Ackee Fruit for Diabetics

Ackee is a fruit from West Africa that grows on Caribbean islands such as Haiti and Jamaica, where it finds its way into treasured national dishes. Before the fruit ripens, the flesh is poisonous. When the fruit is ripe, the pods that contain the fruit open and the pulp is safe to eat. Ackee contains two amino acids that researchers began investigating as early as the 1950s because they rapidly decrease blood sugar levels. These scientific investigations focused on the potential role of these components as treatments for diabetes, a major cause of death in Jamaica.

Diabetes Facts

Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are common diseases worldwide. Adults are the majority of Type 2 diabetes sufferers, and Type 1 diabetes occurs most frequently in children. Both types require treatment with medications or dietary interventions to keep blood sugar levels within normal ranges. Left untreated, diabetes has serious health complications, such as blindness, kidney failure and loss of limbs.

Ackee Research

The amino acids hypoglycin A and B in ackee fruit are liver toxins that cause low blood sugar, vomiting and fatalities. Research into the potential of ackee for diabetics mainly investigated the chemical structure of these compounds. Researchers hoped to replicate the chemical structure of the fruit’s beneficial components in a synthetic form, while eliminating the fruit’s toxic properties. The intent of these investigations was to provide an alternative to insulin for diabetics, according to the Jamaica Gleaner newspaper.

Diabetes and Ackee

Hypoglycin A, the naturally occurring amino acid in the arils, has been the subject of scientific investigation because of its capacity to induce hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar levels. Before the ackee fruit ripens, the amount of hypoglycin A in the arils is roughly 20 times higher than after the fruit is ripe, according to the Pan American Health Organization. Exposure to sunshine after the ackee pod splits open plays a significant role in the reduction of the fruit’s hypoglycin A levels. This component is also soluble in water, so any recipe that exposes the fruit to liquids also reduces the hypoglycin A content. Insignificant amounts remain in the ackee when prepared using traditional recipes. The Hypoglycin B content in ackee seeds increases as the fruit ripens, making the seeds inedible.

Ackee Potential for Diabetics

The toxicity of the arils of unripened ackee poses a greater health risk than any benefit that diabetics might get from consuming the fruit to control blood sugar. Research efforts to use the fruit’s components as a medication for blood sugar control in laboratory tests on animals failed to provide any methodologies for effective control of the hypoglycemic and toxic properties of hypoglycin A. Once ripe, ackee doesn't have enough hypoglycin A to provide any benefit as a dietary intervention for diabetics. This fruit is a low-calorie, low-carbohydrate food that contributes fiber, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids to your diet.