Benefits and side effects of Jujube Fruit (Ber)

Ripening in the months of spring, bel fruit provides your brain with the refreshing and rejuvenating touch of the season. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is used for calming the senses and treating insomnia. Here is how ber fruit helps to improve brain function and inhibit brain damage:

• Jujube fruit is known to be an effective neuroprotective agent, which means that it protects the nervous system from damage. Lab studies indicate that ber fruit helps maintain the structure and function of brain cells along with promoting neuron (brain cell) formation and cell signalling. This makes your brain work faster and with more precision. Bet you never thought a fruit can make you smarter.
• It activates certain antioxidant pathways in your brain, which work actively in preventing oxidative damage and neuronal death. Since oxidative stress and impairment of neuron or brain cell function is the major characteristic of diseases like  Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, consuming ber fruits may also help delay them. Research evidence demonstrates that along with preventing nerve cell damage, ber fruit extracts inhibit the accumulation of A-beta protein in brain, which is responsible for brain plaques and dementia in people suffering from Alzheimer’s.
• Further studies indicate the memory-enhancing effects of jujube fruit extract. Not only it prevents memory loss but also reverts and improves memory.
• In a series of animal-based studies, ber fruit has been found to possess potent memory-boosting and cognition-enhancing properties. It also reduces anxiety and prevents epileptic convulsions, as evident by preclinical evidence.
• Ber fruit extracts, when administered along with cAMP, has been found to improve depression symptoms in animal models.

(Read more: How to increase brain power)

Our immune system is the main line of defence against diseases. Inflammation refers to the response of our body against an injury or infection. An impairment in immune function or the presence of an immunocompromised condition makes one prone to health conditions and poses a threat. Fortunately, a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle may help improve immunity. Ber is one such food. Lab studies indicate that jujube fruit extracts modulate the formation of inflammatory molecules and thereby regulating inflammation.

Further, studies suggest that the various polysaccharides (sugars) present in ber fruit improve T cell development and function. You must know that T-cells form an important part of your immune system cascade and play a major role in clearing away harmful pathogens from your body.

Being a rich source of vitamin C, ber helps you reach your daily recommended requirements quickly.

Vitamin C prevents the entry of pathogens through your skin along with increasing the production of immune system cells. As an antioxidant, it reduces oxidative stress, which has an improving effect on immune function.

Since vitamin C deficiency is associated with a weakened immune system, taking ber fruit would ensure that your body’s defences never suffer.

(Read more: Immunity boosting foods)

Did you know munching on ber fruits can help you get rid of all those piled up pounds? According to the WHO, about 650 billion people were in the obese category worldwide, in the year 2016. This number is only going to increase if appropriate steps are not taken on time.

Obesity is basically a result of an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure, which results in the accumulation of fat. Preclinical studies suggest that ber leaf extracts help lower body weight along with reducing total food intake. It also reduces the amount of LDL or harmful cholesterol in your body, which is one of the major factors responsible for fat deposition in body tissues. This anti-obesity effect was found to be similar to that of the commercial drug sibutramine. 

Being low in calories, ber fruit does not contribute much to your total calorie intake and it also improves the digestion process, which has an elementary role in maintaining energy balance in your body.

In a clinical study, regular consumption of ber fruits demonstrated marked hypolipidemic (reduces body fat) activity in obese children.

Toss in some ber fruits in your fruit salad to melt all of that extra fat.

(Read more: Weight loss diet chart)

Ber fruit is considered to be a potent gastroprotective (protects stomach) agent. Traditionally, the dried seeds, bark and leaves of ber plant are used for the treatment of various gastrointestinal disorders like ulcers, diarrhoea and dysentery.

In vivo studies indicate that bark extract obtained from ber stem protects the inner lining of your stomach and prevents stomach ulcer. Though, it was not found to be helpful in reducing ulcers caused by Helicobacter pylori.

Recent studies have found that jujube fruit may be helpful in alleviating diarrhoea symptoms and controlling the growth of E.coli, the causative agent of diarrhoea and some forms of dysentery.

In a clinical study including 37 people who were suffering from chronic constipation, regular intake of ber fruit extract was demonstrated to be effective in improving their symptoms and reducing colon transit time (time taken by food to pass through your intestines).

(Read more: How to improve digestion)

Ber fruit has several benefits for your heart. First, it facilitates cholesterol reduction, which is one of the major risk factors for heart diseases. The antioxidants present in jujube fruits protect you from atherosclerosis.

Plaque development, when left unchecked, would narrow down your arteries and increases blood pressure. So, ber also protects you against high blood pressure. Research evidence also demonstrates the anti-hypertensive effects of ber fruit. This can be attributed to the presence of various bioactive chemicals in this delectable fruit. However, it may also be due to a good potassium content, which would balance out excess sodium in your body and also help regulate heart rhythm (Read more: Arrhythmia causes and treatment).

Also, it aids in regulating circulation and preventing blood clotting, which, otherwise pose a risk of heart attack and stroke.

Healthy skin makes a healthy body. Your skin not only protects you from the harmful effects of solar radiations but also stands as a barrier against the entry of infectious microbes into your body. Ber fruit is a treasury of nutrients that make the perfect addition to your beauty regime. Here is how jujube fruit benefits your skin:

• Ber fruit possesses strong anti-inflammatory activity. The antibacterial effects of this fruit may help inhibit the growth of acne-causing bacteria. This means it can protect you from the discomforts caused due to acne.
• Traditional Iranian medicine lists jujube fruit in one of the primary herbs that can facilitate a reduction in allergy symptoms and aid in managing itching caused due to eczema and dermatitis.
• Jujube extract has been found to be a useful wound healing agent in animal-based studies. According to a clinical study mentioned in the Journal of Medicine and Life, topical application of jujube extract ointment, two times a day, speeds up wound healing in case of second-degree burns.
• Lab studies indicate that ber fruit extracts inhibit the growth and spread of melanoma cells. However, more studies are needed to confirm ber fruit as an anticancer agent. (Read more: Skin cancer treatment)
• Being a good source of antioxidants, ber fruit helps your skin fight oxidative stress and prevent the first signs of ageing including fine lines and wrinkles. Research studies suggest that regular consumption of jujube fruit increases lifespan and overall health.

Apart from being your skin’s best friend and promoting heart health, jujube fruit has some other benefits for women health. It provides you with a good source of calcium, while it is not one of the richest sources of this mineral, ber fruit would help you reach your daily requirement. Since women are more prone to bone loss and osteoporosis, ber fruit could be an excellent dietary supplement to prevent this condition.

In a randomized control study, jujube fruit extracts were found to be effective in reducing the harmful effects of toxic metals like lead, arsenic and cadmium. These metals may otherwise travel to the baby and cause severe health problems. So, breastfeeding women may consider consuming this fruit after confirming with a doctor.

Ber fruit possesses several components that have been found to supress the growth of tumours and cancerous cells. It also induces cell death in certain types of cancer. Laboratory studies suggest that jujube extracts interfere with certain cellular pathways to inhibit the growth of breast cancer and cervical cancer cells.

Being a good source of antioxidants, it assists in reducing oxidative stress and preventing free radical damage, which is one of the major causes of DNA damage and cancer.

• Lab-based studies indicate that jujube fruit extracts reduce kidney damage.
• By reducing bilirubin concentration, ber fruit helps alleviate jaundice symptoms in neonates, as demonstrated by clinical evidence.
• Preclinical studies indicate that jujube fruit essential oil is an excellent hair growth promoting agent. However, clinical studies are still pending to confirm. (Read more: Hair fall prevention)
• Bel fruit has been found to be an effective antimicrobial agent. It prevents the growth of pathogenic bacteria, fungi and yeast.