29 Fig Health Benefits
Figs are an ancient fruit; even the ancient Greeks and Romans ate them. These little pear-shaped fruits grow from the Mediterranean, to Northern India, and to Asiatic Turkey. Because of how many different places figs can grow, there are roughly 100 different kinds. The health benefits in this article should work for each type of fig.
Since the fig has been grown and eaten for as long as it has been, there are also different things that the fig can represent. Hebrew cultures say that it stands for abundance and peace while some people believe that the fig is the Tree of Life. Some even believe that a fig was the Fruit of knowledge that God told Adam and Eve not to eat. Buddha is said to have found enlightenment while having been seated under a fig tree.
Fig Health Benefits
There is more than just historical fun facts to this timeless fruit. There are also plenty of reasons as to why people have been eating them for so long.
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Minerals
Figs have an abundance of minerals that can help with many things. They contain potassium, magnesium, calcium, copper, and manganese. They even have vitamins K and B6. All of these minerals work to help your body in one way or another. They make sure your bones stay healthy and your blood flows well throughout the body.
Figs can be consumed fresh (as shown) or dried to take in all of their health vitamins and minerals
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Antioxidants
Antioxidants are lovely little things that are mighty powerful. These little warriors fight away free radicals which can later cause cancer. The antioxidants in figs have also been found to heal tumors, wounds, and warts.
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Calcium
The calcium mentioned in one keeps your bones strong and healthy while being one of the key fighters against osteoporosis. A half-cup serving of fresh figs has the same amount of calcium as a glass of milk (which can be helpful if you want an alternative to dairy when fighting congestion or if you are lactose intolerant).
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Sore Throats
There are different components in figs and their leaves that have been found to be able to soothe sore throats when mashed together with garlic. You can simply eat the mixture (more of a paste really) or you can mix it with a cup of water.
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Fiber
Fiber can help you with digestive health, constipation, and weight loss. The dietary fiber in figs can even help to fight off breast cancer. Figs can also keep diarrhea at bay. Fiber also helps to keep colon cancer away and can balance hormone levels in women going through pregnancy or menopause.
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The Leaves
Not only is the fruit healthy for you, but the leaves are too. Chewing on the leaves or even just boiling them in water to make a tea can keep your blood sugar levels down and can lessen the amount of insulin that diabetics need. The fig leaves can also help your triglyceride levels to drop which helps to prevent heart disease.
Since there are many different types of figs, there are also many different types of fig leaves (all of which should work for this health benefit)
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Healthy in Moderation
While figs sound to be all good, there is a warning that you should heed. Figs contain a kind of sugar called fructose. It can do some damage to your heart if you consume too much.
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Sugar Replacement
The reddish-pinkish fruit of the fig can be spread. Some people like to use it in pies, cakes, puddings, to sweeten teas and coffees. Some people try to replace sugar with gis whenever they are able because it is healthier than the generic cane sugar.
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Lower Cholesterol
The high amount of fiber, when teaming up with the pectin that figs also have can also lower your cholesterol levels. The fiber and pectin do this by picking up the cholesterol and help it out of your body faster so that it cannot build up and do damage to your heart.
10.Heart Diseases
Omega-3 and six fatty acids, as well as phenol, lessens the chances of getting heart diseases. This works in part because it helps to lower blood pressure and blood sugar levels, which is healthy for the arteries. What is healthy for the arteries is healthy for the heart!
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Hypertension
Hypertension is when your body has too much sodium and not enough potassium. Figs are great for balancing that because they are low in sodium while being high in potassium.
Hypertension is also known as high blood pressure
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Bronchitis
The chemicals located in fig leaves, when brewed as a tea, have been found helpful for fighting off Bronchitis. Not only do they help against Bronchitis, but against other respiratory issues. Fig leaves have even been used to relieve the effects of asthma.
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Alzheimer’s
Figs, partly due to the antioxidants, are amazing anti-inflammatories. Their anti-inflammatories do not just stop at the surface. They ease neuroinflammation as well. Neuroinflammation is a large and fancy word that means ‘brain swelling’. This brain swelling can help lead to Alzheimer’s. So enjoy a couple figs every now and again might help to stave off or slow down Alzheimer’s Disease.
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STDs
There are two ways that the antioxidants in figs can help you with this. One way is to just eat the fruit. The other is to smear the fruit’s soft innards on the affected area. This will work best for STDs that come with sores.
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Aphrodisiac
Whether it is just a placebo or if the vitamins and minerals in the fig really do help you below the middle, no one really knows for sure. People have been using figs for centuries as an aid in conceiving children or to let them go longer and want it more often. Why not give it try?
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Macular Degeneration
These little fruits are able to stop the spread and progression of macular degeneration, a type of loss in eyesight. So if you are starting to get a bit older, try eating a fig every now and again; it could do you a world of good.
This is what your vision will look like if you have an advanced stage of macular degeneration
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Urine
Urine can be a confusing thing. There are things that you want to be left in your body and things that you want the urine to carry out, but those two things do not always happen how you need them to. Eating figs can help with that. The potassium in figs helps your body to control what is and is not being released in your urine. The figs can also help with filtering your urine so that any harmful thing is killed or at least weakened.
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Treat Various Illnesses
In a world where there are so many different illnesses, it makes things a little easier knowing that there are almost just as many ways to get rid of those illnesses. Eat figs is one of those ways. The leaves, extracts, and fruits themselves have been used to cure a number of things. They can treat anemia, cancer, leprosy, skin infections, diabetes, ulcers, urinary tract infections, and gastrointestinal tract infections.
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Antifungal
We know that figs are antioxidants but they are also antifungal and antibacterial. That means that the figs can help with bad breath and boost your immune system.
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Love Your Skin
You often see fig leaves or the actual fruit as an ingredient in lotions and face washes. There is a reason behind that other than that it helps the product to smell good. The extract from figs helps to moisten your skin, keep hyper pigmentation under control, soothe acne and freckles, and smooth wrinkles.
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Mediterranean Diet
Figs are a very important part of the Mediterranean Diet. This diet is worth your time because lowers bad cholesterol while raising the good cholesterol, lessens the chances of Alzheimer’s, cancer, and Parkinson’s. The diet is very easy to follow.
The Mediterranean Diet, for the most part, is just changing your eating habits and getting exercise. Changing your diets means eating lots of vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, and whole grains; flavoring foods with spices and herbs other than salt; not eating red meat and replacing it with fish and/or poultry; drink red wine in moderation; and use olive and canola oil rather than butter.
Figs are just one of the many fruits and vegetables eaten in a Mediterranean diet
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Vision
Figs have a small amount of vitamin A and carotenoid antioxidant. Between the two of these and eating figs regularly, it may be able to help you to see better if used constantly over time.
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Lively Liver
Enzymes, antioxidants, and other detoxification agents in figs can help your body’s liver to work better and with less stress. If you drink a lot (which you should not) try eating a fig you are hungover; it can help to lessen the side effects of the hangover faster.
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Piles
To use figs to treat piles, you can either just eat figs and soak figs in water overnight and eat them (along with drinking the water they were soaked in). The fiber and the antioxidants in the figs soften your stool, which takes the pressure off of your rectum. The figs (soaked or not) should be even twice a day. You should eat a fig first thing when you wake up and the last thing before you go to bed.
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Energy
Put the coffee aside, this better for you. The natural sugars and carbohydrates in the figs help your body to retain the energy you consume from these fruits (as well as other fruits).
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Condition
Try to find a conditioner and/or shampoo with fig extract in it. The minerals in the figs will leave your hair moist and light.
If you cannot find shampoo or conditioner with fig extract in it, massage your scalp with fig juice while you are in the shower instead
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Growing Hair
The vitamins E and C tag-teamed with the magnesium can help your hair to grow by encouraging blood circulation to your scalp.
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Insomnia
Figs contain tryptophan (the same thing that makes you drowsy after eating turkey) which is made into melatonin that helps you to sleep. The omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B3 help you to stay asleep. Figs have magnesium which is helpful because a magnesium deficiency can increase stress levels that can make it even harder to sleep. If you find it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep at night, you may have insomnia. In this case, figs can do a world of good.
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Repair and Prevent Kidney Damage
By lowering the cholesterol levels in your blood, it lessens the chance of there being kidney damage because of the high cholesterol. The compounds in figs can also invoke the repair of kidney damage.
Bananas are also great at preventing and treating other kidney problems
Which of these health benefits are most surprising to you? Comment below!
Sources
https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/fruit/health-benefits-of-figs-or-anjeer.html
https://bamboocorefitness.com/10-health-benefits-of-figs/
https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/amazing-health-benefits-of-figs/
https://www.naturalfoodseries.com/11-benefits-figs-anjeer/
https://www.britannica.com/plant/fig
http://lzmarieauthor.com/tag/fig-symbolism/
https://foodfacts.mercola.com/figs.html
