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Scientific name : Ziziphus
Family: Rhamnaceae
Higher classification: Paliureae
Rank: Genus
common name: jujube
used part : fruit
Order: Rosales
What is ziziphus jujube?
The fruits of Ziziphus jujuba, commonly known as jujube, red date or Chinese date, are taken as fresh or dried food, and as traditional medicine worldwide due to high nutritional and health values.
tree is hardy and can be grown in many parts of the world.
Traditionally in China, jujube is considered as a medicinal fruit that is being used in treating blood deficiency.
The study on biological activities has supported the health benefits of jujube as both food and medicinal herb.
According to Chinese medicinal theory, jujube is considered as a medicinal herb that calms the mind and relieves mental tension.
Clinically, jujube is commonly prescribed, either as single herb or in tranquillizing formulae combined with other herbal medicines, for the treatment of insomnia and forgetfulness.
Jujube belongs to the plant family Rhamnaceae - the same family as our native Carolina Buckthorn (Rhamnus caroliniana).
Although a relatively small tree, it can grow as tall as 40 ft.
The native species usually has two spines at the base of each leaf and gnarled branches, but our specimen is a cultivar without any spines.
The Jujube has alternate, shiny, green leaves (1-2 in.
long) that are finely toothed along the margins.
The bark is rough and shaggy.
The small, fleshy fruit is red (plumb or cherry size) with a single stone and matures in the fall.
The fruit becomes wrinkled with age, resembling a date.
Jujube has been used as a hedge plant.
It has dense, hard, tough wood which has been used for agricultural implements and wood turning.
It also makes good fuel and charcoal.
What does ziziphus jujube taste like?
If you are new to this fruit, you may be wondering what a jujube tastes like.
Jujubes are best eaten when they are somewhere between yellow-green and red.
During this stage, they have a mild, sweet flavor with a slightly tart undertone.
Unripe jujubes have a floury, chalk-like texture and lack sweetness, so it is best to avoid eating them prematurely.
The texture of a jujube is crisp like an apple, although it also has a spongy quality.
Once the fruit has dried, it becomes sweet and dry and has a dense texture similar to a date.
However, it doesn’t have a dominant caramel flavor which you get from dates.
The fruit has an aroma that is musky and woody.
What are the culinary uses for ziziphus jujube?
Many people may be familiar with some culinary and herbal uses of Jujube, but may not be familiar with the plant itself.
The fruits can be eaten raw like dates, or used in cooking puddings, cakes, soups, etc.
The fruit has a very high Vitamin C content.
Candies called Jujubes and Jujyfruits may have originally contained extracts from the Jujube tree, but they became just chewy candy with any kind of fruit flavoring.
Jujube wine is considered as one of the important jujube fruit beverages
Apart from the medicinal application, fresh immature jujubes are widely consumed as fruits, and the dried fruits are also eaten as a snack, or with tea.
In China, jujube has been made into a wide range of products, i.
e.
, juice, vinegar and wine.
In southern part of India, jujube is mixed with tamarind, jaggery, salt and chilies, and then pounded into cakes.
In Lebanon and Persia, jujube is used as digestive aid being consumed with the desserts.
In Morocco, the honey obtained from jujube extract is believed to be beneficial to sore throats (Lim, 2013).
Additional of natural herbal extracts to dairy products has increasingly popular because of their health benefits.
What are the Health benefits of ziziphus jujube ?
In China and Japan, the fruits, leaves, and roots are used to prepare herbal remedies for treating a wide variety of ailments, including arrhythmias, insomnia, fevers, liver conditions, malnutrition, anemia.
They also are used as an aid in weight gain, increasing stamina, and strengthening bones and tendons.
one of the main functions of jujube, as described in herbal medicine, is to benefit our brain by calming down the mind and improving quality of sleep.
Here, the activities of jujubes on nervous system are summarized and discussed.
Jujube possesses neuroprotective activities, including protecting neuronal cells against neurotoxin stress, stimulating neuronal differentiation, increasing expression of neurotrophic factors, and promoting memory and learning.
Flavonoid, cAMP, and jujuboside could be the potential bioactive ingredients to account for the aforesaid biological activities.
These findings imply that jujube is a potential candidate for development of health supplements for prevention and/or treatment of neurological diseases.
Jujube on Neuron Differentiation:
According to historical usage in China, one of the main functions of jujube was considered to benefit our brain by calming down the mind and improving quality of sleep.
In modern science, benefiting our brain is usually related to neurobeneficial effects, for example, neuroprotection effect and neurotrophic action.
Neuroprotection against Oxidation Insult
In the process of neurodegeneration, the functions of neuron are markedly decreased.
In Parkinson and Alzheimer diseases, oxidative stress, as the main considerable factor, is believed to cause neuronal damage in progress of diseases.
Jujube on Insomnia, Learning, and Memory
In Chinese herbal medicine, jujube was prepared as a tea that was used against insomnia.
Heart Health
Although limited, the evidence suggests that jujube may reduce the risk of heart disease by improving blood fat profile.
You may use jujube as a complementary approach if your doctor determines that it may be helpful in your case.
Importantly, never take it in place of what your doctor recommends or prescribes
Blood Sugar
Jujube carbohydrates lowered fasting blood sugar and insulin levels in mice and rats with diabetes or fed a high-fructose diet
Digestive Health
In a clinical trial on 37 chronically constipated people, jujube extract reduced constipation and increased quality of life
Removing Heavy Metals from Breast Milk
In a clinical trial on 40 women who had recently given birth, those who ate fresh jujube fruits daily had lower concentrations of toxic heavy metals such as lead and cadmium in their breast milk
.