Fruits can be a fickle thing on the keto diet. While a lot of them are traditionally rich in vitamins and nutrients that are body relies on, they can still sometimes be high in carbs, and can put our state of ketosis at risk.

One popular fruit that I’ve been getting asked a lot about is jackfruit, which is becoming more popular as of late because of all of its nutritional properties, and likeness to meat, which makes it an esteemed meat substitute for a lot of vegetarians and vegans.

In this article, I’ll do a deep dive on jackfruit, explore it’s pros and cons, and will explain just how keto-friendly it actually is.

What Is Jackfruit?

Jackfruit is a large, sweet fruit that is native to Southeast Asia, India, Southeast Asia, and South America. The majority of jackfruit that you’ll find in American is usually sourced from Brazil.

From the outside, it resembles a large, prickly, green grapefruit, that has somewhat of an oblong shape. Jackfruit is widely hailed as a great-tasting, unprocessed and natural meat-alternative because of its consistency. Many vegetarians and vegans have been known to describe the “meat” or pulp of the fruit as closely resembling the same texture and consistency of pulled pork or shredded chicken.

Jackfruit is also frequently used in vegetarian and vegan versions of meat dishes because it is particularly porous, which means that a lot of flavor from sauces, curries, and spices can still attach to jackfruit for a variety of dish styles.

From a nutrition standpoint, one serving size (one cup) of jackfruit has the following breakdown:

• 155 calories
• 40 grams of carbohydrates
  • 3 grams of fiber
• 3 grams of protein
• 18% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of Vitamin C
• 10% of the RDA of Vitamin A
• 16% of the RDA for Manganese
• 14% of the RDA for Potassium
• 11% of the RDA for Riboflavin
• 15% of the RDA for Magnesium
• 15% of the RDA for Copper

From here, I’ll get into the specific benefits and downsides of eating jackfruit while following a ketogenic diet.

Benefits of Jackfruit on Keto

• Great meat alternative for vegetarians and vegans

When jackfruit pulp is unripe and green colored, it is considerably similar in texture to chicken, which helps to make jackfruit an excellent vegetarian substitute for meat. In fact, canned jackfruit is even sometimes referred to as “vegetable meat”. Some of the most common recipes that use jack fruit in place of meat are for shredded chicken sandwiches, pulled pork substitutes, and carnitas tacos.

It’s consistency is also heat stable, so jackfruit is great at withstanding various kinds of heats that most meats would go through, making it perfect for those that really miss specific types of foods that they used to eat before giving up meat. Like chicken, it’s easy to get flavors to mask the jackfruit taste as well.

• Improves Immunity

Jackfruit is also known to contain a high amount of vitamin C and antioxidants that have been proven to help boost your immune system and makes the immune system stronger whenever it is fighting off a virus or an infection.

Antioxidants that come from foods can help protect your cells from the effects of free radicals in the body, and can also help reduce an overabundance of inflammation in your body, which is a great benefit for those trying to maintain a healthy state of ketosis.

Vitamin C has also been proven to help prevent against diseases that can lead to heart disease and cancer.

• Improves blood pressure

Jackfruit is also an excellent source of potassium, which is a vital electrolyte and nutrient that you’ll especially want enough of while on the keto diet.

Getting the proper amount of potassium works to ensure a balanced regulation of sodium in our body. If this balance is left unregulated it can result in damage to the arteries and the heart, as well as a weakening of the muscles of the heart’s functioning.

Jackfruit is also high in flavanones, which have additional heart healthy properties.

• Improves digestion

Jackfruit also has healthy amounts of two kinds of fibers, both soluble and insoluble fiber.

It is very important to eat a healthy amount of fibers in your daily meal, especially for those that are following a ketogenic diet. The soluble fiber is quickly broken down by our body’s digestive system in order to generate energy, while the insoluble fiber adds bulk to your stool which then allows for easier bowel movements.

The other added digestion benefits of jackfruit include reduced cases of bloating, indigestion, and nausea.

• May benefit blood sugar control

Jackfruit has multiple properties that have all been linked with assisting in managing blood sugar levels.

Compared to most other types of fruits, jack fruit has a relatively low glycemic index value, which is a measure of how quickly blood glucose levels rise after eating certain types of foods. Because of the fiber in jackfruit, it slows down the process of digesting its natural sugars, which can prevent the blood sugar spikes you’ll get from other fruits like apples or bananas.

Jackfruit is also relatively high in dietary protein, which has been linked to a reduction in blood sugar spikes as well.

Downsides of Jackfruit on Keto

• High in carbs, relatively low in fiber

Compared to other types of fruits, jackfruit is pretty high in carbohydrates and natural sugars, but still relatively low in dietary fiber. One cup of sliced jack fruit pulp contains about 40 grams of carbs, but only 3 total grams of fiber, resulting in an awful 37 grams of net carbs. This means that, depending on the type of jackfruit you consume, eating just one cup of it is potentially enough to kick you out of ketosis.

While many nutritionists generally hail jackfruit for being high in fiber, it really isn’t enough for the amount of carbs from sugar that still come from it. This makes it definitely something to be cautious around when following a keto diet.

• Potential allergies

Another big drawback of jackfruit is the potential trigger for some serious allergic reactions. Because jackfruit is native to Brazil, those who already have birch pollen allergies should probably try to stay away from it.

Birch pollen is a tree that is native to that area, and is often found in fruits from Brazil because of the shipping conditions that the fruit are put in.

Symptoms of allergies from jack fruit/birch pollen can range from excessive sweating, mild sneezing, rashes and hives to much more serious breathing issues and potentially anaphylaxis. If you think you may have this type of food allergy, you should definitely consult with your doctor before adding jackfruit to your diet.

• Can cause anticoagulation

It’s generally recommended that men and women who already suffer from certain types of blood diseases should stay away from consuming jackfruit because it is known to cause anticoagulation.

Anticoagulation can lead to some life-threatening symptoms for those who are already struggling with chronic blood diseases and conditions. If you have a blood condition, you should talk to your doctor before considering adding something like jackfruit into your diet.

• Can have negative interactions with medications

One potentially negative side effect of jackfruit is how it can interact with certain types of prescription medications. Jackfruit has been known to potentially cause too much drowsiness if combined with certain types of medications that are often utilized during and after surgery. This can be potentially dangerous depending on the severity of drowsiness and the type of procedure taking place. That is why it is generally advised that anyone should stop consuming any jackfruit at least 2 weeks before any  scheduled medical operations.

Is Jackfruit Keto-Friendly?

Because of it’s relatively high carb and sugar counts without much fiber, I wouldn’t say jackfruit is particularly keto-friendly. It’s definitely okay to have in small amounts here and there on a low carb diet, but just one cup of it is still enough to potentially kick you out of ketosis altogether.

As is the case with a lot of different types of fruits, the benefits of jackfruit simply don’t outweigh the costs of all those carbohydrates that come with it. There are still plenty of fruits that are keto-friendly, and sticking to smaller berries is still probably the best rule of thumb.

I know this might come as a blow to a lot of vegans and vegetarians who are trying to traverse the keto diet with an already cumbersome set of dietary restrictions, so I’ve provided some jackfruit alternatives that are both keto-friendly and vegan, so that you can still reap all the benefits of ketosis without having to consume any animal products at the same time.

Vegan & Keto-Friendly Jackfruit Alternatives

• Beyond Meat
• Tofu
• Seitan
• Tempeh
• Mushroom