TIMES MALANG, JAKARTA – For those people who happened to see this exotic fruit for the first time, snake fruit will be a little bit intimidating. Their spikey outer skin and the tingling look that looks like snakeskin has made people name this fruit after it. 

Snake fruit also commonly known as salak in Indonesia or Salacca zalacca is a native fruit of Java Indonesia. This fruit is a species of palm tree. You will see the tree just like the regular palm tree you found in your backyard. 

The tree will leave up to 6 meters tall. However, their fruit will be left at the bottom of the tree between the palm and the sap.

This fruit considered as one edible fruit with tons on benefit for your health. It contains so much nutrition from vitamin B2, vitamin C, cilium, calcium, phosphor, folic, and iron. Some fiber, beta carotene, flavonoid and some other nutrients could also be found in this exotic fruit.  

So, what are the benefit of consuming snake fruit for our body? Let's check it out the benefit listed according to Alodokter.

1. Help you Lose your weight

Snake fruit could also be added to your diet menu to help you on your weight loss program. The high fiber contain in this extraordinary ugly fruit can help you feel full longer and reduce you from craving for some more food.

2. Boost your immune system

The number of vitamin C, antioxidants such as carotenoids and lycopene in snake fruit made this exotic fruit such a good immune booster. The antioxidant also plays important part in protecting our body from free radical which has potential to destruct some good cell in our body.

3. Maintain your vision

The beta carotene contains in snake fruit give such a good benefit to your eyes. Although the number of this enzyme is not that much as in carrot, but it helps you prevent some degeneration cell in your eyes happened and prevent some issue for your vision such as myopia or cataract. 
4. Helps your bowl movement

The good amount of fiber in snake fruit will help your bowl movement works more effectively. This will also increase the number of good bacteria in your bowl which will make your poop soften and easier to let go. 

5. Brighten your skin

The number of vitamin C and flavonoid in snake fruit was said to be a good substance to help you brighten your skin. No wonder that some beauty brightening skin product will add these substances in to their product. 

Besides those 5 stated above, consuming snake fruit was said to be able to help prevent some cancer cell spreads on your body, improves your memory, maintain your heart work, also controlling the level of sugar and uric acid in your body.

However, all those possibilities still need some further research. For this case, the health professional suggests you take 2-3 servings of snake fruit for daily intake. 

With all these being said, there are still numerous benefits of consuming snake fruit or salak to your body. This fruit will be a suit to be put on your table for daily intake along with some other fruits like banana or apple. So, will you consider making this fruit as your favorite? (*)