Loquats for Your Health

I’m 14, and, about eight years ago, my parents planted this strange-looking tree that we thought was just an ornamental tree until a year or two later. It was very tall, and we started getting little fruits on the tree.

We looked the loquat up and saw that it was a fruit tree, so we ate it, just for the fun of it. I began planting the seeds and now have more than 50 trees in gallon containers. I wanted to know more about it this year, so I researched it. I knew so much about it my mom told me to write a research paper on the tree. Here is the sample of my paper.

LOQUATS

Luscious, sweet, tangy, and magnificently delicious, loquat fruits are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. The exclusive fruit, sometimes called the Japanese Plum, Japanese Medlar, or Maltese Plum, originates in the mountainous evergreen rain forest of Japan, from which the loquat tree has been spread all across the world.

The loquat tree is an evergreen that reaches up to 25 feet and belongs to the family of Rosacea. It is botanically named Eriobotrya Japonica and is closely related to the apple tree. The flowers bloom by the end of winter and the fruit is ready to harvest by the end of spring. The delicious fruits are in clusters from 5 to 20 pieces and are about 1.5 inches long. The skin is fuzzy on the outside and is edible. There are also 1 to 5 brown seeds in the center of the fruit. The leaves are used as traditional medicine and make excellent and very healthy tea. The fruit is eaten right from the tree or used to make jellies, pies, or sauces.

The loquat fruit and leaves are extremely nutritious. They contain vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B12, B17, and C. These fruits are full of pectin, rich in fiber, potassium, amygdalin, iron, copper, calcium, magnesium, and other minerals.

The loquat fruit greatly enhances digestive health and heart health. The high pectin content reduces cholesterol by reducing the reuse of food in the colon. The fruit works as a bulk laxative and protects the mucous membrane by decreasing exposure to toxic substances as well as binding cancer causing chemicals in the colon. Because of the reduction of blood cholesterol, the heart’s health is dramatically increased. Loquats also regulate heart rate and blood pressure.

B-17 laetrile, often called the anti-cancer vitamin, is found in large amounts in the fruit and the leaves of the loquats. Some people swallow the pits of the fruit (2 a day) to prevent or slow down cancer. The pits contain 1300 times more B-17 laetrile than the leaf, but there are small traces of cyanide, which, taken in large amounts, is poisonous. Apples also contain cyanide in their seeds, which continue to be sold in the apple juices in which the seeds are crushed.

Teas made from the leaves of the loquat tree are known to reduce inflammation, form red blood cells, release anti-oxidants that neutralize harmful toxins, increase immunity, and prevent various diseases. The leaf tea also enhances the respiratory system in that it works as an expectorant, dissolving phlegm and assisting coughing.

This tea also fights a variety of viruses and colds, and lessens symptoms including nausea and vomiting. The leaf tea supports liver and pancreas health as well as combating diabetes. There is also evidence that it fights HIV.

Life expectancy and youthfulness are increased in all who eat this great tasting fruit and drink the tea. The large quantities of anti-oxidants and vitamins per fruit cannot be found in any other fruit available to man.  Everyone should take part in making tea, pies, jams, jellies, or just eating the raw fruit right off the tree for optimum health.

This is one of the only fruit trees that does well on our land with no maintenance. The tree is very resilient. I’ve started around 60 trees from seed and hope by next year they will be large enough to sell. My parents paid $50 for a 5-gallon tree and now a 5-gallon tree is about $60.

For more information, or to buy some leaves, please e-mail [email protected]