Jackfruit: Nutrients, What Research Shows and Safety

Jackfruit is the very large fruit of Artocarpus heterophyllus, a tropical tree in the mulberry and fig family (Moraceae). The sweet yellow pods (bulbs) are eaten ripe; unripe green jackfruit is cooked like a vegetable and often used as a meat substitute. People eat it for flavor, fiber and vitamins. This page keeps the food apart from supplements and from hype, and says plainly what research does and does not show.

Read this first

• Allergy is possible. Case reports describe jackfruit allergy in people with birch pollen allergy and in people with latex allergy, including severe reactions (anaphylaxis). [3][5][6] For trouble breathing or swelling of the face or throat, call 911. See food allergy basics and emergency signs.
• Ripe jackfruit is fairly high in potassium (about 739 mg in 1 cup, per USDA). [1] People with kidney disease or on medicines that raise potassium should ask their care team. [2]
• Eating jackfruit has not been shown to prevent or treat a disease. The one human trial we found used green jackfruit flour, not the fruit, and was small. [9]

What is in it (USDA values)

USDA FoodData Central lists "Jackfruit, raw" (SR Legacy). [1] The serving below is the USDA household portion "1 cup, sliced", 165 g. Serving values are the USDA per-100 g numbers scaled to 165 g.

% Daily Value uses the FDA 2016 Daily Values; values vary with variety, ripeness and storage. [1] USDA lists no value for vitamin K in this item.

USDA also measured small amounts of carotenoids (pigments that include beta-carotene and lutein plus zeaxanthin): about 157 mcg of lutein plus zeaxanthin and 61 mcg of beta-carotene per 100 g. [1] Those are measurements of what is in the fruit, not evidence of a health effect. We did not find a source we could read that tested other plant compounds in jackfruit in people, so we do not list them.

What research says

Eaten as food vs taken as a supplement or extract. The nutrition facts apply to the fruit itself. The blood sugar result comes from a flour made from whole green jackfruit and given in place of grain flour, so it does not show that eating ripe jackfruit lowers blood sugar. We did not find a trial of jackfruit capsules or extracts that we could read, so we make no claim about them.

How much is a normal serving

USDA lists two household portions for raw jackfruit: 1 cup sliced (165 g) and 1 cup of 1-inch pieces (151 g). [1] This is information, not a prescription. We could not read the MyPlate fruit page in this round, so we do not state an official daily fruit figure here. See fruit juice vs whole fruit and fresh, frozen and canned produce for general guidance. Our USDA file covers raw ripe fruit only, so the table above does not apply to canned young green jackfruit, jackfruit chips or dried jackfruit. Proper evidence not found on how cooking or canning changes its nutrients.

Safety, allergy and medicines

• Birch pollen and oral allergy syndrome: A Dutch study found jackfruit allergy to be linked to birch pollen allergy. Two people had double-blind challenge-confirmed jackfruit allergy, and all five birch-allergic people tested with jackfruit had mouth-itching symptoms. [3] A study of 85 people with birch pollen allergy found 91% had a positive skin test to jackfruit (a skin test shows sensitization, not always symptoms). [4] A 2026 Canadian case series reported three people with jackfruit allergy, all with a history of birch-related food allergy. [7] A 1997 case from Switzerland described oral allergy syndrome (itchy mouth) to jackfruit in a pollen-allergic man. [8]
• Latex allergy: Case reports describe anaphylaxis after eating jackfruit in two people with latex allergy: a nurse who ate dried jackfruit [5] and a woman who developed shortness of breath. [6] These are single cases; the authors say the mechanism needs more study. [5][6] People with latex or birch pollen allergy who have reacted to fruit should ask an allergist. For trouble breathing or swelling of the face or throat, call 911.
• Kidney disease and potassium: MedlinePlus says that with chronic kidney disease the kidneys may not remove extra potassium, so a special diet may be needed. [2] USDA shows about 739 mg of potassium in 1 cup of sliced jackfruit. [1] We did not find a source we could read that names jackfruit on a kidney diet list, so ask a dietitian.
• Medicines that raise potassium: MedlinePlus says some medicines can raise potassium. [2] We did not find a source we could read that tests jackfruit with such medicines. See foods and medicine interactions.
• Sugar and diabetes: USDA lists about 19 g of sugars per 100 g, or about 31 g in a cup of sliced fruit. [1] We did not find a source we could read on how ripe jackfruit affects blood sugar. Proper evidence not found; a diabetes team can advise. See foods for blood sugar control.
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding: Proper evidence not found in the sources we read. See foods in pregnancy: what official bodies advise.

Choosing, storing and food safety

• Choose fruit that is not bruised or damaged; cut away damaged areas and throw out produce that looks rotten. [10]
• Rinse produce under running water, including items you peel or cut open, and do not use soap or produce wash. Washing reduces bacteria but does not remove all of them. [10]
• Refrigerate pre-cut or packaged produce, and keep perishable produce at 40°F or below. [10]

Related pages

• Food allergy basics and emergency signs
• Foods, kidney disease, potassium and oxalates
• Foods for blood sugar control
• Fruit juice vs whole fruit
• Fresh, frozen and canned produce