Custard Apple Nutrition, Health Benefits, and Disadvantages

Classification

Custard-apple is a common name for a fruit that belongs to the Annonaceae family. This family contains over 2000 members. Custard apple trees are large and have drooping green leaves.

It takes between 20 and 25 weeks for this fruit to reach maturity. These fruits are widely grown in Maharashtra, India.

Appearance, Taste, and Use

Custard-apple is a green fruit with scaly skin and creamy, sweet flesh. It is important to note that dark green custard apples are unripe, while ripe custard apples are pale green.

The custard apple is a flavorful fruit, perfect as an ingredient for tea or a fruit pie. The white pulp has a ripe pear-like consistency with a subtle creamy custard flavor. The rich pulp makes the perfect apple custard cake, and its juice can be used to make delicious smoothies or shakes.

Cultivation

The tropical climate is ideal for growing custard apples. Dry, hot, and humid conditions promote fruit growth. You can obtain an excellent fruit yield in moderate winter conditions and high humidity. The plant does not tolerate frost and severe cold.

The ideal annual rainfall for growing a custard apple is between 500 and 800 mm. Land preparation for growing custard apples is the same as for any other fruit crop (1).

History

In ancient times, custard apples were brought across Central America to southern Mexico. They have long been cultivated and naturalized in the south, in Peru and Brazil.

The custard apple was first introduced to tropical Africa in the early 17th century and is now grown as an orchard fruit tree in South Africa. 

In India, this tree is cultivated, especially in the vicinity of Calcutta, and it grows in many areas. It became pretty standard on the east coast of Malaya and is more or less everywhere in Southeast Asia and the Philippines. Eighty years ago, it was naturalized entirely in Guam (2).

Macronutrients and Calories

Custard apples are somewhat dense in nutrients, consisting of 71% water and 29% nutrients. Of these nutrients, 25% is made up of carbohydrates and 2% protein.

Carbohydrates

Custard apple is relatively rich in carbs. As mentioned above, it contains 25.2g of carbs in a 100g serving. Of these carbohydrates, 2.4g constitutes dietary fiber, and the other 22.8g are net carbs.

The dietary fiber content is comprised of about 73% insoluble and 27% soluble fiber (3). Soluble fiber slows and improves digestion, whereas insoluble fiber aids in relieving constipation.

Protein and Fats

Custard apple contains a low amount of protein (1.7g per 100g serving), covering only 4% of the daily needed value.

However, methionine, lysine, and tryptophan can be found in low amounts in this fruit. 

Custard apple has a negligible amount of fats, containing 0.6g of fats in a 100g serving (4).

Naturally, custard apples do not contain cholesterol or trans fats.

Vitamins

Custard apple provides a high level of vitamin C. It contains more vitamin C than 81% of foods, covering 21% of the daily needed value per 100g serving. This fruit is also rich in vitamin B6, providing 17% of the required daily amount per 100g.

Other vitamins that can be found in custard apples in low amounts include vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, and vitamin B5.

Custard apples lack vitamin B12, vitamin K, vitamin E, vitamin D, and vitamin B9 or folate.

Minerals

Custard apples can be a good source of a few minerals.

Custard apple is rich in potassium, falling in the top 20% of foods as a source of potassium, containing slightly more potassium than bananas. This fruit can also be a good source of iron.

Custard apple contains moderate amounts of calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus.

Custard apple provides low amounts of sodium, only around 4mg in a 100g serving.

Glycemic Index

Despite the relatively high net carb content, the glycemic index value of custard apple is low to moderate, falling in the range of 54±2 (5). This value demonstrates that eating custard apples does not spike blood sugar levels. 

Another study found the glycemic index value of custard apples to be 59 (6). 

Cardiovascular Health

Apple custard is an excellent source of potassium. Custard apple's high magnesium level may aid in relaxing the smooth heart muscle, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. According to research, daily magnesium intake reduces the risk of high blood pressure by 5%. In this case, custard apple contains a good amount of magnesium (14).

Diabetes

Custard apples are low glycemic index fruit. This means that despite their high net carb content, custard apple intake does not lead to a rapid increase in blood glucose or, in other words, a blood sugar spike.

Various studies have demonstrated that custard apple leaves have anti-diabetic properties, helping decrease blood glucose levels and improve glucose tolerance (15).

Cancer

Based on several studies, custard apples are rich in antioxidants that fight free radicals. High free radicals can cause oxidative stress associated with many chronic diseases, including cancer and heart disease.
Flavonoids are a group of powerful antioxidants found in custard apples. Research shows that the antioxidant properties work against cancer cells without affecting healthy cells, helping counteract the effects of free radicals and thereby preventing cancer (16, 17).

Inflammation

Chronic inflammation is associated with an increased risk of many diseases, including heart disease and cancer.

Custard apples are high in antioxidants, such as terols, triterpenoids, and flavonoids, which have anti-inflammatory properties and are demonstrated in animal studies to reduce inflammatory proteins (13).

Skin Health

Collagen is an essential protein that gives skin elasticity and smoothness. The compounds present in custard apple leaves have been found to slow down collagen breakdown, improving the skin's elasticity (18). 

Custard apple is also an excellent source of antioxidants, which have skin protective and anti-aging qualities.

Digestive Health

A 100-gram serving of custard apple contains nearly 2.4g of dietary fiber, about 10% of the recommended daily intake. Since fiber is not digested or absorbed, it increases stool volume and helps it move through the intestines.

Besides, soluble fiber can nourish bacteria in the gut and ferment to form short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). These acids include butyrate, acetate, and propionate. SCFAs are energy sources for your body and may protect against inflammatory conditions affecting the digestive tract, such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (19).

Pregnancy

The crude extracts of different parts and pure isolated phytochemical constituents

of custard apples have been reported to have various positive effects on health during pregnancy (20).

As discussed previously, custard apple provides a variety of minerals such as magnesium, potassium, copper, and iron. It is also rich in vitamins, such as vitamin B6 and vitamin C.

Custard apples may also help with constipation thanks to the high dietary fiber content.

Disadvantages and Risks

While custard apples have impressive health benefits, they also contain small amounts of toxic compounds.

Custard apples and other fruits from the Annonaceae family contain annonacin, a toxin that can affect your brain and nervous system (21).

Research shows that high consumption of annonacin is associated with an increased risk of developing Parkinson's syndrome, which does not respond to conventional medications (22). 

Annonacin is found in all parts of the cherimoya plant, although it is most abundant in the seeds and skins. Remove the seeds and skins before eating cherimoya to reduce your exposure to annonacin.

Allergy

Apple custard allergy has been found to have a crossreaction with latex. Common symptoms are burning and itching in the mouth, lips, and throat. Sometimes, more severe symptoms, including anaphylactic shock, may appear (23).