USE OF TROPICAL FRUITS

A major food source
In atolls such as the islands of Kiribati and Marshall Islands, the coconut is
regarded as a staple and is one of the most important foods. It is a major
source of energy and other essential nutrients. The flesh and juice of the
green coconut provide a good quantity of Vitamin C as well as a number
of important minerals and vitamins . The energy-rich
sap, known as toddy (kareve in Kiribati and jekaro in the Marshalls), is
extracted from the coconut-flower bud. It is used as a drink while fresh, or
boiled into a molasses-like concentrate 
 and then diluted as drink, or caramelised into a product similar
to toffee  
. Fresh toddy can also be fermented (te manging in Kiribati) and
used as a mild intoxicant and as a leavening agent. Fermented toddy is also
used to marinate raw fish in place of lemon or lime juice.
Medicinal properties
Many tropical fruit trees have medicinal uses. For instance, several organic
compounds present in pawpaw have health benefits 
. Some of these have been identified as very significant
and are useful in the pharmacological industry. These are benzyl glucosinolate,
benzyl isothiocyanate, choline, carpaine, pseudocarpaine
and dehydrocarpaine I and II. Carpaine has been reportedly
used as a relaxant to calm people and cheer those who are
depressed . It can also be used
to kill germs. Pawpaw is also the source of papain, an enzyme
used not only as a food tenderiser, especially for meat, but also
in the cosmetic, leather and drug manufacturing industries.
The tips of the pandanus plant’s roots are widely used in
atolls for treating boils and sores . They also
help to reduce fever, especially in children. In Fiji Islands,
the root tip is used to treat fish poisoning 
. The juice from crushed roots, fried with coconut cream,
T h e F r u i t s W e E a twas a common laxative, and the skin of the ripe fruit is used for urinary tract
problems in the Cook Islands . In Tonga, the tips of the
root, mixed with turmeric and grated coconut, are applied to sores
.
The leaves of the guava tree are an effective cure for diarrhoea 
.
The bark of the Polynesian plum tree (Spondias dulcis) is pounded, and prepared
as a medicine (drink) for treatment of ciguatera fish poisoning in
Vanuatu, especially in the Banks Islands and Emae (Walter, 1992). The
leaves can also be used as a treatment for coughs.
In Kiribati, the mesocarp or white flesh of the coconut is used for treating
infantile diarrhoea, and the male and female flowers of the coconut tree are
used as a cure for gingivitis. , coconut
oil from the kernel is used for rubbing on stiff joints, and for treating
rheumatic pains, limbs after severe strain, and pain in the back or stomach.
Oil mixed with turmeric is supposed to have strengthening and therapeutic
properties for sick new-born infants . The juice
of the red coconut, mixed with the bark of the kavika (Malay apple), wi
, and pandanus root is used to treat fish poisoning
.
Health benefits
The health benefits of fruits in the diet of Pacific Islanders cannot be underestimated
. The role of dietary
fibre and essential nutrients such as Vitamin C, the limited contribution to
energy and the absence of cholesterol make fruits important components
of the Pacific Island diet.
Eating fresh fruits is more beneficial than drinking orange juice or taking
supplements such as vitamin pills. For example, the juice from five oranges
does not provide five times the nutrients of one whole orange ,
. The combined effects of nutrients and other substances in fruits
(some of which are still unidentified) may help in the prevention of diseases
and health problems. The numerous reactions and activities, such as anti-

oxidant effects and the presence of phyto-estrogens, may provide more
clues for other unknown properties of fruits . We still do
not know everything about the nature of fruits and their effects on the
body. Nor do we know the long-term effects of taking vitamin supplements.
These unsolved and unanswered mysteries tend to make one believe
that the best advice is to keep to natural sources of nutrients, hence the saying
‘an apple [or other fruit] a day keeps the doctor away’.
The physiological role of dietary fibre (as in the reduction of cholesterol
levels in the blood, in cancer prevention and in the management of obesity
and diabetes, among others) has put fruits back into the limelight
. The presence of both beta-carotene and dietary fibre make fruits
important preventive health components in the diet. Epidemiological studies
have also found that higher intakes of carotene (fruits are a good
source), may reduce the risks of some cancers .
Traditionally, the variety and amount of fruits consumed provided protection
against certain types of health problems. With the apparent gradual
decrease in the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, Islanders are
now more prone to a host of health problems, some of which might be prevented
if a wider variety of fresh fruits were part of the regular diets.
Promotion of the beneficial effects of fresh fruits as a regular component of
the Pacific Island diet must therefore be a priority for all nutrition education