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Akee

Akee is a plant that produces fruit. It grows in West Africa, the Caribbean, South Florida and Central America. The ripe akee fruit is eaten as a food and is one of the staples of the Jamaican diet. The unripe akee fruit, on the other hand, is highly poisonous. Unripe akee fruit is a common cause of poisoning in Africa and the Caribbean.

Poisoning can reach epidemic proportions if the unripe fruit is eaten during times of food shortage. Children seem to be particularly sensitive to the toxic effects of the Akee fruit. In America, the import of Akee products was even banned until recently due to concerns about poisoning from unripe Akee fruit. Some people use the akee fruit to make medicine. This is used to treat colds, fever, water retention and epilepsy.

How does Akee work?

There is currently not enough information available to make a statement about how akee might work when used for medicinal purposes.

How effective is Akee?

There is not enough scientific data to make a statement about the effectiveness of Akee for the treatment of colds, fever, water retention and epilepsy. Further scientific research is needed.

Are there any safety concerns?

The ripe Akee fruit appears to be safe and harmless when consumed as food. The unripe Akee fruit, on the other hand, is not safe and harmless, even if it is cooked before consumption. In addition, the water in which unripe akee fruit is cooked can also be poisonous. The unripe columbine fruit contains toxic chemicals that can damage the liver. The unripe akee fruit can also lead to very low blood sugar levels, convulsions and death.

Precautions and warnings

  • Children: It is not safe for children to eat the unripe columbine fruit. Children are more sensitive to the toxic effects of unripe akee fruit than adults. There is not enough information to say whether eating ripe akee fruit is safe for children.
  • Pregnancy and breastfeeding: The consumption of unripe akee fruit is not safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women. There is not enough information to say whether eating ripe Akee fruit is safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding. For this reason, pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid akee to be on the safe side.

Interactions

At this time, there is no information on interactions of Akee with medications or other supplements.

Dosage

There is not yet sufficient scientific data available to determine a standard dosage for Akee. For this reason, you should follow the dosage instructions on the label or consult a doctor or pharmacist.

References

  1. Anon. Toxic hypoglycemic syndrome - Jamaica, 1989-91. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 1992;41:53-5.
  2. FDA Import Alert #IA2111. Detention Without Physical Examination Of Ackees (All Types) Due To Contamination By Natural Toxins. Issued on 7/3/00. Available at: http://www.fda.gov/ora/fiars/ora_import_ia2111.html
  3. Golden KD, Williams OJ, Bailey-Shaw Y. High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of amino acids in ackee fruit with emphasis on the toxic amino acid hypoglycin A. J Chromatogr Sci 2002;40:441-6.
  4. Larson J, Vender R, Camuto P. Cholestatic jaundice due to ackee fruit poisoning. Am J Gastroenterol 1994;89:1577-8.
  5. Lebo DB, Ditto AM, Boxer MB, et al. Anaphylaxis to ackee fruit. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1996;98:997-8.
  6. McTague JA, Forney R Jr. Jamaican vomiting sickness in Toledo, Ohio. Ann Emerg Med 1994;23:1116-8.
  7. Meda HA, Diallo B, Buchet JP, et al. Epidemic of fatal encephalopathy in preschool children in Burkina Faso and consumption of unripe ackee (Blighia sapida) fruit. Lancet 1999:13;353:536-40.
  8. Sherratt HS, Turnbull DM. Methylene blue and fatal encephalopathy from ackee fruit poisoning. Lancet 1999;353:1623-4.