Rambutan
Hairy tropical fruit with modest vitamin C and polyphenol-rich peel
Nutrition per serving 5 fruit (100 g)
- Water 78 g78%
- Sugars 20 g20%
- Fibre 0.9 g1%
- Protein 0.7 g1%
- Fat 0.2 g0%
| Nutrient | Per serving | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin C | 4.9 mg | 5% |
| Copper | 0.07 mg | 7% |
| Manganese | 0.34 mg | 15% |
| Fiber | 0.9 g | 3% |
| Iron | 0.35 mg | 2% |
| Potassium | 42 mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 22 mg | 2% |
| Phosphorus | 9 mg | 1% |
Composition data: USDA FoodData Central ↗
What is Rambutan?
Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum) is a fruit used for modest vitamin c contribution supporting collagen synthesis and normal immune function. NutriDex grades the human evidence as Preliminary. Rambutan flesh is a low-fat tropical fruit whose best-documented nutritional role is as a modest source of vitamin C, fiber, copper and manganese. The great majority of its purported health effects (antioxidant, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-aging) come from polyphenol-rich peel and seed extracts studied in vitro and in rodent models, not from eating the fruit. For example, rambutan peel phenolic extract lowered fasting glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides in streptozotocin/high-fat-diet diabetic mice, and geraniin isolated from the rind inhibited dengue virus type-2 (IC about 1.75 microM) in Vero cell culture. There are essentially no randomized controlled trials or prospective cohorts evaluating rambutan fruit consumption and human disease outcomes, so causal claims for humans are unsupported. The concentrations of bioactives used in lab studies far exceed what edible flesh delivers, and peel/seed are not customary foods. Note also that the only USDA reference value for rambutan is for the fruit canned in syrup, which is substantially higher in sugar than fresh flesh. Overall the human weight of evidence is preliminary: rambutan is a healthful, vitamin-C-containing fruit, but specific therapeutic benefits remain unproven in people.