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Does Eating Custard Apple Cause Cold?

By Shabana Kachhi

How many times have our parents stopped us from eating certain fruits just because they are known to cause excess heat or cold in the body? Well, the answer is ALMOST all the time.

Fruits are healthy and delicious and should be a part of everyone's diet. It is also important to consume all kinds of fruits, as every different coloured fruit has nutrients, which may be exclusive to them. But most of the time, we are not allowed to eat certain fruits, as they claim to cause fever of cold.

Does Custard Apple Cause Cold?

Tropical fruits like mango and papaya are known to be warm fruits, or fruits that can cause heat in the body. Other fruits like bananas or custard apples in particular can aggravate the symptoms of cold. But the restrictions applied on us often leave us wondering if they have any scientific backing to them.

How Are Fruits Classified As Hot Or Cold?

Almost all fruits are categorised into hot and cold category, according to Ayurveda. What it usually implies is the internal nature of the fruit based on its effect in our body. Some fruits increase the body's internal heat, while some are known to decrease it, thus classifying them as hot or cold.

Are Custard Apples Cold?

Custard apples or sitaphal, commonly called in our country, is a sweet delicious fruit with a thick-textured skin, which is soft and creamy inside. Its white flesh may be bombarded with seeds, but is sweet nevertheless. It is a cold fruit in nature, which means that it decreases our body's internal temperature. This is the reason it is most commonly associated with causing cold.

So Does Custard Apple Cause Cold?

Certainly not!! Many fail to understand that fruits cannot cause cold. Common cold is only caused by viruses and cannot be contracted by eating certain kinds of fruits. This will certainly help put an end to the myth of custard apple causing cold.

Is This Myth Completely False Then?

The myth of associating cold foods with common cold has been around since ages, which made us believe that it cannot be completely shunned.

While it is true that cold foods are known to decrease body temperature, they can only spell trouble unless eaten in high quantities at once (which is certainly not possible for a normal human).

Eating excess of it at one go may cause the body temperature to drop to dangerously low levels. This condition makes our immunity weaker and thus making us more susceptible to catching infections like the common cold.

1) They are anti-cancerous:

People knew about custard apples casually; but they came into the spotlight after researches revealed their anti-cancerous properties. Custard apples contain compounds like acetogenin and alkaloids, which are very effective in reducing the growth of cancerous cells.

2) They are a good source of iron:

Doctors recommend eating custard apples to patients diagnosed with anaemia because of its rich iron content. It increases the haemoglobin-carrying capacity of the blood and drives away fatigue too.

3) They are good for brain health:

Custard apples contain Vitamin B complex, which are known to control the stress levels in the brain. They also protect from Parkinson's disease, a degenerative brain disorder.

4) They help the digestive system function normally:

The fibre in the fruit helps in easy elimination of toxins from the body. It also keeps stomach-related issues such as acidity and gastritis at bay.

5) Good for weight gain:

The fruit is rich in calories, which makes it an ideal snack for people who want to gain weight. It helps in increasing the metabolic rate as well, increasing the overall appetite.

6) They help keep the skin healthy and young:

Regular consumption of the fruit stimulates the production of collagen, which helps retain the skin's elasticity and keep away the signs of ageing.

So, unless you are planning to eat custard apples by the truck loads, you are good to go. In fact, custard apples can do a whole lot of good to you, just like any other fruit.

Read more about: diet health diseases