All about Sapota / Chikoo

Sapota or Chikoo as it is well known locally is a delicious calorie rich fruit from a tropical evergreen tree. The fruit belongs to the category of mango, jack fruit and the bananas in their richness and the sweetness it gives. The fruit is known botanically by some other names also namely nose berry, sapodilla plum and chickoo sapote.

Sapota has origins in the evergreen forests of the central america but they are easily available and cultivated in India too. The fruit is rich in calories and its sweet flavor is attributed to the simple sugars like fructose and sucrose that replenish energy and revitalize the body.
The unripe fruit is full of latex and it lessens as the fruit ripens and gets the brown colour. The fruit is shaped round or oval and has 2 shiny black seedsin the middle.

This is a fruit for the health conscious. It is full of nutrients, easily digestible and replenishes our body by providing energy due to its high content of glucose. This is rich in vitamins and minerals and has many other health bnefits.

Because of the high amount of Vitamin A, Sapota is very good for the eyes and is supposed to aid good vision even when one gets old.

Because of its high content of glucose Sapota  provides instant energy to the body. Athletes who require loads of energy and hence, are recommended to eat sapota fruit.

The high amount of tannins present in Sapota fruit makes it an anti-inflammatory Agent. The fruit helps in improving the condition of the digestive tract and prevent diseases like esophagitis, enteritis, irritable bowel syndrome and gastritis. It also reduces any swelling and pain caused due to inflammation.

It is also said that the Vitamins A and B help in maintaining the health of the mucus lining of the body as well as the texture of the skin.
The antioxidants, dietary fiber and nutrients found in sapota provide protection against cancer. They bind the toxins together to protect the mucus membrane of the colon.

Additional amounts of calcium, phosphorus and iron  which are required by bones to increase their endurance are available in Sapota. Since the fruit is rich in these minerals, it is recommended for the growing children.
Sapota fruit provides a high amount of dietary fiber and so it relieves constipation problems acting like a laxative with its bulk fibre.