Have you ever seen this kind of fruit in your country? Well, it is because it is very rare and not as popular as Rambutan and Lychee. This wild exotic tropical fruit is mostly grown in Southeast Asia.
Pulasan is a common name in English, Spanish and Malay, Kapulasan in Indonesia and Dutch, Ngoh-khonsan in Thailand, Maritam in Brunei and Kalimantan, and Bulala or Panungayan in the Philippines.
Its physical characteristics might look a little ‘weird’ to some people but little did we know, it has a lots of benefits.
1. Its delicious fruit is best when it is reddest in color.
2. They are dark red to light red or yellow in color and the rind is covered with short and stubby spines. It is green when unripe.
Photos by Arvin Armillo‎ 
3. Its leaves and roots are used in poultices
4. The decoction of roots is given as a vermifuge.
5. A decoction of pulasan roots prepared with Gleichenia linearis is also used for bathing fever patients.
6. It helps you lose excess flab in your body and helps in maintaining a healthy body weight.
7. Its fruit is used in managing blood sugar levels in diabetics. It is beneficial for both types of people who do not have enough insulin or those whose cells do not respond to the insulin produced in the cells.
8. It is rich in antioxidant properties owing to the presence of vitamin C. Chemicals such as ascorbic acid, pyrogallol and hydroquinone enhance the antioxidant property of pulasan. Vitamin E and carotenoids are also responsible for the free radical scavenging property of the pulasan fruits.
9. Pulasan makes skin softer and is also used in hair care. It has been proven in a study that a smoothie prepared from carrots and certain underutilized Malaysian tropical fruits such as pulasan can lead to a better complexion, glowing skin and health benefits as well. The oil obtained from the dried seeds and kernel yield about 74.9 percent of white fats which has a mild aroma and is also good for hair.
10. Pulasan is high in vitamin C, which is good for the immune system. Pulasan health benefits include healing of wounds and repairing of bones and teeth.
11. It is a close relative of rambutan. The skin is twice as thick as that of rambutan and the hair is also shorter in size. The rubber of pulasan is soft, the flesh does not stick to the seed and the taste is also sweeter with no hint of sourness.
12. Pulasan fruits are generally eaten fresh, but can also be frozen or dried. They may also be eaten in the form of jams, jellies, sauces and alcohol.
13. Its fruit is used for flavoring in ice creams and puddings.
You better start hunting this fruit now!
Source: https://www.medindia.net/patients/lifestyleandwellness/health-benefits-of-pulasan.htm
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