This Underrated Fruit Can Improve Your Cardiovascular Health (But There's A Catch)

The longer your heart stays healthy, the lower your chances of developing life-altering (and life-threatening) symptoms and conditions like hardening of the arteries, high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol. One way to give your heart a bit of daily TLC is by eating cardioprotective foods, including an underrated fruit that’s bright green and heavy on nutrients.

If you saw this fruit in person, you might presume it was an underdeveloped or miniature lime. Indeed, many people refer to the fruit as a “Spanish lime.” However, a Spanish lime is not a citrus fruit; instead, it comes from the soapberry family of plants and is known in Central American countries as a mamoncillo or quenepas, among a long list of other names.

Spanish limes, which are also called mamon fruits, are small and round (about the size of a large grape, a fruit that has an unexpected effect on your cholesterol.) After peeling the dry outer shell, you can suck on their jelly-like sour-sweet flesh. Or, you can remove the flesh and use it for jams, toss it into smoothies, or create a refreshing cocktail.

Regardless of how you eat your Spanish limes, you’ll be getting a cardiovascular boost, because Spanish limes are packed with antioxidants. (Read about some surprising nutrients that can optimize your heart health.)

How do Spanish limes compare to other fruits in terms of their antioxidant content? A 2022 investigation in the Journal of Diabetes and Treatments sought to categorize some of the nutritional properties of 18 Yucatan-native plants and fruits, including the Spanish lime. The authors determined that the extract from Spanish limes (Melicoccus bijugatus) has a substantial amount of phenols, which are antioxidants. Similarly, a 2022 review in the Pakistan Journal of Botany showed that the peels of Spanish limes contained both polyphenols and flavonoids, another antioxidant.

But what’s so special about polyphenols? According to a 2023 review in Molecules, polyphenols were observed to have potential benefits on cardiovascular health. Of particular note were findings that suggested polyphenols could both decrease low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol — aka “bad” cholesterol — and reduce inflammation throughout the body. Additionally, a 2019 review in the International Journal of Fruit Science found that two phenols from Spanish limes contribute to the fruit’s potential as an antihypertensive food.

A 2020 study in Scientific Reports tested the theory that Spanish limes could produce measurable dips in blood pressure. For six weeks, rats were given an extract made from the fruit. By the end of the trial, their systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings had dropped. Though this experiment was conducted on animals, it may indicate the full promise of mamoncillos as a therapeutic and functional food.

At this point, you may be curious and want to run to your store’s produce aisle. But there’s a catch: Unless you live in an area where mamon fruits are abundant (like Central American countries such as Mexico), you might have a hard time finding them in your local produce aisle. In the United States, Spanish limes tend to be available mainly in Florida. However, you can plant some young mamoncillo trees if you live in a tropical climate and are willing to wait until they mature.

You can also order Spanish limes for delivery when they’re in season. But they can be pricey when you’re purchasing them that way. Still, if you’re set on trying them, you may be willing to invest in a shipment for a special occasion. Or, you may just want to wait until you can take a trip to a Central American locale where Spanish limes are common.