It has an odd name. And you probably won’t find it at your supermarket or fruit and veg shop. At least, not just yet. But people in South-East Asia have been enjoying gac fruit and its plentiful health benefits for over a thousand years!
So what exactly is gac fruit – and how can you add it to your diet?
Gac: a Special Fruit
In Vietnam, people have used gac fruit for eons. It’s usually served at special occasions like weddings or New Year. And it has a very short harvest – between December and January – which only adds to its value.
What’s So Great About Gac?
Older people in Vietnam love gac, because they’ve always believed it helps with eye health. And now modern science supports that claim.
Here are some gac facts to wow you:
- 70 times more lycopene than tomatoes
- 60 times more vitamin C than oranges
- 40 times more zeaxanthin than corn
- 10 times more beta carotene than carrots – the highest amount found in any fruits or vegetables
Lycopene, beta carotene and zeaxanthin are antioxidants that have been shown to slow aging – they fight free radicals.
Zeaxanthin also protects the eye tissues against ultraviolet rays, and reduced oxidisation. The beta carotene is also great for eye health, because it promotes good night vision and lowers the risk of blindness.
Your immune system also gets a kick out of gac. And that’s because beta carotene turns into vitamin A which helps promote the growth of white blood cells.
These are the little warriors that reduce inflammation and guard against infection.
That’s not all. It’s also believed your skin, hair and nails improve by take gac fruit. Again, that’s thanks to its ability to reduce oxidisation.
How to Get Gac Fruit
If you’d like to try gac fruit, you don’t have to hop on a plane to South-East Asia (although why not!) You can buy gac supplements instead. Or you may be lucky enough to find gac fruit at a farmer’s market, Vietnamese supermarket, or a grocer specialising in exotic fruits.
Originally published on Apr 03, 2017
