20 HEALTH AND HERBAL USES OF COCOPLUMS

28 HEALTH AND HERBAL USES OF COCOPLUMS

Common names

Abajeru
Cocoplum
Icaco
Paradise Plum
Cocoplum (Chrysobalanus icaco) is a perennially growing small tree or shrub belonging to the Chrysobalanaceae family. This species has its origin in the Caribbean, Latin America and the south-eastern regions of the United States.The fruits of this species are edible, have a sweet flavour and are used for making jam.

Parts used

Fruits.

28 HEALTH AND HERBAL USES OF COCOPLUMS

Cocoplums offer a wide variety of health benefits.

1.  They are perfect for the health of your eyes. In fact, they enclose a reasonable quantity of beta carotene as well as vitamin A, which are crucial for our eyes to function healthily.

2. Vitamin A and beta carotene also help to put off macular degeneration, thereby protecting the corneas from the harmful ultra-violet (UV) rays.

3. Cocoplums are also excellent for the health of the heart. It is said that consumption of dried cocoplums helps to enhance fluidity of the blood, thereby lessening the risks of developing heart attacks.

4. Eating cocoplums can also help to avoid as well as treat atherosclerosis and, at the same time, reduce the risks of strokes and heart attacks.


5. The high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels present in cocoplums are very healthy.

6. The healthy cholesterol level in cocoplums is useful in preventing the development of hyperlipidermia and hypercholesterolemia.

7.  Presence of good cholesterol in the body also helps to build as well as sustain healthy cell membranes.

8. Good cholesterol also improve the cell signalling supporting the B-cell, T-cell as well as various other immune functions.

9.  Cholesterol is one of the basic molecules that are used in making vitamin D by the body.

10. People with elevated levels of cholesterol have a propensity to live a very long life.

11.  Cocoplums also enclose elevated amounts of vitamin C, which is highly beneficial for our immune system. This vitamin also boosts up the resistance of our body against various types of irritations and contaminations.

12. Cocoplums species grown in the orient possess immune-stimulatory constituents, which invigorate nitric oxide generation in the body. Therefore, consumption of cocoplums may hinder the tumour cell metastasis.

13. Cocoplum is also a wonderful fruit for preventing cancer. Findings of several studies have established that this natural produce is highly beneficial for cancer because cocoplums as well as other plums contain a compound called epicatechin, which is helpful is slowing down malignant cancer cell growth and, at the same time, they induce apoptosis in case of liver cancer. As cocoplums contain rich amounts of antioxidants and phyto-nutrients, neo-chlorogenic acid and chlorogenic acid, they are excellent for combating cancer cells, but do not cause any harm to the body's healthy cells.


14. Cocoplums are wonderful for the health of the cells in our body.

15. Cocoplums enclose essential minerals like iron and copper that are useful for maintaining a healthy blood circulation as well as purifying the blood.

16.  The copper present in these cocoplums works in the form of an antioxidant. Copper is also essential for the health of the nerves and helps in collagen formation. Eating cocoplums, which are rich in copper content, assists the body to take up iron from ingested food.

17. Iron and copper in cocoplums are also useful in putting off the onset of various ailments, such as anemia.

18. And degenerative diseases like osteoarthritis.

19. Cocoplums are also wonderful for the health of our skin as they contain high amounts of vitamin C as well as many other antioxidants, they are similar to other plums and very beneficial for the skin. Consuming cocoplums regularly can make your skin smooth and radiant, combating dark spots on the skin and curing acne naturally.

20. Another health benefit of cocoplums is that they are very useful for pregnant women.