8 health benefits of pequi!

If you’ve never heard of the pequi before, chances are you’ll see it mentioned much more soon. This small orange fruit is catching the attention of doctors and nutritionists as a super food with some interesting health properties and several benefits. Here’s a quick guide to why health professionals are getting interested in this fruit.

Pequi comes from the pequi tree , which grows in Brazil. Almost every part of the tree can be used for food, medical care or for building purposes. Pequi therefore plays a very important role in the indigenous culture of Brazil. Traditionally, rural Brazilians plant pequi trees around their village. As the seed takes a long time to germinate, the harvest has to be done sustainably, with replacement trees carefully planted to keep the supply going. Pequi has been used by Brazilians as a staple for years in food preparation and to flavor drinks, or simply eaten raw as a snack.

Pequi oil , which is extracted from the fruit, is also used as a cooking oil. So what is interesting people about this fruit. Well, not necessarily the taste. The pequi fruit itself has a strong flavor that tends to divide opinion, generally not favored by Western palates. Research carried out suggests the consumption of pequi oil for a healthier vision.

Benefits:

• It is known to contain several antioxidants and the oil has been associated with anti-inflammatory properties.
• Also, is pequi oil full of monounsaturated fatty acids? the same heart-healthy fat that is found in nuts and olive oil.
• Researchers think that these monounsaturated fats have an important role to play in lowering cholesterol and lowering blood pressure.
• A recent study involving athletes illustrates the promising results that are coming from this potential wonder fruit. A number of male and female athletes ranging in age from 15-67 were given pequi fruit oil supplements daily for two weeks. The researchers found that taking this had an anti-inflammatory effect on the athletes and that both their blood pressure, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein (bad) cholesterol were reduced. The researchers theory is that the antioxidants in pequi are responsible for the anti-inflammatory effects, and that their monounsaturated fatty acids may explain the positive effects on cholesterol levels.
• As well as the above potential health benefits, pequi appears to be a natural and effective way to treat dry skin and eczema, which is why it is starting to be included in skin and hair products as a moisturizer.
• The anti-inflammatory properties also seem as if they can help reduce skin inflammation naturally.
• The oil is not yet widely available on store shelves, but you’re likely to hear more about it as a supplement and an ingredient in beauty products.

See the video below for more information about the pequi