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Atemoia is a little known fruit, but very tasty and full of health benefits.

Photo: Specialty Produce

Atemoya is a hybrid fruit between chirimoya and pine cone (also called berry fruit). Brought to Brazil in the 1960s, today its crops are grown mainly in the Southeast and Northeast regions of the country.

In addition to being tasty, sweet and juicy, atemoya has several nutritional properties: it is one of the richest in iron, in addition to antioxidant compounds. Intake of a 300 gram atemoya provides, on average, 20% of potassium and 50% of copper in terms of daily needs.

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Discover the benefits of atemoia:

Regulates the bowel

Rich in fiber, atemoya helps maintain proper bowel function. These fibers provide satiety, balance the absorption of the most important nutrients and help reduce the absorption of sugar and fat, ideal for those with diabetes or high cholesterol.

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It's a source of energy

Atemoya has 243 calories in a 250g unit. Due to the large amount of carbohydrates found in its pulp, it provides fast energy, thus being suitable for athletes. However, it should be consumed in moderation, especially by those who are looking to lose weight, as it is very caloric.

Controls the pressure

Because it contains a lot of potassium in its composition, atemoya helps to reduce blood pressure, as this mineral is a natural vasodilator. A diet rich in potassium is also great for athletes, as the chemical is very helpful in muscle recovery and in preventing cramps.

Helps you recover from colds and flu

Rich in vitamin C and compounds with anti-inflammatory action, atemoya helps in the recovery from colds and flu. In addition, vitamin C enhances the absorption of iron from food (an advantage for anemic), participates in the skin healing process and reduces the susceptibility to infections.

• What are iron rich foods?
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prevents cancer

A survey conducted at the Faculty of Food Engineering (FEA) at Unicamp, in Campinas (SP), found that atemoya has a high level of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds that prevent the growth of cancer cells. According to researcher and professor Maria Rosa de Moraes, the bark is the fraction that contains the greatest amount of bioactive compounds, beneficial to human health and capable of preventing cancer, premature aging and some degenerative diseases, such as arthritis and arthrosis.

Prevents cardiovascular disease

Atemoya seeds contain omegas 3 and 6, unsaturated fatty acids found in foods such as olive oil. These nutrients are important for lowering bad cholesterol without altering good cholesterol, which prevents cardiovascular disease.

Although the best way to eat the fruit is in nature, it can also be used to prepare juices, purees, jams, jellies and even be frozen. Because it contains vitamin E, the atemoya seed also has great potential for medicinal and cosmetic purposes, and can be used in the production of oils, for example.

The husk and seeds contain more nutrients than the pulp, so to enjoy their benefits they can be crushed and placed over yogurt, other fruits, salads and ice cream.