“A handed mash of Verbena – a medicine plant- will heal you from the horrible cold(…), drink it anyway if you want to be fine” my mother said to me when I used to get sick, at the age of a child.  Even now, every time I got an illness my dear mother always has a medicine plant, for any health treatment. For example, to drink an infusion of pampa oregano leaves heal you from stomach-ache; to drink a cup of mallow mixed with water will get down the fever and to drink the juice of verbena mashed treat you from diarrhea, cold and cough. Since I was a child, I saw these plants grown in my yard. The same way, others such as fruits that I have never thought they could have medicine diagnosis.   To inform about one of them, brought me up here, then the fruit I would like to introduce to you, is  regionally known as Caimito or Star apple in English.

First, scientifically known as Chrysophyllum cainito, is a tree “extensively cultivated in tropical Central, South America and the Caribbean – Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. Now it is also cultivated throughout the tropics and subtropics in Florida, Taiwan, India, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Northern Australia”[1]. For example in Brazil, it is named as Caimito; In Bolivia, Murucuya; in Argentina, Aguay; in Haiti, Pied Caimite and in India, Tarsiphala (Marathi).Chrysophyllum cainito is rich in diversity; its fruits are obovoid-globose and come in different colours. For example, in Iquitos, where I live, it grows the turning yellowish-green fruits but in other places, could there be the purplish-green or purple. Regarding, the leaves, they are elliptic or oblong-elliptic, 5–15 cm long, slightly leathery, rich green[2]. On the other hand, Consuming 100 gram of star apple offers 14.65 g of Carbohydrate, 9.1 mg of Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid), 1.137 mg of Vitamin B3 (Niacin), 0.49 mg of Iron,1.92 g of Total dietary Fiber, 0.049 mg of Vitamin B1, 1.52 g of Protein, 0.038 mg of Vitamin B2 and 18.95 mg Phosphorus. Moreover many Amino acids 0.004 g of Tryptophan, 0.022 g of Lysine and 0.002 g of Methionine are also found in 100 gram of Star apple[3].

 Second, it could work out with medicine and diet purpose, and the fact is that I have recently known it. I have a tree of this fruit at home, and surprisingly I have a natural treatment for diabetes  and to maintain Bone health. Scientifically, the infusion of the leaves is used for the control of diabetes, due to its hypuglycemic nature, that is, it helps to control the level of sugar in the body. Besides, the infusion is also recommended for inflammation and pain caused by joint rheumatism[4]. A part from this, 

Helps prevent gums from bleeding, as it contains vitamin A, which is important for growth and tissue strengthening. Thus, preventing possible infections[5]. So, if you have this tree, please keep it as a treasure, because it helps medically.