Spanish like being an exotic fruit that is found in South America, Central America and the Caribbean. It is a close relative of longhorns and lychee. There are 2 variations of this fruit- one is sweet and the other is sour. Sour Spanish lime is consumed with chili powder, salt and lime. The Sweet Spanish like is consumed just like that without the addition of any spices on it. The taste of this fruit is a mixed blend of lime and leeched. The fruit has a lot of health benefits that most of us are not aware of.
Spanish lime is green in color and has the similar look of unripe lime. This is the reason why Americans call it Spanish lime. The skin of the fruit is thick and for consuming the creamy and soft pulp, you need to peel off the skin away. The pulp is orange in color and is very juicy. A festival is held in Puerto Rico to honor this fruit. The festival is called Festival Nacianal de la Quenepa.
Major benefits
Helps to lower cholesterol
The fruit has a high level of dietary fibers. This helps in reducing the cholesterol level by mixing with the cholesterol in the intestine, preventing cholesterol from being taken into the blood stream.
Helps to maintain a healthy digestive system
With the fiber, constipation is prevented. Fibers absorb the water outside the colon, increasing the stool mass. Diarrhea is also cured with the help of fibers. This is done by absorbing excess water present in the stool. To cure diarrhea, you can roast and crush the seeds of Spanish lime and consume it after mixing with honey. For curing intestinal problems, you can boil the leaves and take the decoction.
Helps to lower blood pressure
The antioxidants in Spanish lemon help to reduce the damage in blood vessels that are caused by free radicals. Where there are sufficient healthy blood vessels, the heart will have to put less effort for pumping blood. This helps to lower blood pressure. Apart from lowering cholesterol, Spanish like helping to prevent cardiovascular diseases too.
Is an Anti-diabetic
Even though Spanish like has sugar, it is in the fructose form. This will make it very difficult to absorb than simple glucose. The fruit has proteins that will help in lowering the level of blood glucose. Fiber in it helps to prevent excess sugar that is being taken into the blood stream
Have high antioxidants
Phenolic compounds such as antioxidants are present in Spanish lime. We need the help of antioxidants to fight against free radicals inside the body. The body obtains free radicals from the pollution filled environment, foods that are unhealthy and from the metabolic wastes that are inside the body. When we consume high antioxidant foods will help in delaying the process of aging in the body. This also prevents getting degenerative diseases like dementia, cardiovascular problems and Alzheimer.
Helps in promoting health of the eyes
The fruit is rich in Vitamin A, which helps in maintaining the health of your eyes. When you face deficiency of Vitamin A, it can lead to Nyctalopia, which is a condition that makes us difficult to see in low light. Moreover, the presence of Vitamin A helps to boost up the immune system that helps to fight a lot of infections like the common cold.
Helps in losing weight
Studies show that Spanish lime is very low in calories. It does not have fat and is rich in fiber that helps in lowering cholesterol. By adding Spanish lime to your daily diet, you will be able to lose weight in a healthy way.
Provides healthy bones and teeth
Spanish lime as well as its seeds has calcium, which helps in maintaining the health of our bones and teeth. When we take calcium in a regular basis, it helps to prevent osteoporosis. Phosphorus is also found in abundance in the seeds of this fruit.
Helps to prevent anemia
This fruit contains a lot of iron, which is a mineral necessary for the production of red blood cells in the blood. When you face deficiency of iron, it leads to Anemia, which is a condition that lessens the number of healthy red blood cells than the normal level.
Consuming Spanish lime
The skin of the fruit is very leathery and can be torn with the help of a knife or your teeth. There is juicy pulp inside. For the sour ones, people use salt, lime and chili for consumption. It can also be used for cooking meat as well as poultry. When you eat Spanish lime, it is wise to choose only ripe ones, as the unripe ones are really poisonous. Include this fruit in its ripe form to get many of the benefits it offers to our health.
