They’re low in calories and high in fiber, providing an impressive 9 grams per fruit.

Most people don’t get enough fiber in their diet, which can negatively impact digestive health, heart health, and more. These fruits are also a rich source of copper, a mineral involved in forming new blood cells, brain development, immune function, and the production of hemoglobin — the oxygen-carrying component of red blood cells

Lastly, sapodillas contain smaller amounts of other important nutrients, including potassium, magnesium, iron, folate, and vitamin B5, also known as pantothenic acid.

Potential health benefits

Sapodillas are known for their high concentration of beneficial plant compounds and fiber.

Although research on the effects of eating sapodilla on human health is currently lacking, it’s likely that the fruit can benefit health in a number of ways thanks to its content of nutrients and phytochemicals.

A source of powerful plant compounds

A number of bioactive components have been isolated from sapodilla fruit, including triterpenes and polyphenols like tannins and flavonoids .

For example, sapodilla fruit extracts contain the phenolic compounds gallic acid and quercetin, both of which have potent antioxidant activity .

Studies show that consuming a diet high in polyphenols like gallic acid and quercetin may reduce the risk of a number of chronic diseases, spanning from heart disease to type 2 diabetes .

Interestingly, a study in 4,592 people found that higher polyphenol intake was inversely associated with biological aging .

Biological aging refers to the underlying aging processes that predict overall mortality and disease risk. Most Americans consume just 15 grams per day.

Consuming sapodilla, as well as other fiber-rich foods like fruits, beans, and vegetables, can help you reach daily fiber recommendations and reduce the risk of certain health conditions like colon cancer and heart disease . Sapodilla: Nutrition, Health Benefits, and More

Most people enjoy a few go-to fruits and vegetables on a regular basis, but there are thousands of different types grown around the world — many of which you may never have heard of .

Sapodilla is a fruit that many people in the United States are unfamiliar with, even though it’s common in areas of the world like India, Thailand, and Mexico.

This article tells you everything you need to know about sapodilla, including its nutrition profile, possible health benefits, and how to enjoy it.

What is sapodilla?

Manilkara zapota, commonly known as sapodilla, is an evergreen tree thought to be native to Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America. The flesh is yellow to light brown in color and can have a soft to slightly gritty texture, depending on the variety .

When ripe, sapodillas have a sweet taste, thanks to their high sugar content. All fruits and vegetables contain protective compounds that benefit health when consumed on a regular basis as part of a balanced diet.

High in fiber

Sapodilla is an excellent source of fiber — a nutrient that’s important for gut health, heart health, and body weight maintenance.

More specifically, fiber helps fuel gut bacteria, keeps you regular, promotes feelings of fullness, and regulates blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

An older study that compared the fiber content of 37 fruits commonly sold in Thailand, including durian, guava, apple, Chinese pear, and star fruit, found that sapodilla had the highest fiber content

Impressively, sapodillas have been shown to contain 5.3–11.5 grams of fiber per 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving .

It’s recommended that adult women under the age of 50 consume 25 grams of fiber per day. Men under 50 should aim for 38 grams. Thus, consuming the fruit may benefit your health in several ways.

Nutrition

Sapodilla is a good source of a number of vitamins and minerals. Choosing high fiber fruits like sapodilla is a tasty way to increase your fiber intake.

Sapodillas are also high in vitamin C, a nutrient that’s needed for vital processes like neurotransmitter synthesis, collagen production, immune function, and more .

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect your cells against oxidative damage that may otherwise lead to disease .

It doesn’t stop there. It’s also rich in fiber.

Here’s the nutrition breakdown for a 6-ounce (170-gram) sapodilla fruit :

Calories: 141

Carbs: 34 grams

Protein: 0.7 grams

Fat: 1.8 grams

Fiber: 9 grams

Vitamin C: 28% of the Daily Value (DV)

Folate: 6% of the DV

Pantothenic acid (B5): 9% of the DV

Iron: 8% of the DV

Potassium: 7% of the DV

Copper: 16% of the DV

Magnesium: 5% of the DV

Overall, sapodillas are nutritious fruits. They’re commonly eaten raw but are also incorporated into drinks and baked goods.

Various parts of the sapodilla tree, including the leaves, bark, and fruit, have long been used in traditional medicine systems to treat conditions including fever, ulcers, and arthritis.

Further, sapodillas have been shown to contain powerful plant compounds, as well as multiple vitamins and minerals. It differs from chronological aging, which only measures the passage of human time or your age.

This benefit has to do with polyphenols’ powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, meaning that they help protect your body’s cells against damage which may otherwise accelerate the biological aging process and increase disease risk.

Rodent and older test-tube studies have demonstrated that sapodilla extract has strong antioxidant activities and may help protect against cellular damage .

For example, a rodent study found that sapodilla fruit extract improved markers of liver damage in rats with toxin-induced liver damage .

Keep in mind, though, that you don’t specifically need to eat sapodilla to reap these benefits. Today, it’s widely cultivated in many other areas of the world, including India .

The tree grows up to 98 feet (30 meters) in height and produces round or egg-shaped fruits known as sapodillas.

In North America, the fruit is commonly called sapodilla, while it’s known as naseberry in the British West Indies, chicku in India, chickozapote in Mexico, sapotillier in the French West Indies, and dilly in the Bahamas .

The fruit has brown, rough skin, is typically 2–3.5 inches (5–9 cm) in diameter, and usually weighs 2.6–7 ounces (75–200 grams).