Loquat fruits

Loquat fruits are the fruits of the tree Eriobotrya japonica, also called Japanese medlar or Japanese plum, that belongs to the Rosaceae family and is native to China. Loquat fruits ripen in spring until the start of summer and have a round shape, with a peel color from yellow to orange and a pulp that can be acidulous if loquat fruits are still not ripe and sweeter when full ripeness is reached. Loquat fruit is rich in water and, thanks to this characteristic, it has diuretic properties very useful to counteract water retention, urinary tract infections and stones. In addition to this, this fruit is also a source of vitamins, such as A, important for the health of skin and eyes, group B and C, and mineral salts such as potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and calcium. Because of this intake loquat fruits are remineralizing and able to integrate the mineral salts that are lost due to sweating. Loquat fruits contain fibers and result very satiating. For what concerns their ability to regulate intestinal transit, loquat fruits are stringent when they are still not ripe while result a bit laxative when they reached ripeness. Moreover, these very special fruits have an anti-fever action and anti-inflammatory properties. According to scientific studies indeed both loquat fruits and leaves act as anti-inflammatory remedies. On the basis of a study published on the International Journal of Molecular Medicine in 2012 by a Korean team (Kim JY et al, Int J Mol Med, 2012), the loquat leaves extract has an anti-inflammatory effect, it is antioxidant and is able to lower blood sugar level. Then, another study has highlighted the anti-inflammatory activity of the loquat fruits as well as that of strawberry and mulberry through the inhibition of substances that promote the inflammation (Jin-Yuam Lin et al, Food Chemistry, 2008). You can eat loquat fruits raw or in a fruit salad, avoid instead the pits because they contain hydrocyanic acid and result dangerous.