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Chikoo or sapota is one of those tasty tropical fruits that most Indians love to enjoy. And why not? Apart from mango, there are very few fruits with such a soft and sweet pulp like chikoo. It also offers tons of benefits for your health just like other healthy fruits. If you are a beauty enthusiast who loves to take care of her skin and hair with natural ingredients, chikoo can help you in that too. But above all, this fruit can be a savior for all those overweight people, who have been struggling with their excess body fat. This simple fruit can help you shake off a lot of pounds and that too naturally. In this article, we will focus on the benefits of eating chikoo (sapodilla) for weight loss, how you can include it in your diet, and all other important things to consider for this purpose.
What Is Chikoo (Sapodilla)?
Chikoo (scientifically named Manilkara Zapota), also known as ‘sapota’ or ‘sapodilla’, is obtained from a tall evergreen tea with glossy, oblong leaves and bell-shaped white flowers. Though the tree, belonging to the Sapotaceae family, is native to the rain forests of Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean, it is widely available across the world these days. There are four different types of chikoo plants including Russel, Brown Sugar, Tikal, and Prolific Sapodilla.
Chikoo is a small, round or oval-shaped, deliciously sweet berry that measures approximately 0.5 inches in diameter and weighs nearly 150 grams. The nutrient- and calorie-rich fruit has a thin and hard skin that is pale yellow to brown in color. It also consists of 2-5 shiny black bean-like seeds in the center. The edible flesh of the fruit is soft, delicate and easy-to-digest. It has a smooth and grainy texture with a very sweet and musky flavor, which is attributable to its high fructose and sucrose content.
The pulp of unripe chikoo is white in color due to the high amount of latex in it. As the fruit ripens, the latext content reduces and the color changes to brown.
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Nutritional Value Of Chikoo (Sapodilla)
Chikoo comes loaded with essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which makes it an absolutely healthy fruit. Here is a breakdown of the nutritional value of chikoo (1):
| TYPE | NAME | QUANTITY (per 100 g) |
| Macronutrients | Energy | 83 Kcal |
| Dietary Fiber | 5.3 g | |
| Fat | 1.10 g | |
| Carbohydrate | 19.9 g | |
| Protein | 0.44 g | |
| B Group Vitamins | Niacin (B3) | 0.200 mg |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 0.252 mg | |
| Pyridoxine (B6) | 0.037 mg | |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.020 mg | |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.058 mg | |
| Other Vitamins | Folate | 14 mcg |
| Vitamin A | 60 IU | |
| Vitamin C | 14.7 mg | |
| Electrolytes | Sodium | 12 mg |
| Potassium | 193 mg | |
| Minerals | Calcium | 21 mg |
| Copper | 0.086 mg | |
| Iron | 0.80 mg | |
| Magnesium | 12 mg | |
| Phosphorous | 12 mg | |
| Selenium | 0.6 mcg | |
| Zinc | 0.10 mg | |
| Lipids | Saturated fatty acids | 0.33 g |
| Monounsaturated fatty acids | 0.89 g | |
|
Polyunsaturated fatty acids |
0.02 g |
Why Eat Chikoo (Sapodilla) For Weight Loss?
While chikoo does not have any direct effect on our body weight, it can indirectly help us burn a lot of fat. Here are three main ways the fruit work to aid in weight loss:
1. Facilitates Bowel Movement
Chikoo is very high in dietary fibers, which makes it a wonderful laxative. It aids in the movement of the bowel through the gastrointestinal tract, thereby facilitating digestion, reducing abdominal gas, and curing constipation. All these help in losing weight faster as well as in an effective way.
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2. Promotes Healthy Digestion
Chikoo improves our metabolism significantly by boosting the natural process of digestion and reducing various gastrointestinal issues. This is essential for promoting weight loss and averting obesity.
3. Detoxifies The Body
Chikoo is loaded with antioxidant vitamin C, which adds to its detoxifying properties. The fruit can help our body get rid of toxic materials, which smoothens the progress of our weight loss journey.
How To Eat Chikoo (Sapodilla) For Weight Loss?
The most common way of eating chikoo for weight loss is to peel out the skin of the fruit, bisect it longitudinally, remove the seeds (discard them as well), and consume the soft juicy pulp directly. Having the raw fruit with its skin is considered as the healthiest choice for both adults and babies. However, if you don’t like to eat the fruit directly, try out its juice or blend it in your milkshake for some tasty variations. Chikoo can also be used in jams, jellies, and ice creams for added flavor as well as weight loss benefits. You can even add it to your bowl of cereals.
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How To Select Chikoos For Weight Loss?
Chikoo is not a seasonal fruit, which means you can avail it all through the year. But when it comes to meeting a certain goal i.e. losing weight with its help, you have to make sure that you buy the right ones in order to reap the maximum benefits. Here are a few tricks to select the right chikoo for weight loss:
- Choose fresh, soft, and well-shaped chikoos with smooth skin and a nice brown color.
- Chikoos, which are ripe enough, are always the best to pick. When buying, press the fruit gently with your thumb to test its ripeness. If, by any chance, you end up buying raw chikoos, simply put them in a rice bag for 2 consecutive days in order to ripen them.
- Make sure that you do not purchase hard, rotten or leaking chikoos from the market. Also, try to avoid ones that are bruised, spotted, deformed, or having a wrinkled skin.
How To Store Chikoo (Sapodilla)?
It is always recommended that you consume chikoo within 3 to 4 days after buying. They can be kept at the room temperature for this time period. However, if you need to store chikoos for some more days, put them in a refrigerator or any other cool, dry place.
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Side Effects Of Chikoo (Sapodilla)
Chikoo is a healthy and nutritious fruit that does not cause any adverse effects when consumed in moderation. But overeating of chikoo can lead to a number of issues including stomach pain and abdominal discomfort. Being very high in calories, it can also interrupt your weight loss efforts by adding some extra pounds to your body. In addition, raw chikoos are high in chemical compounds like tannins and latex, which cause mouth irritation, itching in the throat, breathing problem, mouth ulcers, and so forth.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How Many Chikoos To Eat A Day For Weight Loss?
The recommended daily intake of chikoo might vary from person to person based on their unique weight loss goals. However, you should not consume more than 100-120 g of the fruit per day.
Can A Diabetic Eat Chikoo?
If you are diabetic, you should avoid chikoo for weight loss. The fruit not only has high levels of sugar but also very high calories, which can increase the levels of sugar in your bloodstream. As a result, your diabetes can become worse over time.
Is Chikoo Good For health?
Chikoo is extremely good for our health. It boosts digestion, cures constipation, reduces inflammation, increases energy, improves vision, heals cold and flu, keeps bones healthy, eases pregnancy-related symptoms, detoxifies the body, and prevents certain cancers. To know more, please read 15 Great Health Benefits Of Chikoo Or Sapodilla.
Is Chikoo Good For Skin And Hair?
Chikoo is an amazing source of vital nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Hence, regular consumption of this fruit can nourish the skin and scalp from within. As a result, your overall appearance becomes enhances to a great extent.
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References:
- “Sapodilla, Raw: Nutritional Values And Weights”, ndb.nal.usda.gov
