Mamey – sources, health benefits, nutrients, uses and constituents at NaturalPedia.com
07/29/2017 / By Jhoanna Robinson
Mamey, which has the scientific name Pouteria sapota, is an uncommon tropical fruit that tastes like a mixture of a potato and a cherry with undertones of honey and is endemic to the American states of Hawaii and Florida. Its popularity reaches southern Mexico and southern Costa Rica, but is widely cultivated in the central American countries of Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Puerto Rico.
Mamey was once cultivated by the ancient Mayans and is now naturalized in the West Indies.
Even though it is known for being an ornamental tree, mamey, which can grow up to 15 to 45 meters (60 to 140 feet), is planted mostly for its fruit, which has a pink- or orange-colored flesh, creamy and soft texture, and which tastes like the kiwi fruit. It is in season from June through September.
Mameys, which are also called mamey sapote or mamey colorado, and which belong to the Sapotaceae family, whose members also include sapotilla, abiu, and canistel, are highly perishable – a ripe fruit should be consumed within a week. The word “sapote” comes frm the Aztec word tzapotl, which means soft and sweet fruit.
Other names for mamey include lava sapote, mamee apple, mammee sapote, mamee zapote, marmalade plum, marmalade tree, zapotillo, red sapote, and true sapote.
Mameys grow best in humid tropical lowlands with warm temperatures and well-drained soils. It doesn’t take to constantly wet or constantly flooded soils as they hinder root development and induces the rotting of roots.
List of known nutrients
- Calcium
- Carbohydrate
- Magnesium
- Manganese
- Potassium
- Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
- Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
- Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)
- Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
Medicinal uses for mamey
Mamey maintains capillaries and blood vessels due to its vitamin C content.
Mamey can help you stave off hunger pangs. It is also low in calories, which is perfect for people who are watching their weight. Its fiber content also makes it possible for digested food to exit your stomach at a much slower pace, causing you to feel less hungry often.
Mamey boosts immunity.
Mamey fights cancer-causing elements. It reduces the risk of incurring certain cancers such as colon cancer.
Mamey is good for the heart and for regulating cholesterol levels. It reduces the risk of hypertension and helps treat anemia, which is a deficiency of red blood cells in the body, as mamey contains vitamin B6 that is responsible for hemoglobin creation in the blood and iron mobilization.
Mamey is good for skin health. It helps lessen instances of pale skin and dark circles under the eyes, which are indicative of an iron deficiency, and insteasd gives your skin a rosy pink glow.
Mamey also provides for bone health and durability. As a matter of fact, a study that was conducted by the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center showed that the potassium in fruits and begetables such as mamey can give higher mineral density in bones.
Mamey provides for the proper functioning of your brain. Its vitamin B3 content helps prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease as well as other age-related brian diseases that end in mental decline. Vitamin B3 further lessens the risk the loss of age-related thinking skills such as memory loss, chronic brain syndrome, and even alcohol dependence.
The vitamin B2 content of mamey helps stave off the onset of eye ailments like cataract, glaucoma (or fluid buildup in your eye’s optic nerve), and keratoconus (or the thinning of the cornea which results in double and blurry vision and neardightedness).
Mamey is good for relieving pre-menstrual syndrome symptoms and gastro-intestinal maladies. It has antiseptic and sedative properties.
It can also be used to treat rheumatism and kidney stones.
Body systems supported by mamey
Mamey is good for the heart as it lowers cholesterol and blood pressure levels, leading to decreased risks of atherosclerosis, coronary disease, heart attack, and stroke. Its potassium content provides for the proper functioning of the cardiovascular system, while its vitamin E content hinders plaque buildup in arteries and blood vessels and stops the oxidation of artery-hurting low-density lipoprotein.
Ways to use mamey
Mamey can be eaten as it is or it can be incorporated to cold treats such as fruit bars, ice cream, milk shakes, and smoothies. It is also used to make marmalades and jelly. Some people believe that ingestion of mamey can arouse sexual desire in a person.
Its oil extract, which is called sapayul oil, sapuyucol, or zapoyola oil, is used as a base to make skincare products. It is also used to fix paintings and colors on handicrafts. Also, the oil from mamey’s seed kernal can be used to make soap, and has lots of uses in the comestic and pharmaceutical industries.
Where to learn more
Summary
Mamey is good for relieving pre-menstrual syndrome symptoms and gastro-intestinal maladies.
Mamey can be used to treat rheumatism and kidney stones.
Mamey is good for skin health.
Mamey provides for the proper functioning of your brain.
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