Black plum, popularly known as Jamun, is one of the favorite fruits of Indians. It is a fruit consumed in the tropical regions. It comes from the flowering plant family known as Myrtaceae.
This fruit is native to Indian subcontinents and can be found in other regions of South-east Asia like China. It can also be found in Queensland.
Jamun is often mistaken by the people to be blackberry, but it is necessary to understand that blackberry comes from a different family altogether. It was exported to foreign lands by the Indian emigrants and is present in British countries in its common tropical form.
As per Indian Holy books, Lord Krishna has the symbol of this fruit in his right foot. It is mentioned in Srimad Bhagavatam’s commentaries.
Jamun is found in Florida and is commonly grown in Suriname, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago. This fruit is also grown in Brazil, as it was invented there by the Portuguese colonies that went there from India. It is also grown in Hawaii.
Common Names
This fruit, which is found in various places of the world, has the scientific name, Syzygium Cumini.
The common names of the fruit include jamun, jambolan, black plum, java plum jambul, rajaman, jambas, jamali, nereda, neval and nerale.
Health Benefits of Eating Black Plum (Jamun)
Jamun is known to treat a lot of diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, cancer, ulcer, and other heart diseases. Mentioned below is a list of health benefits achieved by black plum or Jamun.
1) Treats diabetes
Both the fruits and leaves from Jamun plant are beneficial for treating diabetes. Because of the low glycemic index, Jamun should be consumed regularly during the summer season. It helps starch to be converted into energy, thereby allowing it to maintain the sugar level in the blood.
The dried alcoholic seeds substantially reduce the blood sugar level. The Jamboline content helps in the conversion of starch into sugar. Jamun essentially helps in reducing the symptoms of diabetes like thirst and frequent urination. The seeds and leaves help in the decreased level of sugar in the urine.
2) Good for Skin Health
To get proper and radiant skin, Jamun needs to be eaten regularly. It helps in reducing acne. It can also be applied as a face mask if mixed with milk. The oily skin problems can be controlled with a paste of Jamun, barley flour, rose water, and almond oil. Jamun also provides melanin to the skin and also treats leukoderma.
Several face masks can be prepared using various ingredients with Jamun in it, which will help in radiating the skin. All these prepared face masks help in maintaining the quality of the skin.
3) Nutritional Values
Jamun is an essential source of nutrients. The nutritional content of Jamun is pretty high, which is why it doesn’t allow the nutritional values of the body to go down.
The nutritional content of this black plum are as follows: calcium (15 mg), iron (1.41 mg), magnesium (35 mg), phosphorous (15 mg), sodium (26.2 mg), vitamin C (18 mg), thiamine (0.019 mg), riboflavin (0.009 mg), niacin (0.245 mg), vitamin B6 (0.038 mg), calories (62 k cal), carbohydrate (14 gm), carotene (48 ug), folic acid (3 mg), fiber (0.6 gm), fat (0.23 gm), protein (0.995 gm), water (84.75 gm).
4) Increases Haemoglobin
Jamun is rich in iron and Vitamin C. It acts as a blood purifying agent. Also, the iron content of Jamun helps in increasing the hemoglobin content of the body. It is rich in iron content and helps in purifying; therefore, it helps in providing a natural glow to the skin.
5) Helps in Maintaining a Healthy Heart
Jamun is rich in potassium, which keeps aids in preventing heart diseases like cardiac arrest and high blood pressure.
Also, if Jamun is consumed regularly, it will help in the prevention of the hardening of arteries. Hence, it is beneficial in keeping the heart-healthy.
6) Treatment of Ulcers
Jamun has a lot of medicinal benefits. It helps in treating all the digestive disorders. It treats diarrhea and ulcers. Jamun is a rich source for ayurvedic medicines.
It also helps in the prevention of liver diseases. It solves acidity problems. Since Jamun is rich in polyphenol, it is an ideal anti-cancerous substance.
7) Oral Treatment
Jamun is an ideal substance for maintaining proper oral health. It aids in fighting gum related problems. It helps in solving all similar throat issues.
Jamun powder, which is obtained after drying and burning it, helps in checking the gum infection and bleeding. It treats acidity, hence it is good for both the mouth and the teeth.
8) Commercial Uses
Apart from the day to day life, Jamun is also used in industries where it is used to make colored and flavored jelly.
Jams, squash, and candies are also prepared from Jamun after mixing it with ingredients like sodium benzoate, citric acid, sugar, and water. The fruit is also used for the preparation of vinegar and excellent quality of the wine.
9) Medicinal Uses
It cannot be denied that the most significant advantage of Jamun is its anti-diabetic properties. It acts as a coolant for the digestive system. It has astringent properties that help it in the prevention of acne, wrinkles, and pimples.
Jamun also aids in maintaining a fair skin complexion. Also, it is rich in flavonoid content, oxalic acid, Gallic acid, malic acid, and betulinic acid, which helps it in managing and treating various diseases.
10) Maintains Eye Health
Jamun is a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients and hence plays an essential role in the treatment of eye diseases.
Also, if one eats Jamun regularly, then his vision will be stronger than others. It is a rich source of Vitamin A and C that helps in maintaining eye health.
11) Prevents Infection
Jamun is rich in flavonoid content like oxalic acid, malic acid, gallic acid, and betulinic acid and tannins. Because of this high flavonoid content, it is a capable, anti-malarial, anti-infective, and anti-bacterial agent. It helps in treating malaria, infection, and other diseases caused by bacteria and fungi.
12) Prevention of Seasonal Problems
Seasonal problems are one significant issue faced by almost everyone. However, specific seasonal problems can be cured because of Jamun.
Since Jamun is found during summers, it can be of great help for treating the summer season issues. It makes the immunity system of the body strong enough to fight against common seasonal diseases.
13) Prevents Free Radicals
Free radicals are very much harmful to the body. Jamun is rich in anthocyanin pigment, which has high antioxidant content.
This anti-oxidant content of the body helps in the prevention of harmful effects caused due to free radicals like premature aging, and other active dangerous infections.
14) Treats Pimple Problems
Pimple is one significant issue for everyone. There is a natural solution to these pimple problems, too, and it is Jamun. The Jamun seeds and powders play an essential role in the treatment of pimples. If a paste of Jamun powder and cow milk is applied on the face before bedtime, it can help in preventing most of the face problems.
15) Prevention of Kidney Disorders
As mentioned earlier, Jamun fruit has a lot of medicinal uses, and so does its seeds and barks. If a combination of Jamun seed powder and yogurt consumed regularly, it could prove beneficial for the treatment of harmful kidney disorders. It also plays a significant role in the prevention of gall bladder stones.
16) Cures Various Disorders
Jamun seed and seed powder have a lot of health benefits. Not only does it treat kidney disorders, diabetes, and heart diseases, but it also plays an essential role in the treatment of various diseases too. The other conditions that are cured by consuming Jamun are polyuria, irritable bowel syndrome, fatigue, excess salivation, etc.
17) Improves Body Stamina
Apart from Jamun seeds and powders, Jamun juice is also very healthy for the body. If a mixture of honey, Jamun juice, and amla juice is consumed regularly, it can help in improving the body stamina.
Jamun juice helps in removing disorders like weakness, anemia, memory level, and also aids in the treatment of sexual weakness.
18) Helps with Respiratory Problems
The Jamun tree in itself is so full of uses that one cannot thank it enough for its contributions. If Jamun barks are boiled in water (also called Jamun bark water), it plays a significant role in treating respiratory issues like bronchitis and asthma.
Jamun Trees bark water also helps in the prevention of gum-related problems, mouth ulceration, and stomatitis.
19) Relieves Pain and Inflammation
There are certain other health benefits too of Jamun bark. It is a much-known fact that the water which was boiled with Jamun bark will have essential nutritional benefits.
Applying a paste of Jamun bark with warm water on certain affected parts topically, aids one in relieving pain and inflammation, thereby allowing relaxation to the certain affected parts.
It provides a sensation of calmness, which helps in the prevention of inflammation. Jamun bark also treats intestinal worming, gum problems, and urinary disorders.
20) Black Plum Vinegar
Black plum vinegar or “Kala Jamun ka Sirka” has its specific benefits. Vinegar or “Sirka” is prepared from the fruit in industries in substantial commercial quantities. The vinegar made from the fruit helps in the prevention of many harmful diseases like chronic diarrhea, urine retention, and spleen infection.
The plum vinegar also prevents the enlargement of the spleen. If black plum vinegar is taken with warm water twice a day, it will help to increase the appetite level and also aid in curing constipation.
21) Prevention of Ringworm and Other Diseases
As mentioned earlier, a paste of black plum also has a lot of nutritional values. If Jamun juice is diluted with water and applied gently on the affected areas, then it will play an essential role in the treatment of ringworm. Also, if Jamun bark water is consumed with honey regularly twice a day, then it can cure leucorrhoea in the case of women. It is one of the main ingredients of ayurvedic medicines and helps in getting rid of bad breath problems. It helps in the treatment of an oral cavity.
Side-Effects and Precautions of Black Plum
Everything has two phases, a good and a bad. Similarly, despite so many health benefits, there are so many side-effects of consuming black plum that one needs to take care of. The side effects of black plum consumption include:
1) Roadside black plum may contain substantial lead and other metal contents. Therefore, roadside black plums must be avoided.
2) Black plum is no suitable for pregnant women; hence, it should be actively prevented by breastfeeding and pregnant women as it may cause damage to the child.
3) Jamun is an essential ingredient, which lowers the level of sugar in the blood. This reduction in sugar level can be hazardous for a woman who has delivered a baby. So, it is usually recommended by doctors to not consume Jamun two weeks before and after the delivery.
4) Jamun may solve gastric problems, but eating it in an empty stomach should be avoided.
5) Milk and Jamun powder can be consumed together, but taking milk after eating Jamun is strongly restricted.
6) Excessive consumption of Jamun leads to sore throat and fever. Therefore, excess use must be avoided to avoid cold and chest pain.
7) Again, excessive eating of Jamun can cause accumulation of sputum in the lungs, which is very dangerous.
Conclusion
Though there are some side-effects of black plum, there are many benefits. The side-effects can be easily controlled if one follows the guideline for precautions accurately. Jamun plays an essential role in the treatment of various digestive disorders like dysentery, spasm bowel movement, and flatulence.
Also, Jamun is used as a tonic for enhanced sexual activities. Jamun can be enjoyed in various ways, in a fruit salad, as the seed powder and in jellies and pickles.