12 Healthy Reasons To Eat Star Fruit
Written by Taisiia Dobrozorova
Taisiia Dobrozorova is a nutrition and fitness writer at Unimeal and a healthy lifestyle devotee. She has accomplished several courses on health, nutrition, dietology.
Fact checked by Ievgeniia Dobrynina
Ievgeniia Dobrynina is the Head of Nutrition and a fact checker at Unimeal.
While traveling to distant countries and in the nearby supermarket, you can find exotic fruits alongside apples and oranges. The star fruit is the topic of this article. Where does the star fruit come from? When is star fruit in season? And what benefits does it bring to your health? Keep reading to learn all about star fruit!
Star fruit nutrition profile
The star-shaped fruit comes from Southeast Asia and the South Pacific tropical areas. It is in season beginning mid-autumn through early winter, roughly from October through December.
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Carambola fruit is almost 90% water. So it is a low-calorie product. Nutritional value per 100 g contains1NutritionData. (2018). Carambola, (starfruit), raw Nutrition Facts & Calories. NutritionData. Retrieved from https://www.nutritionix.com/i/usda/carambola-starfruit-raw-1-cup-cubes/513fceb475b8dbbc21000ff0:
- 6.5 g of carbs
- 1 g of proteins
- 0.3 g of fats (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated)
- 2.85 g of dietary fiber
- 30 kcal
Also, it is rich in vitamins, amino acids, and micro- and macroelements. Chemical composition of fresh fruits (per 100 g):
Carambola contains organic and inorganic compounds. An enormous volume is accounted for by oxalic acid. Significant glutamic acid content is noted in the plant leaves.
What does star fruit taste like
The carambola fruit's story will be incomplete without its taste. The ones who tried it for the first time will agree that it's hard to compare this taste with other fruits. For some people, the flesh of the carambola is elastic, like that of a nectarine. And the flavor resembles a green gooseberry, apple, and cucumber simultaneously. For others - taste combines plum, apple, and grape in one fruit. Star fruit's aroma sounds like gooseberries.
The juicy and slightly spicy pulp does not darken or oxidize for a long time, so the green-yellow stars will remain fresh for a long time. In addition to gastronomic pleasure, the star fruit looks aesthetic. So it can be used as decoration for cocktail glasses, desserts, ice cream, and pastries. Beautiful yellow stars can accomplish any dish!
How to cut and eat star fruit
Can you eat star fruit skin? Of course! The skin is edible, so it is unnecessary to peel the fruit completely. But before eating, wash the fruit thoroughly. A lot of dust gets stuck between the faces of the fruits, in the recesses.
Cut the fruit crosswise so that you have several 1 cm wide stars. You can eat carambola straight with the seeds and skin, but some prefer to peel the fruit completely. To do this, you need to pierce the center of the asterisk with a knife to clean the fruit from soft stones. After that, carefully cut the edges of the fruit with a thin knife to remove the black veins and yellow skin.
Carambola, like any other fruit, must be consumed fresh to get the maximum benefit from the product.
Health benefits
The rich chemical composition gives the tropical fruit several valuable properties2Kasun Lakmal, Pamodh Yasawardene, Umesh Jayarajah, Suranjith L Seneviratne. (2021, January 23). Nutritional and medicinal properties of Star fruit ( Averrhoa carambola): A review. Food Sci Nutr. DOI:10.1002/fsn3.2135, 3Fei Luan, et al. (2021, August 12). Traditional Uses, Phytochemical Constituents and Pharmacological Properties of Averrhoa carambola L.: A Review. Front Pharmacol. DOI:10.3389/fphar.2021.699899, 4Jirakrit Leelarungrayub, et al. (2016, August 31). A preliminary study on the effects of star fruit consumption on antioxidant and lipid status in elderly Thai individuals. Clin Interv Aging. DOI:10.2147/CIA.S110718, 5Xiaojie Wei. (2018). Protective Effects of 2-Dodecyl-6-Methoxycyclohexa-2,5 -Diene-1,4-Dione Isolated from Averrhoa Carambola L. (Oxalidaceae) Roots on Neuron Apoptosis and Memory Deficits in Alzheimer's Disease. Cell Physiol Biochem. DOI:10.1159/000493289, 6Tanmay Sarkar, et al. (2022, February 14). Minor tropical fruits as a potential source of bioactive and functional foods. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. DOI:10.1080/10408398.2022.2033953:
Consumption of carambola positively affects the body, regardless of a person's gender and age category.
Downsides
The main threat when eating exotic fruits is a food allergy. The star fruit is no exception. So people prone to allergies should include it in their diet in small portions.
The large content of oxalic acid also negatively affects the body7Nehal S Ramadan, et al. (2020, May 22). Nutrient and Sensory Metabolites Profiling of Averrhoa Carambola L. (Starfruit) in the Context of Its Origin and Ripening Stage by GC/MS and Chemometric Analysis. Molecules. DOI:10.3390/molecules25102423. People suffering from peptic ulcer disease of the stomach, duodenum, colitis, and kidney failure should not abuse this fruit8Eduarda Savino Moreira de Oliveira, Aline Silva de Aguiar. (2015 April-June). Why eating star fruit is prohibited for patients with chronic kidney disease? J Bras Nefrol. DOI:10.5935/0101-2800.20150037, 9R A Abeysekera, et al. (2015, December 17). Star fruit toxicity: a cause of both acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease: a report of two cases. BMC Res Notes . DOI:10.1186/s13104-015-1640-8. Eating more than 3 fruits a day is not recommended for those whose body is not used to exotic fruits. Exceeding the permissible norm is traditionally accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea, and weakness.
How to prepare star fruit dessert
Each cuisine has its traditional dishes. In countries where trees with carambola fruits are not among rare exotic plants and grow in large numbers, the fruit is used to prepare various dishes.
For instance, Chinese chefs prefer to add carambola to fish dishes. Quite often, ripe star fruit is boiled in syrup and preserved.
Unripe fruits or varieties of green carambola become the base for jam and jelly. But due to the lack of pectin in this fruit, papaya and lime juice are added to the dishes. Malaysians love to make desserts. Fruit stewed with cloves and sugar is considered an excellent filling for pies. Well, the range of ideas with this fruit astonishes. So, before searching for mouthwatering and fresh recipes with carambola, try the Star fruit salad recipe we've prepared for you. Maybe it will become your favorite dessert!
The bottom line
The star fruit is a delicious fruit. It's full of beneficial micronutrients, which positively affect the organism. The low-calorie value will keep you in good health and shape. However, people with specific health problems should carefully consume the fruit. For most people, star fruit is a healthy and nutritious addition to the menu in various forms and recipe ideas.
Unimeal does not diagnose or suggest treatments. Any description of the diet, training plan or supplement should be discussed with your current physician or nutritionist. This article does not address specific conditions and is simply meant to provide general information on healthcare topics. Following any advice is at your own initiative and does not impose any responsibility on the blog authors for your health and safety.
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