Video: The Many Figs Health Benefits And Its Nutritional Values, Why It’s a commercial fruit


Figs health benefits and nutritional values includes treating constipation, lowering cholesterol level, hastening recovery from sore throat and also great in controlling blood pressure, preventing breast cancer and preventing colon cancer. Other figs benefits and nutritional values includes promoting bone health, supporting weight loss, promoting healthy liver function and preserving vision.

What Are Figs? 

The fig tree is native to temperate regions of Asia Minor or Turkey, and today, grown as an important fruit of commerce in the eastern Mediterranean climates, USA, and Spain. It also cultivated as a fruit tree in the home gardens in many other regions as well. During each season, fig bears several hundreds of pear-shaped fruits twice a year, which vary in size and color depending on the variety.

Delicious, sweet fig fruit is one of the popular fruits enjoyed since ancient times. Fig is rich in natural health benefiting phytonutrients, antioxidants, and vitamins. Entirely developed and ripe fig features bell or pear shape with succulent, juicy flesh inside. Dried figs, indeed, are a highly concentrated source of minerals and vitamins.


Figs have a unique, sweet taste, soft and chewy texture and are littered with slightly crunchy, edible seeds. Fresh figs are delicate and perishable, so are often dried to preserve. This produces a sweet and nutritious dried fruit that can be enjoyed all year round.

There are multiple different varieties of fig, all of which vary widely in colour and texture. Their unique feature is a little bud-like opening called an ostiole at the top that helps the fruit develop. Their natural sweetness meant that, before the days of refined sugars, they were often used as a sweetener.

Figs Nutritional Values.

Raw figs are a good source (14% of the Daily Nutritional Value, DNV) of dietary fiber per 100 gram serving (74 calories), but otherwise do not supply essential nutrients in significant content.

In a 100 gram serving providing 229 calories, dried figs are a rich source (more than 20% DV) of dietary fiber and the essential mineral, manganese (26% DNV), while several other dietary minerals are in moderate-to-low content.

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See the table below for in depth analysis of nutrients: Fig fruit (Ficus carica), Nutrition Value per 100 g. (Source: USDA National Nutrient data base)
Principle Nutrient Value Percentage of RDA
Energy 74 Kcal 4%
Carbohydrates 19.18 g 15%
Protein 0.75 g 1.5%
Total Fat 0.30 g 1%
Cholesterol 0 mg 0%
Dietary Fiber 2.9 g 7%
Folates 6 µg 1.5%
Niacin 0.400 mg 2.5%
Pantothenic acid 0.300 mg 6%
Pyridoxine 0.113 mg 9%
Riboflavin 0.050 mg 4%
Thiamin 0.060 5%
Vitamin A 142 IU 5%
Vitamin C 2 mg 3%
Vitamin E 0.11 mg 1%
Vitamin K 4.7 µg 4%
Sodium 1 mg 0%
Potassium 232 mg 5%
Calcium 35 mg 3.5%
Copper 0.070 mg 8%
Iron 0.37 mg 5%
Magnesium 17 mg 4%
Manganese 0.128 mg 5.5%
Selenium 0.2 µg <1%
Zinc 0.15 mg 1%
Carotene-ß 85 µg
Lutein-zeaxanthin 9 µg

Figs Health Benefits.

Prevent Hypertension:

People usually consume sodium in the form of a salt, but low potassium and high sodium level may lead to hypertension. Figs are high in potassium and low in sodium, so they are a perfect defense against the effects of hypertension. This makes them a relaxing food as well, one that can settle the nerves and bring some calmness to your day.

Strengthen Bones:

Studies say that figs are rich in calcium, which is one of the most important components in strengthening bones and reducing the risk of osteoporosis. They are also rich in phosphorus, which encourages the bone formation and spurs regrowth if there is any damage to or degradation in bones. Fig jam is also a delicious way to get your dose of calcium.

Treat Constipation:

Figs actually share many benefits with dates, one of them being the ability to relieve constipation. Figs contain a fair amount of soluble fiber which helps add hydration to hardened waste material. They can either be consumed ripe, dried or soaked overnight in water, though many would prefer the soaking method if the desire is to cure constipation.

Lower Cholesterol:

There are many ways that foods may work to reduce cholesterol, ranging from promoting its elimination, to reducing bile acids and more. In the case of figs, you can thank its high pectin content. Pectin is a soluble fiber that binds cholesterol and helps remove it from the body via feces. Figs also contain Phyto-sterols, compounds which are regarded as excellent natural alternatives to strong medication for treating high cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

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 Colon Cancer:

One of the key ways to prevent colon cancer development is to ensure that waste is not kept stored for a long period of time. However, for one reason or another, people may become predisposed to constipation, inadvertently increasing your risk of colon cancer. A high fiber diet becomes absolutely mandatory in such cases, as it is unsafe to keep feces stored for long periods of time. Negative changes to the colon mucosa can occur after excessive exposure to waste, along with formation of colon polyps. Polyps need to be examined and determined if it is essential that they be removed, as they may have the potential of turning cancerous.

Bone Health:

Figs contain many of the essential nutrients requirement for bone synthesis and maintenance, even if just in small quantities. However, these small quantities can all add up, especially if a person has a dairy based allergy or intolerance that makes it hard to obtain calcium. But it is important to keep in mind that calcium is far from the only mineral required for bone synthesis, since many other supporting nutrients have a role to play. Those others include magnesium, zinc, vitamin D and vitamin K.

Heart Diseases:

Dried figs contain phenol, omega-3, and omega-6 fatty acids. These fatty acids reduce the risk of coronary heart diseases. Furthermore, fig leaves have an inhibitory effect on triglycerides, making their overall number drop. Triglycerides are another major factor behind various heart diseases.

Help Preserve Vision:

One of the most important nutrients for maintaining healthy vision is Vitamin A and its family of related carotenoid anti-oxidants. Figs, while not an extremely rich source of these nutrients, do contain them in small quantities. Consumed consistently, they offer excellent support to the health of your eyes, helping prevent macular degeneration, enhancing night vision and reducing the likelihood of cataract development.

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Prevent Cancer:

The fiber content in figs has been known to protect against breast cancer. After menopause, the hormonal balance in women can often fluctuate. The body’s systems are so interconnected that these hormones affect the immune system, which in turn affect the ability of antioxidants to fight free radicals. Free radicals are prime factors behind the development of cancer, so figs take care of one extra line of defense by providing fiber to the body.


The American Diabetes Association recommends figs as a high-fiber treat that helps to promote functional control of diabetes. Fig leaves reduce the amount of insulin needed by diabetic patients who have to regularly take insulin injections. They are rich in potassium, which helps regulate the amount of sugar absorbed by the body after meals. Large amounts of potassium can ensure that blood sugar spikes and falls are less frequent.

Nutritional Values Of Carbohydrates And Anti-oxidants In Figs.


Each serving of fresh figs contains 29 grams of total carbohydrates, made up of approximately 24 grams of simple sugars and 4 grams of dietary fiber. A fig’s per-serving dietary fiber content is 16 percent of the RDA of dietary fiber, making figs a useful addition to a high-fiber diet. A 2009 “Nutrition Reviews” summary of research conducted on dietary fiber concluded that regularly eating fiber-rich foods like figs could help lower the risk of hypertension, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.


Figs contain antioxidants, compounds that may help prevent heart disease, cancer and age-related degeneration by inhibiting the ability of free radicals to damage DNA. Studies has also shown that Figs contain antioxidants like flavonoids, polyphenols and anthocyanins, with dark-colored species of figs providing the highest overall antioxidant content. When measured on the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, or ORAC, scale that scientists use to rate the antioxidant power of foods, raw figs have a score of 3,383 — higher than similar size servings of cranberries, strawberries, kiwi and grapefruit.


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