Ackee, Akee Blighia sapida tropical fruit belonging, Sapindaceae family Dr.Abhay Kumar Pati, USA

June 19, 2010 - PRLog -- Ackee or Akee (Blighia sapida) is a tropical fruit belonging to the Sapindaceae family. It has its origin in West Africa but has traversed the Atlantic Ocean making the Caribbean its home.

It is a pear-shaped fruit that when ripens, turns from green to a bright red to yellow-orange, and splits open to reveal three large, shiny black seeds, surrounded by soft, creamy or spongy, white to yellow flesh – arili. The fruit typically weighs 100-200 grams.

The fruit of the ackee is not edible in its entirety. Only the inner, fleshy yellow arils are consumed. The shiny black seeds at the tips of the arils, and the bright red pod enclosing 3 or 4 arils are discarded. Ackee pods should be allowed to ripen and open naturally on the tree before picking. Prior to cooking, the ackee arils must be cleaned, washed, boiled and the water discarded: raw ackees and the inner red tissue of the ripe ackee arils contain potent alkaloid toxins (Hypoglycins A and B) which can produce a syndrome of vomiting, seizures, and fatal hypoglycemia known as Jamaican vomiting sickness.

Therapeutic use: Though it may be poisonous when improperly prepared, ackee has high nutritional value and is rich in essential fatty acids, vitamin A, zinc and protein.

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Best Nutrition Products, Inc.Hayward, California, USA and Biotechayur, Odisha, India manufacture a large number of vitamins, minerals, Chinese and Ayurvedic herbal and nutritional supplements and raw materials of standardized molecules of plants and fruit extracts. Dr. Abhay Kumar Pati, is a physician, author, entrepreneur and industrialist based in the United States, having ventures across the globe. Dr.Pati states that many of our health problems and diseases can be prevented, treated well with life style, food habits and nutritional supplements.