You are certainly no stranger to petai. This typical food that is often consumed by some Indonesian people is so famous for its distinctive taste and aroma. Not only that, petai also has health benefits.
Not only in Indonesia, petai are also commonly found in several other Southeast Asian countries, such as Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines. In some of these countries, vegetables with the Latin name Parkia speciosa It is also used as a traditional herbal medicine because it is believed to be able to overcome various diseases.
Nutritional Content in Petai
Although it has a distinctive and pungent odor, petai contains 90-150 calories. In addition, petai is also known to contain several nutrients, such as:
- Proteins.
- Carbohydrate.
- Fiber.
- Fat.
- Minerals, such as calcium, manganese, potassium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, and copper.
- Several types of vitamins, including vitamin C, vitamin B1, and vitamin E.
In addition to these nutrients, petai is also rich in antioxidants, such as polyphenols, flavonoids, tannins, and antioxidants superoxide dismutase (SOD).
Various Benefits of Petai for Health
Seeing the many nutrients contained in petai, it is not surprising that petai provides a variety of health benefits. The following are some of the benefits of petai that you can get:
1. Control blood sugar
High blood sugar levels are a sign of diabetes. If left unchecked, uncontrolled high blood sugar levels can lead to various dangerous complications.
Therefore, it is important to control blood sugar levels to prevent diabetes and reduce the risk of diabetes complications. Blood sugar can be controlled with regular exercise and eating healthy foods and limiting sugar intake.
One of the foods that are believed to be good for controlling blood sugar is petai. This is thanks to the antioxidant content and chemicals beta-sitosterol and stigmasterol in petai which can keep blood sugar from spiking.
2. Fight free radicals
Petai is one of the foods with high levels of antioxidants that can counteract the effects of free radicals on body cells. Cell damage caused by free radicals can cause various diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, cataracts, premature aging, and diabetes.
3. Healthy digestive tract
Petai is a good source of fiber. By meeting adequate fiber intake, you will avoid various digestive problems, such as constipation.
In addition, fiber will also make you feel full longer, so the urge to overeat and snack can be reduced. This makes petai a good food choice for maintaining ideal body weight.
4 Maintain heart health
The heart functions to pump blood throughout the body to support survival. Because its role is so important, heart health must always be maintained. One of the foods that are considered good for the heart is petai.
This is thanks to the fiber, antioxidants, and potassium content in the petai. Potassium is an electrolyte and mineral that can keep blood pressure stable. While the fiber and antioxidants in petai can help prevent plaque formation in heart blood vessels.
5. Overcoming infection
Several studies in the laboratory show that petai extract seems to be able to eradicate germs and fungi that cause infection. These findings indicate that petai has potential as an antibacterial and antifungal agent.
However, these data cannot conclude that the benefits of petai have been proven to be effective and safe to use as drugs to treat infections.
There are many health benefits of petai that we are not aware of. Unfortunately, some of the benefits of petai have only been known through several small-scale studies. Therefore, further research still needs to be done to ascertain the medical benefits of petai as a treatment.
Things to Pay Attention to Before Consuming Petai
Petai does have the potential to provide many good health benefits, but that doesn't mean you can consume it in excess. To get a healthy body, you also need to eat a healthy balanced nutritious diet consisting of various types of food.
Consumption of petai in excessive amounts is not recommended because of the risk of damaging the kidneys. In addition, gout sufferers are also advised to limit the consumption of petai because this plant contains purines. High levels of this substance can cause increased levels of uric acid in the blood.
Although petai has many health benefits, it does not mean that eating petai can replace the function of medicines. If you are still in doubt or have questions about the benefits of petai and their effects on health, you can consult a nutritionist.