ADVICE FROM UKM MEDICAL DOCTOR
Little did you know …… after reading THIS, you’ll NEVER look at petai
in the same way again! (info from Pheng Sok)
Petai contains three natural sugars -sucrose, fructose and glucose.
Combined with fiber, petai gives an instant, sustained and substantial
boost of energy.
Research has proved that just two servings of petai
provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder
petai is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes. But energy
isn’t the only way petai can help us keep fit.
It can also help overcome
or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it
a must to add to our daily diet.
Depression:
According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND among people
suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating petai.
This is because petai contains tryptophan, a type of protein that the
body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your
mood and generally make you feel happier.
PMS(premenstrual syndrome):
Forget the pills – eat petai.
The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood
glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
Anemia:
High in iron, petai can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the
blood and so helps in cases of anemia.
Blood Pressure:
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt,
making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and
Drug Administration has just allowed the petai industry to make official
claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and
stroke.
Brain Power :
200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through
their exams this year by eating petai at breakfast, break, and lunch
in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the
potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.
Constipation:
High in fiber, including petai in the diet can help restore normal bowel
action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.
Hangovers:
One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a petai
milkshake, sweetened with honey. The petai calms the stomach and,
with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while
the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.
Heartburn:
Petai has a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from
heartburn, try eating petai for soothing relief.
Morning Sickness :
Snacking on petai between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels
up and avoid morning sickness.
Mosquito bites :
Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected
area with the inside of the petai skin. Many people find it amazingly
successful at reducing swelling and irritation.
Nerves:
Petai is high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.
Overweight:
Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work
leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at
5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more
likely to be in high-pressure jobs.
The report concluded that, to avoid
panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar
levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep
levels steady.
Ulcers:
Petai is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of
its soft texture and smoothness.
It is the only raw fruit that can be
eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes
over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.
Temperature control :
Many other cultures see petai as a ‘cooling’ fruit that can lower both the
physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers.
In Holland,
for example, pregnant women eat petai to ensure their baby is born
with a cool temperature..
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) :
Petai can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood
enhancer, tryptophan.
Smoking:
Petai can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they
contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help
the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.
Stress:
Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends
oxygen to the brain and regulates your body’s water balance. When we
are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium
levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium petai
snack.
Strokes:
According to research in ‘The New England Journal of Medicine, ‘eating
petai as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by
as much as 40%’.
Warts:
Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a
wart, take a piece of petai and place it on the wart. Carefully hold the
petai in place with a plaster or surgical tape!
So, as you can see, petai really is a natural remedy for many ills.
When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice
the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin
A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich
in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe its
time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, ‘A Petai a day
keeps the doctor away’.
I
dont really like eating Petai, but there was a Chinese restaurant that
Daniel Kang brought me to in JB that serves special Herbal
soup, roasted pork and char siew (Malaysian style, crispier,
crunchy and saltier) and Petai sambal that really got me liking it but
not the way Catherine she can finish the whole plate. The Petai sambal
is cooked in a very refreshing way, with the Petai not overpowering but
complementing the sambal and the taste is spicy, hot with that peculiar
Petai taste dont overhang too long.
Daniel maybe you can post the
address of that restaurant her. I would like to go there again and for those who
like to try it. Secondly does anyone know anywhere else in
Singapore is Petai serve refreshingly nice.
Lastly
Petai from what I heard, is not easily found in Singapore, so anyone
wants to comment on that. In JB famous afternoon Wet Market (near Carefoure
and the Durian Festival) which is as impressive as
the ones you can find in Australia or States. I dont think I have found anywhere in Singapore where
you find a wide, wide variety of fresh meats, vegetables and fruits,
etc and of couse Petai in peeled or pod form quite cheaply. So
here is to more Petai Power ???
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