What Is A Fig?

What is a Fig? If i may ask

Well, The fig (genus Ficus) is a soft, sweet fruit. Its skin is very thin and it has many tiny seeds inside.

There are more than 850 species of ficus, the fig tree.

The fruit can be eaten when ripe and dry, sometimes figs are made into jam.

Health Benefits Of Figs

ficus carica(fig)

Some researchers believe that figs have the following properties such as being an antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, fat-reduction, cellular protection.
These properties may be responsible for figs’ therapeutic effects.

The following sections discuss these potential benefits in more detail:

Diabetes and glucose control
The World Health Organization (WHO) has suggested that people can use traditional plants to treat diabetes. Scientists note that figs protect the liver and lower glucose levels.

Research on this topic is very limited. However, one small study conducted in 1998 showed that eight participants had lower glucose levels after meals when they took fig leaf extracts.

Study participants also needed lower doses of insulin when they added fig leaf extract.

In a study that used rats with type 2 diabetes, researchers found that fig leaf extract could improve insulin levels and lower blood glucose levels.

In another study using mice with diabetes, researchers found that fig leaf extract could stop or slow down glucose production in the liver.

Erectile Dysfunction.
Some people consider certain plants as aphrodisiacs because of their potential ability to stimulate sexual arousal. Indeed, some people use figs because of their supposed aphrodisiac properties.

A study on rats tested the aphrodisiac properties of three plants: earth smoke, Chinese cinnamon and figs.

Researchers measured the effectiveness of a mixture of these plants by studying increases in mounting behavior. Rats that received the mixture had increased sexual activity compared to the control group.

However, it is difficult to determine which of the three plants is responsible for the increased sexual activity.

Researchers have not yet studied the aphrodisiac effects of figs on humans. More research is needed before doctors can recommend the use of figs for erectile dysfunction.

Skin Health
An older study in the International Journal of Dermatology compared the effects of fig tree latex to the effects of cryotherapy on common warts.

In the study, 25 participants with common warts on both sides of their bodies were given fig tree latex on one side. The doctors used cryotherapy on the other side.

The researchers found that in 44% of the participants, the fig tree latex completely resolved the warts. However, cryotherapy was more effective, resulting in a complete reversal in 56% of participants.

Researchers don’t yet understand why figs can help resolve warts, but fig latex may offer a safe and easy-to-use treatment option that has little or no side effects.

Hair Health
Very little research has examined the connection between figs and hair health. However, figs contain a great deal of iron, which is an important mineral for maintaining healthy hair.

Before a person starts taking extracts or supplements for hair health, they should talk to their doctor to make sure it is safe for them.

Fever
More research is needed to test the effects of figs on fever. However, studies on rats have shown that a dose of fig alcohol extract lowers body temperature for up to 5 hours.

Further studies are needed to confirm these findings, however, as researchers are still unsure how to explain the effect of figs on lowering body temperature.

Digestive Health
Because of the fruit’s laxative properties, people commonly use fig syrup to treat constipation. However, few studies have shown that figs help with constipation.

In one study, researchers gave rats loperamide (Imodium) to induce constipation. The rats that received the fig paste had fewer episodes of constipation than the control group.

Another study compared the effects of figs and fiber supplements in people with functional constipation. Figs improved most constipation symptoms, including:

bowel movement time
Number of bowel movements
Abdominal pain and discomfort
Figs also reduced the effort required to pass the stool and improved the feeling of incomplete evacuation.

The researchers noted no differences in constipation relief between fiber supplements and figs.

Credit:

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327207#risks