Kumquat, the tiny fruit that packs a big health punch – Examiner.com

It has actually a funny name but don’t tell this tiny citrus fruit that because it is feisty. Sink your teeth into a kumquat and -BAM!- you’re smacked right in the face with sweet and tart juicy goodness. You’ve just been walloped with the sweet and sour health punch that the tiny fruit known as the kumquat packs. Your lips will pucker, your eyes may tear, and cheeks will sink in and then you will want to have another. It’s like nature’s Sour Patch candy.

Kumquats resemble tiny oranges and grow on trees, but are just the size of a cherry tomato. They are yellow-orange to dark orange in color. The shiny rind gives this fruit it’s sweetness while the juicy inside gives your that sour punch. They also contain tiny seeds inside that can be removed when cutting the fruit in half or by spitting them out if you are adventurous enough to eat one whole.

Kumquats are native to China, and their name comes from the Cantonese kam kwat, which means “golden orange.” In the U.S. these tiny sweet and sour fruits are grown in Florida, Texas, and California.

The taste is not the only punch these little ones pack. They also have a ton of health benefits in their both in their pulp and in the rind. Yes, you eat the whole thing- rind and all. Some of the crucial health benefits of kumquats include their ability to improve the immune system, regulate your digestive system, reduce your chances of developing diabetes, lower your cholesterol levels, boost the health of your skin, teeth, eyes, and hair, strengthen your bones, and improve nerve health.

Kumquats are made up of a wide variety of essential oils, including limonene, alpha-pinene, monoterpenes, and numerous others, which have certain beneficial effects on the body, as well as fiber, potassium, calcium, Vitamin C, beneficial fats, and vitamin A.

The Vitamin C in these tiny citrus fruits can help prevent early aging, improve healing, increase immunity to numerous illnesses and even help to protect versus cancer. A serving of kumquat will give you 73% of your recommended daily allowance (RDA) of Vitamin C. The powerful Vitamin C antioxidants also protects the body from free radicals and allows the body to remove them which makes this fruit one of the healthiest available.

Kumquats are a great way to give your diet the healthy punch it needs and they are fun to eat too. You can even dare unsuspecting friends and family to join in your brand-new fruit adventure. Be sure to have the video camera ready, that first bite is always one to capture on film.