Kakadu Plum: The superfood that has been used in Australian Indigenous medicine for thousands of years. How have many of us not heard about this?
Kakadu Plum: The superfood that has been used in Australian Indigenous medicine for thousands of years. How have many of us not heard about this?
Kakadu Plum is known as a superfood for its amazing health benefits. The Kakadu Plum has been used in Australian Indigenous medicine and as bush tucker for thousands of years and while this is not a new discovery, it is relatively little-known to many people. This super fruit from Australia has incredible health and beauty benefits. The question is, how have we many of us not heard about this, let alone used it?
While there are many “Superfoods” on the market, this ingredient is certainly worth the hype. It is no wonder that it has been used by Aboriginal people for many years as a powerful antioxidant and immune boosting superfood. The internet is saturated with buzzwords such as “superfoods”, it is very easy to be skeptical and not want to the latest supplements. This amazing Australian native fruit is an incredible product that you may notice being adopted as a key ingredient in wellness and beauty products.
Traditionally found in Western Australia and the Northern Territory (in Kakadu, not surprisingly), the tart-tasting Kakadu Plum boasts powerful nutritional and medicinal benefits. The Kakadu plum (Terminalia ferdinandiana), also known as gubinge or billygoat plum, is a small fruit found in the Eucalypt open woodlands across Northern Australia.
The little-known Kakadu Plum is quickly becoming a highly valued ingredient in health, functional food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. It is small and pale green in colour, with fibrous fruit around a hard stone. The Kakadu Plum ranges from the size of a ten cent to a twenty cent piece and is tart in taste.
Just some of the Kakadu Plum’s superfood-worthy benefits include:
Highest source of natural Vitamin C of any plant in the world. Kakadu Plum has record-breaking levels of vitamin C
Kakadu Plum contains the highest recorded levels of Vitamin C of any fruit in the world. It is known to have up to 100 times the Vitamin C content found in an orange! Vitamin C has many health benefits.
Vitamin C provides collagen production support
Vitamin C supports the production of collagen. The body can’t form or store collagen without Vitamin C. Vitamin C is responsible for holding cells together during the creation of collagen. This can lead to healthy hair, nails and skin elasticity. It can also enhance wound healing.
Vitamin C can help to boost the immune system
Vitamin C can also support immune system health. Kakadu Plum has been traditionally used in Australian Indigenous medicine to reduce the symptoms of common colds and flu for many years.
A rich source of antioxidants
A powerful natural antioxidant, Kakadu Plum .They contain 6 times the amount of polyphenols and 13.3 times more antioxidant activity than blueberries (Study 1, study 2).
Antioxidants (such as vitamin C) help protect the body from harmful damage caused by free radicals. Your body naturally makes free radicals which can derive from physical and mental stress or a range of environmental factors. Free radicals can damage your DNA and healthy cells, cause diseases and accelerate the visible signs of ageing. Antioxidants can also help the body absorb dietary iron.
Kakadu plums contain many antioxidants, including flavonols, aromatic acids, anthocyanins, and lutein. These can help to protect against damage and chronic diseases caused by free radicals.
Medicinal- Antifungal and Antiviral
The world is finally waking up to what Indigenous Australians have known forever, which is that the Kakadu Plum has antifungal and antiviral properties. Kakadu Plum has been utilised traditionally as an antiseptic and soothing balm.
High Nutritional Value
More recently, they have been recognised for their high nutritional value. Kakadu Plum is an excellent source of iron, vitamin E, fibre, copper, zinc, magnesium, folate, calcium, and other plant compounds like gallic acid, ellagic acid, and flavonoids, which are powerful anti-inflammatories and antioxidants.
Used to maintain Eye Health
Kakadu Plum contains high amounts of lutein. Lutein may help to lower your risk for chronic eye disease and cataracts. The vitamin C and E in Kakadu Plums can also help to lower your risk of cataracts, vision problems, age-related macular degeneration, and loss of healthy tissue.
The increase in demand for Kakadu Plums has also created more opportunities for Indigenous-owned businesses. Many communities in the Northern Territory have become involved in harvesting the fruits, which primarily takes place on Indigenous-owned land. Learn more.
If you haven’t yet tried Kakadu Plum, then you are truly missing out on one of Mother Earth’s greatest fruits. We are lucky that such a precious gem of the universe is native to Australia! Indigenous Australians have long recognised the medicinal properties of the Kakadu Plum and it is time the world follows suit using this super fruit as a natural remedy and giving it the recognition it deserves.
So it’s no surprise that Kakadu Plum is the hero ingredient in
Rochway’s Kakadu Plum with Probiotics (5 billion CFU) & Vitamin C 90g.
