Posts tagged vietnam

Gac (Momordica Cochinchinensis Spreng) is a tropical fruit found in Vietnam and other regions of Southeast Asia where it is valued for many important health benefits.

It is esteemed as the “fruit from heaven” and is prized for its ability to promote longevity, vitality, and health*. Unknown to indigenous folks, gac is a fountain of antioxidants, as recent research unveiled.

Big gac fruit at Tao Garden

This bright-red fruit grows abundantly on vines and is as large as a cantaloupe. Traditionally, the red oily pulp is cooked with rice and served during special festivities such as weddings. The bright red color generates the desired visual effect that represents good luck and joy.

Health Benefits of Gac
Most of the health benefits of gac are provided by its antioxidant properties.
Thus, if you have a high cholesterol level, gac can help you to avoid atherosclerosis by preventing the oxidation of the LDL cholesterol, which is the precursor to it depositing on your artery walls.
The body needs cholesterol, but levels should be kept to within certain limits or the resultant atherosclerosis can narrow your arteries leading to cardiac problems and strokes, particularly in the very narrow arteries of the brain. Gac also supports the immune system and helps to maintain prostate health, largely through its alpha tocopherol, or vitamin E content. Vitamin E is easily destroyed by free radicals, which is where the beta carotene is of benefit. This is the body’s first line of defense against free radicals, and each molecule can neutralize up to 20 free radical molecules before it is destroyed. This helps to save other antioxidants such as vitamin E.

Gac garden, plant at Tao Garden

Lycopene is particularly beneficial to the prostate and current research indicates that it can help to prevent prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease, plus some other diseases such as macular degeneration that affects your sight. Perhaps this is one reason why the gac fruit membranes are used in Vietnam to promote healthy vision, and they also help to cure dry eyes. Lycopene remains in your body fat longer than normal beta carotene, and recent studies have found that men with high amounts of lycopene in their body fat are up to 50% less likely to suffer heart attacks as those with low amounts.
Gac fruit is jam-packed full of nutrients and antioxidants, and has no known side effects. It is used in Asia for weddings and other special occasions, and is grown on lattices in many gardens, although it has a short season. However, gac fruit is not known as the “Fruit from Heaven” for no reason, and if you were allowed the choice of only one fruit in your life, then this would be the one.

Nutritional Constituents of Gac Fruit
Not so with gac fruit, because in addition to the beta carotene and lycopene content, it is also rich in long-chain fatty acids, particularly linoleic and alpha linoleic acids.

Inside of gac

Not only that, but its beta carotene content is around ten times that of carrots, and it contains 70 times the lycopene of tomatoes! Vitamin C is another very powerful antioxidant,40 times more zeaxanthin than yellowcontains 70 times the lycopene of tomatoes! Vitamin C is another very powerful antioxidant,40 times more zeaxanthin than yellow corn and gac contains40 times the Vitamin C of oranges. It is also rich in other free radical busters, such as xeoxanthins and alpha-tocopherol, a form of vitamin E.
Altogether, gac fruit contains a free radical killing arsenal that should be enough to scare even the most courageous free radical back to where it came from. Other constituents of gac are numerous minerals, particularly zinc and iron.
That is why the sweet gourd is such a prized fruit, and why Southeast Asian women have skins that western women of the same age would die for! Antioxidants help to prevent the disruption and destruction of skin cells that are the major reason for aging looks, and why skin creams are packed with vitamins A and E, both strong antioxidants.

G3 Heaven Juice

Let’s try… G3 Heaven Juice

The nutrient rich drink was developed with 3 additional very healthy fruits:

* Gac Fruit
* Pineapple
* Passion Fruit

A ll of these fruits together synergistically provide exponential health benefits.

Don’t miss…. At Tao Garden Health Spa & Resort