Breadfruit

The first breadfruit voyage

In 1787, Bligh took command of the Bounty. In order to win a premium offered by the Royal Society of Arts, he first sailed to Tahiti to obtain breadfruit trees, then set course for the Caribbean, where breadfruit was wanted for experiments to see whether it would be a successful food crop for slaves there. The Bounty never reached the Caribbean, as mutiny broke out on board shortly after the ship left Tahiti.

The second breadfruit voyage

After his exoneration by the Court Martial inquiry into the loss of the Bounty, Bligh remained in the Royal Navy. From 1791 to 1793, as master and commander of HMS Providence and in company with HMS Assistance, he undertook again to transport breadfruit from Tahiti to the West Indies.[10] The operation was successful, and breadfruit is a popular food in the West Indies to this day so much so that it is a prerequisite of Grenada’s national dish ‘Oil Down’.

Benefits of Breadfruit

Breadfruit is unlike any other fruit you've eaten before. That's because breadfruit does not have the look, feel or consistency of a typical fruit, but like its name suggests, looks much like bread. When the breadfruit is ripe it is relatively soft and the inside has a yellow, cream coloured flesh that resembles bread. The flesh of the breadfruit is somewhat sweet and has a nice fragrant smell.  Breadfruit can be prepared and eaten in much the same ways as that of a potato. 

Though, native to the Malay Peninsula, and the western Pacific islands, breadfruit is today, widely grown in tropical regions across the world. It is a staple food, sought after for its cheap cost and it being a source of high energy, in fact it is because of its high energy content that it was first brought to the Caribbean and the Americas in the 18^th century.

Breadfruit has the health benefit of providing high energy to those who eat it through its carbohydrates that the body needs for warmth and maintenance during daily activities.

Not only is breadfruit a rich source of energy, breadfruit also contains significantly high amounts of fiber. According to the American Heart Association fiber decreases bad cholesterol and triglycerides which increases heart attack risks. An increased intake of fiber lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol levels in the body, while elevating HDL (good) cholesterol levels   in the body. Breadfruit protects the body against heart disease and heart attacks.

Additionally, the fiber found in breadfruit can help those with diabetes to control the disease. Research shows that fiber can control diabetes by reducing the absorption of glucose from the food we eat.  Another health benefit of breadfruit is that breadfruit helps to make our intestines and bowels work properly. Fiber regulates bowel movements and clears out the buildup of junk from our intestines; eating breadfruit on a regular basis can reduce the risk of developing colon cancer.

Breadfruit benefits the body as it contains favorable amounts of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. These essential fatty acids help the body and mind to develop normally. Fatty acids also stimulate skin and hair growth, regulate our metabolism, promote reproduction and stimulate bone health.

In addition to these health benefits breadfruit also contains vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, iron and phosphorus. Further research is being done to uncover even more health benefits of breadfruit. But in the meantime, you can start eating more breadfruit and take advantage of the many health benefits we know it has now.