What is a Fig? Bonita the Fruit Bat explains...

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The fig fruit is an inverted flower with both the male and female flower parts enclosed in stem tissue. The scientific name of fig is ficus carica.Fig fruits are bell-shaped, with a wide, flat bottom narrowing to a pointed top.

When the fruit ripens, the top may bend, forming a "neck." Figs can be brown, purple, green, yellow or black, and vary in size. The skin is slightly wrinkled and leathery.

Figs grow best in sunny climates. The fruit is small with colors ranging from green, crimson, and dark brown. The inside of the fruit is fleshy with numerous tiny seeds and is covered by a thin skin on the outside. Since it has got a very short shelf life, figs can only be stored through drying, but this doesn’t reduce its nutritional benefits in any way.

They are often dried for preservation, since the fresh fruits are highly perishable. The fig flowers develop inside the fruit and cannot be seen. Figs are originally from small Asia and are one of the first fruits cultivated ever.

The Greek mention them and around 60 A.C. and Plato promoted the fig as being the nutrition for athletes. Dried figs contain a lot of sugar, about 60%. It is thought that that was the reason why Plato advised Greek athletes to eat many figs.  It is a very healthy fruit!  Figs are one of the highest plant sources of calcium and fiber. According to USDA data for the Mission variety, dried figs are richest in fiber, copper, manganese, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and vitamin K, relative to human needs.

There are hundreds of fig fruit varieties, however, the green and the purple are the varieties that are mostly available in the market. Green varieties are the ones which are normally used for drying.  Today there are more than 600 different fig types.

Fig trees can grow up to 50 feet (15 meters) tall and are very wide and sprawling.

They will choke out any growth underneath them, so caution is advised when planting them.

A lot of fig plant races are used decoratively: like the rubberplant and the ficus benjamina.

Fig Fruit Benefits

Lowers Cholesterol

Controls Blood Pressure

Helps in Weight Loss

Prevents Constipation

Increases Bone Density

Prevents Cancer

Boost the health of the liver

Good for those Suffering from Anemia

Prevents Asthma

Attacks Sore throats can be effectively healed with figs as it also has high mucilage content

Figs are also rich in phenol, omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids. These compounds are natural heart boosters and so figs can contribute towards reducing the risk of coronary heart diseases.It is also believed that the fiber in figs absorb cancer causing substances, thus reducing the risk of various types of cancer.

Figs are especially good in preventing colon and post-menopausal breast cancer.