Health Benefits of Kakadu Plum Revealed in Scientific Study

Kakadu plums. Kaylene Biggs/University of Queensland

Indigenous communities in Australia have been using the medicinal properties of the Kakadu plum for generations, but the root cause of its healing powers remained unknown until recently.

In a study from the University of Queensland (UQ), researcher Oladipupo Adiamo investigated the safety and efficacy of Kakadu plum consumption.

He found that in addition to its well-known high vitamin C content, the Kakadu plum contains polyphenolic compounds, which are naturally found in plant-based food and protect against disease.

Adiamo found that the compounds in this plum provide antioxidant properties that prevent and delay cell damage.

“Kakadu plum has been eaten and used for generations by Indigenous communities to treat headaches, colds and flu, and as an antiseptic,” he said.

“But before the food industry can use it, they need scientific data to confirm what the fruit contains and what it does.”

Dr. Oladipupo Adiamo holding container of Kakuda plums in the Laboratory at the University of Queensland. Megan Pope/University of Queensland

Consumption Process

The study investigated the consumption of powdered Kakadu plum, using a gut digestive model, and found that the gut microbiome breaks down the polyphenolic compounds into smaller ones.

The gut microbiome refers to all bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microscopic living things inside the gut. It is important for many reasons, one being its control over food digestion.

Adiamo found that after the gut digested the compounds, their antioxidant properties increased and their absorption into the body improved.

Yet the study didn’t only reveal how the benefits of Kakadu plums are accessed; it also proved that powdered Kakadu can be used in food products.

The health advantages of powdered Kakadu and its capacity to be added to other products making for easy distribution may have important consequences for the food industry and Indigenous communities.

Dr. Oladipupo Adiamo Collating Data in the Laboratory Megan Pope, UQ

Industry Impacts

Adiamo expressed hope that the medical benefits of Kakadu plums will create more business opportunities for Indigenous Australian communities.

“I’m hoping that when the health benefits are proven, there will be more demand for Kakadu plum, leading to business opportunities for Indigenous communities to grow and value add to their harvest.”

However, the study did not investigate all aspects of consumption. For example, the mechanism that breaks down the polyphenic compounds into smaller compounds was not examined.

Additionally, Kakadu plums are harvested from wild native trees rather than domesticated crops, meaning fruit supply could be an issue.