As you know we’re big fruit fans at Love Taste Co! While lots of our favourites such as melon, mango and pineapple have a summer feel there is one fruit that has a festive and wintry vibe – the fig! Let us take a look at the health benefits of figs and how we like our figs.
Native to the Middle East figs ripen late in the year and have a short season; that’s why we associate them with autumn and winter. They are traditionally put in Christmas Pudding (hence ‘figgy pudding’) and before the days of refined sugar they were often used as a natural sweetener in recipes.
Firstly, How We Like Our Figs
Not only do they look beautiful with their dark purplish skin and deep red seeds but they have a unique delicate flavour and a succulent chewy texture. We like them so much we put them into our new coffee based smoothie CaFiend – they add an earthy sweetness that just seems to complement the roasted beans. We’ve mixed them with bananas, maple and gluten free oats to create an indulgent energy boost. You just add a double shot of espresso, some nut milk and blend!
Health Benefits of Figs
Apart from being delicious figs also have some great health benefits.
Figs for Fibre
They are high in fibre – so they are great for your gut and can increase feelings of fullness.
Lots of Pre-Biotics
They also contain pre-biotics – so they’re doubly good for your digestion!
Great for Hair and Skin
They are great for your skin and hair due to all the minerals they contain such as copper, iron and zinc.
Figs Contain Antioxidants
They contain antioxidant vitamins A and K .
Make Bones Stronger
They are good for your bones as they are high in calcium, potassium and magnesium
Helps Blood Pressure
Apparently they are also good for your blood pressure too – their high fibre helps lower blood pressure while potassium helps maintain it.
Better Sleep with Figs
They can help you sleep better as they contain the amino acid tryptophan that helps your body create melatonin, which induces sleep. They also contain Omega-3 fatty acids that help you to relax.
Maybe Even Cure Warts?!
Last but not least – according to an old wives tale they cure warts! So you can rub them into your verrucas too – now that’s what we call one versatile fruit!