When I was a youth, I never saw or even heard of star fruit. It was native to Sri Lanka (back then it was called "Ceylon") and the Spice Islands, while bananas and pineapples were about the only tropical fruit which could be found in my small-town grocery store. However, the fact that star fruit is now also grown in Florida and Hawaii coupled with modern efficient means of transportation means that it is becoming ubiquitous and can frequently be obtained at your local supermarket.
Unlike pretentiously titled fruit such as kumquats or pomegranates, the origin of the name of star fruit is pretty obvious. Slicing the body of the fruit transversely yields cross-section pieces which are shaped like five-pointed stars. This feature makes the cheerful yellow-green star fruit slices a festive visual addition for salads and desserts. The fruit also has a flavor which can be either sweet or tart and which many people find delightful and similar to a blend of lemon with pineapple. Star fruit is also low in calories and rich in fiber, antioxidants, vitamin C, potassium, and B-complex vitamins.
In short, star fruit would be a good addition to the diet of any healthy individual.
Yet, star fruit also has a dark, evil side. It contains the deadly neurotoxin caramboxin. People with good-functioning kidneys eliminate the caramboxin before it does any harm and are not affected adversely (at least, not as far as anyone knows at this time) by its brief presence in the body. In individuals with kidney disease, however, the poison sticks around and can prove to be fatal.
To learn more about our foe caramboxin, go to the Phys.org website.
The bottom line is, if you are in good health with happy kidneys, go ahead and enjoy the occasional star fruit. Just be sure not to feed it to any guest who is in dialysis or otherwise has impaired renal function.
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