(NaturalNews) The bright-red Gac superfruit from Vietnam, also known as Momordica cochinchinensis, may not yet be all that popular throughout North America, but in Southeast Asia and China it is widely cultivated and consumed for its unique taste and myriad health benefits. These benefits include improvements in vision, reproductive function, immunity, skin health, prostate health, and heart health.
The prickly, bulbous Gac fruit -- which according to a recent report in FOX News is also known as the Chinese bitter cucumber, cundeamor, and bhat karela -- has long been used as a traditional medicine for treating all sorts of ailments and conditions. Since Gac fruit is rich in beta-carotene, lycopene, and zeaxanthin, it is a powerful fruit for both maintaining and improving overall vision.
These same antioxidants work to improve immune function as well by boosting production of white blood cells, which help ward off disease. Beta-carotene is also known to boost reproductive function by improving sperm production, as well as aid in the development of healthy embryos -- and the Gac fruit contains roughly ten times more beta-carotene than carrots.
Rich in many powerful antioxidants, Gac fruit naturally helps to reduce damage to skin tissue by protecting it against oxidative stress. Oxidative stress ages skin and causes it to lose its elasticity and healthy appearance, but both the lycopene and beta-carotene in Gac fruit not only protect skin, but also help to improve its appearance.
As far as heart health, the
Gac fruit protects against athersclerosis, also known as artery hardening, and it also contains compounds that help reduce heart attack risk. And for men, Gac fruit lowers levels of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), the abnormal cellular function that contributes to an enlarged prostate.
Gac
fruit is also a rich source of saturated, unsaturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated fatty acids, which together represent a highly unique profile among fruits. Most fruits are "fat free", which limits the absorption of their nutrients in the body. But the diverse array of fats in Gac fruit ensures high bio-availability and maximum absorption of nutrients (
http://www.naturalnews.com/030546_food_colors.html).
Sources for this story include:http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/02/22/gac-strange-powerful-fruit/
Have comments on this article? Post them here:
people have commented on this article.
Email this article to a friend
Now Available from 
