Figs are one of our oldest fruits. Archeologists have found figs dating back 11 400 years in the Jordan Valley. (1) Figs are even described in the bible as a herbal remedy for boils. (2 Kings 20 vs 7 - Now Isaiah had said, "Let them take a lump of figs, and apply it as a poultice on the boil, and he shall recover.") This makes Ficus Carica (fig) a fruit worth closer examination. What always struck me as odd about figs, is that growing up my parents warned me to never ingest anything which has a milky sap, yet my mother loves figs and eats them with relish, and when first broken off, the sap is definitely milk white. So what qualities do figs have exactly, that make them worth mentioning in the bible?
Health Benefits:
Figs are rich in flavonoids and polyphenols, and this makes them potent antioxidants. The darker the fig, the higher the antioxidant ability of the fruit.(2) However most of this benefit comes from the skin, thus to receive the maximum benefit from this fruit, eat it with the skin. Eating dried figs produced a significant increase in protection for four hours after eating them and protect the body from oxidative stress induced by drinking carbonated soft drinks high in fructose corn syrup. Dried figs are also highest in vitamin C and E compared to all other dried fruits. (3) Figs contain cysteine proteinases, which completely destroy gastrointestinal worms. (4) This is also helpful for farmers as it is just as effective in livestock.(5) Figs also contain ficin. Ficin was studied for its ability to promote blood clotting. Ficin shortened the time it took to stop bleeding by promoting factor X. Factor X is an enzyme produced in the liver with the help of vitamin K, and factor X is responsible for blood coagulation. (6) Figs also inhibit the growth of cancer. The latex in figs is a cytotoxic substance which inhibits the proliferation of many cancers. (7) In a study of fig extracts on liver cancer, the fig inhibited the cancer by 49.3%. Concluding that figs have an anticancer effect. (8)
Figs also protect your genes from mutating which can be caused from environmental pollutants. In this study fig extract was studied against MNNG, which is a known carcinogen which causes cancer, yet fig decreased the genotoxicity of this environmental mutagen.(9) A different study confirms that figs protect our DNA from mutating. (10) Eating figs is also beneficial for diabetics, because diabetics have affected antioxidant status, yet figs extracts normalise this condition. (11) Figs are extremely high in polyphenols (1 110 per 100g of fresh fig). (12) Polyphenols are linked to lowering the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and and cancer. Figs are also very rich in the carotenoids, lutein and violaxanthin, these give figs their colour (13). These carotenoids cannot be produced by the body and have to be obtained through food intake.(14) Carotenoids protect against age related macular degeneration by protecting the retina from oxidative damage caused by light. It also helps to protect the retina pigment in the eye. (15) Figs also contain three ACE peptides. (Ace - angiotensin I-converting enzyme) ACE is used to treat high blood pressure, type-2-diabetes and cardiovascular diseases because it is a vasoconstrictor. ACE is in the fresh latex of the fig. (16) Figs are also very high in phytosterols, which are known to lower cholesterol and have effects against benign prostatic hyperplasia, allergies and rheumatoid arthritis and inhibits the development of colon cancer. (17) The anthocyanins and phenolics in figs also have anti-aging benefits. (18)
Milk White Sap
As I mentioned before, the sap of the fig is white and this is due to the latex content. Many people do have an allergic reaction to figs, this is because of the latex and fruit allergens present in figs which people with an allergy to latex proteins will react to. (19) People allergic to figs will also have a reaction to papaya, chestnut, avocado, and banana. (19) The propionic acid in figs inhibits the enzyme which produces melanin in the body. (20) However according to another study, dermatitis which is activated by light, is not associated with the fruit, but only the sap in the leaves and shoots. (21)
Fig Leaves:
Fig leaves just make me think of depictions of Adam and Eve when they "covered" up. Again a biblical association with this fruit. However fig leaves have merit. A study was conducted to examine the effect of fig leaf decoction on patients with hypoglycaemia and with type-1-diabetes, with their breakfast. This resulted in lower glycemia levels and also lowered capillary profiles, ending with a 12% lower insulin dose required in the patients given fig leaf. (22) A different study conducted on rats with hypertriglyceridemia, studied a fig leaf decoction on their hypertriglyceridemia levels.( Hypertriglyceridemia is a condition of high blood levels of triglycerides, and is associated with atherosclerosis and is linked to the condition of diabetes.) The fig leaf decoction revealed that compounds in the fig leaf influence lipid catabolism (fat metabolism) positively.(23). A different study on diabetic rats treated with fig leaves mentions that this effect of fig leaves has an insulin - like effect. (24) This evidence on the fig leaf reveals that drinks made with fig leaves benefits blood sugar levels and helps to lower cholesterol. But the benefits of fig leaves doesn't stop there. A water extract of fig leaves was studied for it's effectiveness against the Herpes Simplex Virus and others, and was found to have a low toxicity whilst directly killing the virus. This makes fig leaves a very potent anti-viral. (25) Fig leaves also have good antibacterial activity against seven bacteria's and are antifungal against Candida albicans and five fungi.(26) This makes the fig leaf a great all rounder to fight infections.
Figs are also highly nutritious. 64g of fresh figs contains 18 amino acids, a small amount of protein, Vitamin A, C, E, K, B3, B5, B6, folate, beta-carotene, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, selenium and manganese. It also contains Omega-6 fatty acids. However almost all of these qualities are enhanced in dry figs. (27) Consider adding them to your fruit smoothies and fruit salads. Eat them dried as a snack, or simply spread fig jam on your toast in the morning. However you enjoy your figs, this evidence suggests that we enjoy them often.
References:
1. Mordechai E. Kislev, Anat Hartmann, Ofer Bar-Yosef : Early Domesticated Fig in the Jordan Valley : Science 2 June 2006: Vol. 312. no. 5778, pp. 1372 - 1374
2. Solomon A, Golubowicz S, Yablowicz Z, Grossman S, Bergman M, Gottlieb HE, Altman A, Kerem Z, Flaishman MA.: Antioxidant activities and anthocyanin content of fresh fruits of common fig (Ficus carica L.): J Agric Food Chem. 2006 Oct 4;54(20):7717-23
3. Vinson JA, Zubik L, Bose P, Samman N, Proch J.: Dried fruits: excellent in vitro and in vivo antioxidants.: J Am Coll Nutr. 2005 Feb;24(1):44-50
4. Stepek G, Buttle DJ, Duce IR, Lowe A, Behnke JM.: Assessment of the anthelmintic effect of natural plant cysteine proteinases against the gastrointestinal nematode, Heligmosomoides polygyrus, in vitro.: Parasitology. 2005 Feb;130(Pt 2):203-11.
5. Gillian Stepek, Jerzy M. Behnke, David J. Buttle and Ian R. Duce : Natural plant cysteine proteinases as anthelmintics?: Trends in Parasitology Volume 20, Issue 7, 1 July 2004, Pages 322-327
6. Richter G, Schwarz HP, Dorner F, Turecek PL. : Activation and inactivation of human factor X by proteases derived from Ficus carica : Br J Haematol. 2002 Dec;119(4):1042-51
7. Rubnov S, Kashman Y, Rabinowitz R, Schlesinger M, Mechoulam R.: Suppressors of cancer cell proliferation from fig (Ficus carica) resin: isolation and structure elucidation. : J Nat Prod. 2001 Jul;64(7):993-6
8. Wang ZB, Ma HL.: Study on anti-cancer components of Fig residues with supper critical fluid CO2 extracting technique: hongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2005 Sep;30(18):1443-7
9. Agabeili RA, Kasimova TE.: [Antimutagenic activity of Armoracia rusticana, Zea mays and Ficus carica plant extracts and their mixture: Tsitol Genet. 2005 May-Jun;39(3):75-9
10. Agabeili RA, Kasimova TE, Alekperov UK.: [Antimutagenic activity of plant extracts from Armoracia rusticana, Ficus carica and Zea mays and peroxidase in eukaryotic cells: Tsitol Genet. 2004 Mar-Apr;38(2):40-5
12. J.A.Vinson : The functional Food Properties of Figs: Cereal Foods World: February 1999, Vol 44, No 2, pgs 82 - 87
13. A. LAURENCE CURL: The Carotenoids of Several Low-Carotenoid Fruits : Journal of Food Science 29 (3), 241–245
14. Marta María Calvo: Lutein: A Valuable Ingredient of Fruit and Vegetables: Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, Volume 45, Issue 7 & 8 October 2005 , pages 671 - 696
15. Snodderly DM.: Evidence for protection against age-related macular degeneration by carotenoids and antioxidant vitamin: Am J Clin Nutr. 1995 Dec;62(6 Suppl):1448S-1461S
16. MARUYAMA S; MIYOSHI S; TANAKA H; Angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitors derived from Ficus carica: Agricultural and biological chemistry 1989, vol. 53, no10, pp. 2763-2767
17. W. S. JEONG and P. A. Lachance: Phytosterols and fatty acids in fig (Ficus carica, var. Mission) fruit and tree components: Session 44C, Fruit & Vegetable Products: Chemistry
18. Eren Akcicek, Semih Otles, Dursun Esiyok: Cancer and its Prevention by Some Horticultural and Field Crops in Turkey: Asian Pacific J Cancer Prev, 6, 224-230
19. Brehler R, Theissen U, Mohr C, Luger T. : "Latex-fruit syndrome": frequency of cross-reacting IgE antibodies.: Allergy. 1997 Apr;52(4):404-10
20. Khatib S, Nerya O, Musa R, Tamir S, Peter T, Vaya J. : Enhanced Substituted Resorcinol Hydrophobicity Augments Tyrosinase Inhibition Potency. : J Med Chem. 2007 Apr 21; [Epub ahead of print]
21. Zaynoun ST, Aftimos BG, Abi Ali L, Tenekjian KK, Khalidi U, Kurban AK.: Ficus carica; isolation and quantification of the photoactive components.: Contact Dermatitis. 1984 Jul;11(1):21-5
22. Serraclara A, Hawkins F, Perez C, Dominguez E, Campillo JE, Torres MD. : Hypoglycemic action of an oral fig-leaf decoction in type-I diabetic patients. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 1998 Jan;39(1):19-22
23. Carmen Pérez, José Ramón Canal, José Enrique Campillo, Adelaida Romero, María Dolores Torres: Hypotriglyceridaemic activity of Ficus carica leaves in experimental hypertriglyceridaemic rats: Phytotherapy Research Volume 13, Issue 3, Pages 188-191
24. C. Pérez; E. Domínguez; J. R. Canal; J. E. Campillo; M. D. Torres: Hypoglycaemic Activity of an Aqueous Extract from Ficus Carica (Fig Tree) Leaves in Streptozotocin Diabetic Rats : Pharmaceutical Biology, Volume 38, Issue 3 July 2000 , pages 181 - 186
25. Wang G, Wang H, Song Y, Jia C, Wang Z, Xu H.: [Studies on anti-HSV effect of Ficus carica leaves: Zhong Yao Cai. 2004 Oct;27(10):754-6
26. Farrukh Aqil1 and Iqbal Ahmad: Broad-spectrum antibacterial and antifungal properties of certain traditionally used Indian medicinal plants: World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology - Volume 19, Number 6 / August, 2003 - pages 653-657