Is carambola bad?
Carambola has benefits but, depending on the form of consumption, it is also bad. Understand
Valll, Carambola, public domain on Wikimedia Commons
Carambola is the fruit that grows on the carambola tree, whose scientific name is Averrhoa carambola . The carambola tree has white and purple flowers and is originally from India, being well known in China. In the United States, the carambola is called star fruit, due to its shape that resembles a star when cut transversely. Carambola can provide health benefits due to the presence of nutrients and antioxidant substances. However, if consumed in excess, it can damage the kidneys because of the high concentration of oxalates.
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Benefits of carambola
Star fruit is a great source of fiber and vitamin C. A star fruit weighing about 91 grams has the following nutritional content:
- Fiber: 3 grams
- Protein: 1 gram
- Vitamin C: 52% of the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI)
- Vitamin B5: 4% of the RDI
- Folate: 3% of the IDR
- Copper: 6% of the IDR
- Potassium: 3% of the IDR
- Magnesium: 2% of the IDR
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In addition to these nutrients, star fruit is a source of other healthy substances such as quercetin, gallic acid and epicatechin, compounds that have antioxidant properties.
Prevents liver cancer
Another study published on the platform PubMed tested star fruit plant compounds in mice and came to the conclusion that, at least in mice, star fruit compounds can prevent liver cancer.
Prevents the formation of fat cells
Two studies published on the platform PubMed concluded that compounds extracted from star fruit help prevent the formation of fat cells and lower cholesterol levels. The studies tested these effects in laboratory rats.
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It has anti-inflammatory and anti-pain effects.
the platform PubMed published a study in which mice that were induced to feel pain showed improvement after administration of carambola substances. The study concluded that this result demonstrates the potential of substances removed from the carambola in the treatment of pain caused by inflammation.
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Is carambola bad?
It is noteworthy that all the studies mentioned above were carried out in mice and with specific substances from the carambola, and not from the fruit ingestion as a whole. Which means that eating star fruit will not necessarily bring the same benefits mentioned. Furthermore, carambola can also provide unwanted effects due to the large amount of oxalates it has.
People with kidney problems should avoid eating star fruit and drinking its juice, as oxalates can damage the kidneys.
A study published by the platform PubMed showed that a 56-year-old diabetic patient with normal kidney function developed acute kidney injury (AKI) after consuming large amounts of carambola juice at one time.
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Another patient in the study, a 60-year-old man, with a history of regular consumption of carambola for the past 2-3 years, also diabetic, had acute chronic renal failure after ingesting a significant number of carambola in a short period of time. .
According to the study, both cases mentioned confirmed that the oxalate present in carambola has the potential to damage the kidneys. So it is recommended not to abuse the consumption of this fruit.
