The lycopene king. Gac fruit contains 70 times the lycopene of raw tomatoes — not a typo — concentrated in the bright red membrane around the seeds. For prostate health in Black men, who have the highest prostate cancer rates in the world, and for fibroid prevention in Black women, this is the fruit that the research points to but nobody is talking about.
Gac fruit is available at Vietnamese specialty grocery stores — which are present in major US cities with Vietnamese communities (Houston, New Orleans, Falls Church VA, Oakland, San Jose). The specific relevance for Black men — who face world-leading prostate cancer rates — makes this fruit worthy of active sourcing effort. Gac aril powder and gac oil are also available on Amazon.
Gac aril (the red membrane around seeds) contains 2,000 mcg lycopene per gram of fresh weight — approximately 70 times the concentration in raw tomatoes, confirmed in Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry analysis. Lycopene is the most studied natural compound for prostate cancer prevention — a Harvard prospective cohort of 47,000 men showed 21% reduced prostate cancer risk with high lycopene intake. Black men have the highest prostate cancer incidence and mortality rates globally — this food is specifically indicated. Beta-carotene at 10 times carrot concentration supports vitamin A status — vitamin A deficiency is documented in communities with limited produce access. Zeaxanthin provides macular protection against age-related vision loss. The fat-soluble carotenoids in gac are optimally absorbed with dietary fat — the traditional practice of cooking in glutinous rice with fat is scientifically optimal for bioavailability.
The aril (red membrane) around the seeds is the therapeutic part — scoop out and cook. Traditionally mixed with glutinous rice and coconut milk for red sticky rice. The oil extracted from gac aril is a deep orange-red color and can be added to soups, stews, or smoothies for carotenoid delivery. Gac aril powder available through specialty Asian grocery stores and online. The outer orange-red rind and white seed flesh are not typically consumed.
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