The Health and Nutritional Benefits of Pepper Fruit

 By Grace Aura Akpan

The Health and Nutritional Benefits of Pepper Fruit

Pepper fruit is one of the most useful and essential plants that is widely consumed by the inhabitants of West Africa due to its distinctive spicy taste.Pepper fruit, which is botanically called Dennettia tripetala belongs to the plant family of Annonaceae. Pepper fruit is called Mmimi in Ibo, Ako in Edo, Nkarika in Ibibio, and Ata igbere in Yoruba.
Pepper fruit is a pep-perish, pungent, spicy medicinal plant that is characterized by greenish appearance when unripe
and pinkish or red in color when it is ripe. It is also used traditionally as a remedy for cough, fever, toothache, diabetes and nausea.
While some plants provide us food, nutritional values and health benefits, some provide no nutrients and there are those that could even be toxic and dangerous to human health but this is not the case with pepper fruit. 

Composition of Pepper Fruit

The highly nutritious fruit is rich in fatty acid, protein, carbohydrates, calcium, magnesium, vitamins A, C, and E, as well as the antioxidants. The plant possesses phytochemicals that have been shown to elicit antimicrobial, insecticidal, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Health Benefits of Pepper Fruit

1.  The seeds of pepper fruit can significantly reduce Intra – Ocular Pressure (IOP) up to 25.64% in people suffering from glaucoma. It reduces the risk of glaucoma by stabilizing the Intra-Ocular Pressure (IOP) of the eye.
2. . Prostate Cancer: Pepper fruit extract inhibits the growth of prostate cancer cell. The extract was found to possess growth inhibitory and cytotoxic effects on the prostate cancer cell lines in Vito.
3.  The leaves, roots and fruits of pepper fruit can be used for producing natural medicines for treating diarrhea, stomach upset, worm and vomiting.
4. . The oil from pepper fruit contains anti – inflammatory and analgesic properties, which help in reducing body pains.
5.  Pepper fruit seeds are essential for preparing meals for new born mothers immediately after child birth as a spice to aid in uterus contraction (Post – partum care).
6.  In addition, Dennettia tripetala is also used for food preservation and seasoning.

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