Do you just love figs? I do!
They are delicate and delicious with the most vibrant color and texture. Roasting figs drawing out their natural sugar, or including the figs and their leaves on your charcuterie board with various goat milk cheeses, nuts and dried fruits creates a delicious pairing.
They are the perfect natural sweetener and offer excellent benefits for your health. They are packed with immune-boosting Vitamins A and C, have the highest mineral and fiber content of all common fruits, nuts, or vegetables and are a great source of potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, antioxidants, fibers, and polyphenols. Figs are often recommended to nourish and tone the intestines as they act as a natural laxative because of their high fiber content. The prebiotic properties create a healthy gut environment, improve digestive wellness, promote healthy skin and balance glucose levels.
Top 5 Health Benefits
1. Promotes digestive health
Figs are often recommended to nourish and tone the intestines, they act as a natural laxative because of their high fiber content. The fiber they provide also has prebiotic properties, feeding the gut bacteria and promoting a healthy gut environment which as a result improves digestive wellness.
2. Rich in antioxidants
Figs, especially ripe ones, are rich in protective plant compounds called polyphenols. These compounds have protective antioxidant properties, this means they help prevent oxygen from reacting with other chemicals and causing damage to cells and tissues, by so doing they are key to managing oxidation.
3. May support healthy blood pressure
Many of us consume too much sodium (salt), which is found in processed foods. High intakes of sodium can lead to deficiencies of potassium and this imbalance may lead to high blood pressure (hypertension). A diet rich in fruit and vegetables, including fresh figs, naturally increases potassium levels and is therefore encouraged to help manage blood pressure.
A study examining the specific effects of fig extract in animals showed reductions in blood pressure for those with normal as well as hypertensive readings.
4. May support bone health
Figs are a good source of bone-friendly minerals including calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. Figs are especially rich in calcium with some studies suggesting they contain 3.2 times more than other fruits.
Being a good source of potassium may help to counteract the urinary excretion of calcium, caused by a high salt diet. This in turn helps to keep calcium in bones and as a result may lessen the risk of osteoporosis.
5. May improve diet quality and aid weight management
Naturally high in dietary fiber and packed with vitamins and minerals, figs may be a useful dietary inclusion to improve the nutritional density of your diet and in turn help with weight management. High fibre foods provide feelings of fullness and can reduce hunger and cravings whilst key nutrients improve blood management.
