amount of juice in the pan, stir the mass and remove it from the stove. Then combine sugar (300 g) and warm water (100 ml), boil the mixture and mix with boiled palm fruits. After that, put the mass on fire again and do not remove for about 20 minutes, stirring regularly with a spoon. After this time, beat it with a blender, pour into clean glass jars with a volume of 0.5 l and roll up with sterilized lids. Dip the finished jam in the cellar, turn the jars upside down and leave in this form for 2-3 days.
. Dissolve gelatin (20 g) in cold water(100 ml) and leave to swell for about 30 minutes. Do the same with the same amount of gelling agent, only this time use canned pineapple syrup as the liquid. Next, crumble some shortbread cookies as small as possible without any additives and put it in a baking dish lined with special paper. Then mix sugar (120 g), liquid cream (100 ml), vanillin (1 tsp) and beat the mass with a blender. Bring the gelatin swollen in water to a boil and combine with cottage cheese grated through a sieve. Mix these two compositions and fill them with the cookies previously laid out in the mold, put it in the refrigerator. After 20 minutes, lay out the fruits cut in a semicircle around the edges and add boiled gelatin soaked in syrup. Put the dish in the refrigerator for 3 hours to cool and solidify.
Jam. Wash, peel and seeds and chop the fruits (1.5 kg). Put them in a multicooker bowl, add sugar (700 g) and cook in the “Jam” mode for about 50 minutes, stirring the mass periodically and removing the resulting white film or foam. After this time, beat the mixture with a blender until a homogeneous slurry without lumps. Immediately spread the finished jam in sterilized jars, roll up the lids and put it upside down for 2-3 days, then return it to its normal position. It can be used both for greasing a slice of bread for tea, and adding it as a filling to pies, pies, buns.
stuffed fruits. Wash and boil them (200 g) in salt water together with the peel and bone. Then peel them and beat with a blender. After that, stew white chicken meat (200 g), fry champignons (150 g), grate hard cheese(150 g). Combine all this, season with grated garlic (3 cloves), sprinkle with pepper and salt to taste, pour sour cream (2 tablespoons). Then wash, cut the fruit in half and fill with the prepared mixture. Put them on a baking sheet greased with vegetable oil and place in a hot oven for 15 minutes.

Note! The fruits tolerate heat treatment well, without losing their taste and usefulness. Moreover, after cooking, they become much softer and more pleasant in salads.

Interesting facts about peach palm fruits

On one tree, an average of 7 clusters weighing up to 10 kg grows every year. The fruits have a diameter of about 5 cm and look like ordinary peaches or apricots from the side, which is why the plant got its name. In order for a person to get enough, it is enough to eat 5-6 fruits at a time, which, by the way, are traditional medicine serve to eliminate pain in the abdomen and head.

Ripe palm fruits do not remain usable for long, already 3-5 days after harvest they become moldy or become soft. It is for this reason that it is almost impossible to find them fresh in those countries where this plant does not grow. Most often, fruits are sold in supermarkets in canned form in metal cans or on order in online stores.

Boiled fruits are very popular in Costa Rica, where street vendors offer to try them as a snack. In Panama, in addition to people, these fruits are also loved by parrots, for which they are used as food. By the way, here the harvest is carried out all year round, but it is especially rich in the period from October to November.

The palm tree is protected from animals by sharp thorns, which are used by the Indians for tattooing. They - those who live along the banks of the Amazon - call this plant peihuara, and for them the fruits of the tree are one of the staples in the food system.

What does a peach palm tree look like - look at the video:

We talked about how peach palm fruits are eaten, how they are best cooked and what to serve with. And it is obvious that there are a lot of options here, you can easily replace ordinary peaches or apricots with these fruits, they do not lose to them either in taste, or in benefits, or in ease of preparation. You only have to try them once to be sure.

What are palm trees? What types of palm trees grow on our Black Sea coast? Can they be grown at home? Which of them can be grown independently from seeds? Here we will try to answer these questions. To begin with - general information.

Palm leaves are characterized by pinnate and fan type. The leaves are spirally arranged on petioles. Flowers unisexual or bisexual. The fruits are a drupe or a nut.

Palm trees grown at home from seed, long time are in a rosette state, and only after the rosette reaches the required diameter, the stem begins to grow in height. This feature makes it possible to keep young, grown from palm seeds in room conditions. The following types of palms are most suitable for this: Canarian date, capitate butia, sabal palmetto, low (squat) cameraops, thread-bearing washingtonia, Fortune's trachycarpus.

Canarian date

The Latin name is Phoenix canariensis Chahand. This plant is dioecious, evergreen. It develops like a tree, but more like a large wide bush 10-20 m tall, with a massive, unbranched false trunk, covered with the bases of old leaves.

IN open ground on the Black Sea coast, the palm tree reaches a height of 12-15 m. The leaves are large, up to 4 m. There are sharp needle-like spines along the edges of the leaf petiole.

This palm tree blooms in summer and autumn. Male inflorescences up to 2 m long, female inflorescences shorter. The fruit is ovoid, yellowish-brown, 2.5 cm long, with rough pulp, inedible. Propagated by seeds.

Date finger edible

The Canarian date should not be confused with the edible date, the palmate date (Phoenix dactylifera). Unfortunately, the seeds extracted from the fruits of an edible date germinate poorly - after all, before the dates get to the consumer, they significantly lose their germination capacity. In addition, the temperature required for germination, 20-25 ° C, can only be maintained in greenhouses and greenhouses.

The city of Basra in southern Iraq is considered the world capital of edible dates. 420 varieties of this species are concentrated here. Arabic wisdom says that "the palm tree should stand in the water with its base, and drown in the hot rays of the sun with its top."

The date palm is a dioecious plant. The ancient Egyptians and Greeks hung several male panicles inside the crowns, pouring out pollen, because without artificial insemination female specimens are fruitless.

Butia capitate

The Latin name is Butia capitata. This type of palm is native to Brazil. It grows in mountainous areas on sandy soils. The butia trunk has a characteristic capitate thickening at the base, gradually tapering upwards.

The emergence of new leaves begins in April and continues until the end of September. During the growing season, from 4 to 9 leaves are formed, and each lives up to 7 years.

The palm tree is beautiful with its openwork crown, lush inflorescences and fruits.

In the open field of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, butia begins flowering and fruiting from the age of 10-12. Rarely blooms indoors.

In butia, the seed is rounded oblong, pointed at the ends, up to 20 mm long and 10 mm wide, with three distinct sutures. In the lower part there are three rounded pores, closed with loose corked tissue - this is the place where the embryo exits.

The seeds contain about 60% liquid coconut oil. Butia fruits are used for eating raw and for making jams and liqueurs.

Before germinating butia seeds, it is recommended to carry out their long-term stratification in wet sand or peat. Mechanical stratification is possible - sawing of seed coats or careful destruction of corky tissue with a sharp metal object.

Freshly harvested seeds germinate after stratification within 35-45 days. In some cases, the process can take up to 24 months.

Butia capitate is frost-resistant - it can withstand temperatures as low as -10°C. Drought-resistant. Grows well in sandy soils.

At room conditions, butia requires regular watering, and in summer the plant must be fed with flower fertilizers once every two weeks. For it, you should use the soil mixture for palm trees, sold in stores.

Sabal palmetto

This type of palm (lat. Sabal palmetto) is native to North America. Its single trunk in the open ground reaches a height of 20 m. The leaves are fan-shaped.

Inflorescences up to 2 m long. The fruit is a black globular drupe.

On the Black Sea coast, sabal palmetto blooms and produces viable seeds that usually germinate within four months.

Stratification at 35° (about one month) shortens germination time. soaking in hot water(about 90°C), and especially the removal of the cap over the embryo also accelerates seed germination. At home, young, not yet opened, leaves are used as food as vegetables, they are called “palm cabbage!”

Chamerops squat

The botanical name of this palm species is Chamaerops humilis. Came to Europe from Africa. Cultivated in greenhouses for over 300 years. This is a bushy palm tree with several trunks 2-3 m high, growing from a common base. In the Sochi arboretum of the Research Institute of Gorlesecology there are specimens with 7-10 or more trunks in a bush.

The palm grows slowly. During the summer it forms up to 7 leaves, which usually live for 7 years. Blooms in May-June. The fruit is a drupe, ripens in November-December.

The palm tree is drought-resistant, undemanding to the soil. Propagated by seeds.

Seeds in the pulp of the fruit do not germinate. After removing the pulp, they germinate within 2 months at room temperature. Removing the cap causes accelerated germination of seeds in 11 days.

Washingtonia filamentous or filamentous

The Latin name is Washingtonia filifera. She is native to southwestern North America. This is a very beautiful fan palm. The trunk in the homeland reaches a height of 30 m. The leaves are fan-shaped with delicate thin threads hanging between the leaf segments.

Inflorescences are compound. The flowers are bisexual with a strong smell. The fruit is an indehiscent drupe.

On the Black Sea coast, it blooms and bears fruit abundantly, the fruits ripen in December. This is one of the fastest growing palm trees.

Easily propagated by seeds. Germination 80-90%. At a temperature of 35 ° C in greenhouse conditions, seedlings appear on the seventh day. Under normal conditions - within a month.

This type of palm tree will look good in spacious rooms - halls, offices, greenhouses. Care is simple, but there is one feature - in winter it will feel more comfortable in cool conditions. If you can not maintain the temperature in the room no higher than 20 ° C (preferably 15-18 ° C), then the dishes with the plant should be kept in a pan with water and sprayed daily. At high temperature indoors and dry air, it can drop leaves.

Seeds remain viable for up to 5 years.

Trachycarpus Fortune

This type of palm (lat. Trachycarpus fortunei) in its homeland, in China, Burma, Japan, grows up to 10 m. At the top of the trunk it forms a bunch of fan-shaped leaves, the petioles of which reach a length of 0.5 to 1.5 m. The flowers are unisexual, dioecious , collected in large paniculate inflorescences. The fruit is a drupe. Abundantly fructifies from 20 years. Blossoms in May, fruits ripen in December-January.

It is the most hardy of all fan palms.

It is undemanding to the soil. Easily propagated by seeds. Seeds germinate within a month.

Young plants at room conditions are recommended once a year to transfer into pots more than large size. This accelerates their growth and makes it possible to remove rotten and dried parts of the root. All transplanting work must be carried out in the spring, at the beginning of the growing season.

Trachycarpus Fortune tolerates transplantation well in adulthood.

In many places on the Black Sea coast, it gives abundant self-seeding and runs wild.

The growth of the world's population requires more products. Vegetable oil is no exception. The world produces and consumes a huge amount of it. On the territory of Russia, sunflower is the most common - one of the types vegetable oil. In addition to it, there are still several dozen varieties, all of which have a name according to the plant or fruit from which it is produced. The most popular include palm, soybean, rapeseed, olive and sunflower. Moreover, they differ in terms of world production and consumption, for example, palm oil occupies a leading position, accounting for 36%, soybean oil is in second place - 26%, rapeseed oil is in third - 15%, and sunflower oil is only in fourth, occupying 9 percent of the total. .

What is it made from

Palm oil is extracted from the fruits of the oil palm tree, which is native to West Africa. Its Latin name - Elaeisguineensis - translates as "olive" (elaion) and "Guinean" (guineensis). For the first time, mention of it is found in the records of merchants traveling the African continent, dated to the 15th century. Today, however, Indonesia and Malaysia have become the main suppliers of this natural product. It is not difficult to guess why - thanks to the perseverance and hard work of these East Asian peoples, and of course the warm and humid climate there. One third of the world's palm oil is grown and produced in these regions. In nature, palm trees can reach 30 meters, cultivated varieties - 15 meters. The tree begins to bear fruit at the age of 3-4 years. From one hectare of young palms, you can collect up to 3 tons of fruits, from mature plants - up to 15 tons. Plantation-grown palm trees yield 2-4 crops per year. The fruits of the oil palm tree, similar to plums, grow in whole seedlings - many thousands of "heaps" weighing from 25 kilograms.

What are the fruits of the palm tree

Looks like oil palm fruit similar to a plum or a date, under the pericarp of which there is an oily pulp, then follows a nut shell with an inner core (oil is also prepared from it - palm kernel oil).

What are the main types of oils made from the fruits of the oil palm

palm oil color directly depends on the color of the flesh of the fruit. It can have a wide color spectrum: from yellowish to dark red. Its scent is reminiscent of violets. After processing, including rectification (separation into components), bleaching and deodorization, it can be used in food. Basically, the refined product is used in the frying process, as a salad dressing. It is also one of the components in the preparation of ice cream, chips, "quick" cereals, chocolate, various bakery and confectionery, sausages, mayonnaise, etc.

Palm kernel oil extracted from kernels very similar in characteristics to coconut, and is often used with / instead of it. The process of production and processing of this species is more complex and expensive. It is produced in smaller quantities and is valued more than usual. The scope of the palm kernel product is the production of high-quality expensive cosmetics and perfumes.

About useful and harmful properties

It's impossible not to say that there are types according to the degree of processing: raw, refined and technical.
The most expensive of them is the first - raw. But it does not occur with us. Unrefined palm oil contains a lot of vitamin E, provitamin A, carotenoids. This positive side product properties.
Its harm lies in:

high content of saturated fats,
high melting point, or refractoriness,
low levels of linoleic acid.

If such a degree of benefit / harm possesses that has not been purified, then the refined benefit loses - that's for sure, and the harmful characteristics increase.

next view according to the degree of processing - technical. Most often, this type is used for the production of inexpensive cosmetics and technological lubricants. It is the cheapest. And therein lies the trick. Many food manufacturers add a technical variety to their production process in order to save money. There is no need to talk about its harmfulness. It is enough just to remember the raw product and increase it eleven times!

Buy or not buy products that include palm oil - everyone decides for himself.

The peach palm is a tree-like plant of the Palm family that produces edible fruits.

Straight slender palm tree 20-30 meters high. The trunk, along its entire length or only in the upper part, is covered with wide rings of long (up to 12 cm) black needle-like spines, which greatly complicate harvesting.

The leaves are long (2.4-3.6 meters), pinnate, with lanceolate dark green, prickly at the edges, leaflets. The petioles are also covered with spines.

The flowers are small, yellowish-white, collected in racemes up to 30 cm long, located under the very crown of the palm tree.

Fruits, yellow, orange or red, hang in clusters of 50-100 pieces. They are cup-shaped, conical or oval, about 6 cm long, with weakly expressed six faces. Under the thin skin is a sweet mealy yellow-orange flesh and a large ovoid stone with a sharp top.

The fruits of this palm tree are harvested from September to December, and this tree gives the richest harvest in October and November. Up to thirteen bunches of such fruits can grow on one palm tree. The palm tree blooms twice a year. If the soil is sufficiently moist, the peach palm in Panama can produce two crops a year.

The tree begins to bear fruit for 2-3 years, then an adult can pick the fruits while standing on the ground. As the palm tree grows in height, the clusters of fruit become more difficult to reach, so for harvesting, for example, Panamanians use special tools to pluck these clusters and make the fall of these delicate fruits on the ground as soft as possible.

Here is what Heinrich Walter Bats, who traveled around the Amazon in the mid-nineteenth century, wrote about the peach palm, or as it is also called peihuare: “The famous “peach palm”, pupunha ... .. (“Guilielma speciosa”). I believe that the name is given by the similarity of color, and not by the taste of the fruit, because it is dry and mealy, and the taste can be compared to chestnuts with cheese. ... This tree makes a wonderful decoration; it grows in clusters near houses covered with palm leaves; in its full development, the pupunha reaches from fifty to sixty feet in height. It is difficult for a strong person to pick up a bunch of ripe fruits, and each tree carries several of these brushes. Nowhere in the Amazon does the pupunha grow in the wild. This is one of the few plant products (including three genera of mandi oca and American types of banana) that the Indians have been cultivating since time immemorial... And then only more developed tribes were engaged in its cultivation... Twelve pieces of fruits are enough to completely saturate an adult.

Peach Palm Spread

The homeland of the Peach palm is the Amazonian jungle of Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. This palm tree has long been cultivated and distributed by Indian tribes to neighboring areas. Most important economic importance she has in Costa Rica. It is also cultivated in Panama, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, northern South America and the Antilles. In 1924, the peach palm was introduced to cultivation in the Philippines and in the 1970s in India.

The use of peach palm

In addition to the fact that the fruit has excellent palatability, it also has an insane amount of vitamins, minerals, organic compounds, which make it simply a unique food product. The fruit has a lot of protein structures, carbohydrates, vitamins C, E, A, B, K, as well as potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc.

Peach palm fruits are an effective source of energy. 100 grams of fruit contains 37 grams of carbohydrates, which are building blocks our energy supply, and by breaking down these carbohydrates, our body is able to renew and recharge itself very quickly. It is because of these wonderful beneficial properties that it is popular in the countries of South America and is becoming more and more in demand around the globe.

Digestive system

Like most other vegetables and fruits, peach palm fruit is an excellent and versatile source of fiber. It plays an important role during digestion because its coarse fiber slows down the processing process. This, in turn, has a positive effect on reducing bloating, helping to prevent more serious gastrointestinal diseases such as stomach ulcers and colon cancer.

Heart health and diabetes

Fiber plays a very important role in the fight against diabetes and can help the body regulate insulin levels in the blood. By slowing down the absorption of glucose into the blood, fiber optimizes the functioning of many organs, such as the pancreas. Also, peach palm fruit fiber reduces the severity of the consequences of diabetes, strengthens the heart, cleanses the body of excess cholesterol in blood vessels and arteries, thereby reducing the chances of atherosclerosis, heart attacks and strokes.

Vision

One of the most important vitamins found in the fruit is vitamin A, as well as other carotenoids that help protect the body. Carotenes have a positive effect on eye health, and therefore improve vision, because they act as antioxidants, reducing cataracts, as well as preventing degeneration. yellow spot in the eye cell.

Skin protection

Vitamin C, vitamin A, also found in the miracle fruit, maintains a healthy fluid balance in the body. Vitamins stimulate the growth of new skin cells and protect others. Potassium in human blood helps to control the balance of water in the body, promotes the exchange of fluid in cells, thereby maintaining the functionality of all important elements body work.

In addition, the fruit contains many key minerals, such as magnesium and calcium, which can normalize white blood cells and thus eliminate the chronic effects of free radicals.

Fresh fruits are not accepted.

The fruits are boiled for 2-3 hours in salt water, often with the addition of oil, after cutting the peel, then eaten hot. Usually they are eaten with some kind of gravy or as a side dish for fatty dishes, since the pulp of the peach palm is a bit dry. The pulp of the fruit is also added to bread products, a strong alcoholic drink is prepared from them. The pit kernels are edible and taste like coconut.

The soft core from the upper part of the trunk (palmetto), like some other types of palms, is eaten raw or used in various dishes, canned. It tastes like celery stalks. This part of the palm is consumed fresh or boiled, mixed with an egg and used as a filling for casseroles. Also, during the fermentation of palm sap, an alcoholic drink is obtained. Chicha beer is made from the fermentation of unsalted boiled purée of these fruits, sometimes mixed with plantain. The production of such a drink is prohibited in Costa Rica, with the exception of reservations where the Indians live.