Plant atlas Short
Jackfruit Fiber Fed Gut Bacteria in Lab Tests
Jackfruit · ขนุน · Artocarpus heterophyllus
Jackfruit — ขนุน (kha-nun) — Artocarpus heterophyllus.
In lab and animal studies, this sweet, meaty fruit's pulp polysaccharides fed gut bacteria, and raised short-chain fatty acids. The edible part is the fruit pods. Jackfruit carries a plain nutrition stack. Its vitamin C helps the body build collagen and acts as an antioxidant. Its vitamin B6 supports energy metabolism, nerve function, and red-blood-cell formation. Its potassium contributes to fluid balance, muscle function, and nerve signaling. Its fiber slows digestion and can make a meal feel more filling; broader dietary-fiber research links fiber with steadier blood sugar after meals. Jackfruit-specific trials are still needed.
Kaeng Khanun simmers young green jackfruit with pork ribs and tomatoes into a northern Thai curry, scooped up with sticky rice. Khao Niao Khanun stuffs ripe jackfruit pods with sweet coconut sticky rice, drizzled with salted coconut cream and toasted sesame. To eat jackfruit, take the sweet ripe pods; the seeds are edible once boiled or roasted, and unripe green fruit cooks as a meat-like vegetable. The massive fruits grow straight from the trunk.
If you have a latex or birch-pollen allergy, jackfruit can cross-react and has triggered serious reactions.
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Gaeng Kanoon — แกงขนุน (gaeng-ka-noon)
Khao Niao Khanun — ข้าวเหนียวขนุน (khao-niao-ka-noon)
Food and nutrients
Rich in: vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, fiber
Research context
Jackfruit fiber fed beneficial gut bacteria and boosted short-chain fatty acids in lab/animal studies — Food Chemistry, 2021
Sources
Source: Zhu KX et al. (2021). Polysaccharide from Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. (jackfruit) pulp modulates gut microbiota composition and improves short-chain fatty acids production. Food Chem 364:130434. DOI:10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.130434 (PMID 34182368)
Narration transcript
Opening
This is the largest fruit in the world that grows on a tree. A single one can top eighty pounds and hangs straight off the trunk, because no branch could carry that weight. Jackfruit — ขนุน, ka-noon. You eat the sweet golden pods inside, and the big seeds once they are boiled or roasted.
Gaeng Kanoon (Northern Thai Young Jackfruit Curry) (แกงขนุน)
Gaeng kanoon is a northern Thai curry that simmers young green jackfruit with pork ribs and tomatoes, served hot with sticky rice.
Khao Niao Khanun (Coconut Sticky Rice Stuffed Jackfruit) (ข้าวเหนียวขนุน)
Khao niao khanun fills ripe jackfruit pods with coconut sticky rice, salted coconut cream, and toasted sesame.
Nutrition summary
Those sweet golden pods are a good source of vitamin B6 and vitamin C, with a useful amount of potassium too.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is used to build collagen and helps protect cells from oxidative stress.
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 contributes to normal energy metabolism, supports a healthy nervous system, and helps your body make red blood cells.
Potassium
Potassium helps with normal fluid balance and muscle function.
Fiber
Fiber adds bulk to meals and can help with fullness.
Closing
A mature tree can bear over a hundred fruit a year, and picked young and green, the unripe pods cook up meaty enough to stand in for pork in a curry. One caution: if you have a latex or birch-pollen allergy, jackfruit can cross-react and has triggered serious reactions. Follow Longevity Biome, and LIKE this video for regular updates.
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