Overview

Ackee (Blighia sapida) is an evergreen tree that makes fruit. Ripe ackee fruit is commonly eaten as food in Jamaica. Unripe ackee fruit is poisonous.

The ripe ackee fruit contains fatty acids. The unripe ackee fruit contains poisonous chemicals that can cause dangerously low blood sugar, liver damage, and death. Most ackee products have been banned from import into the US due to concerns about poisoning from the unripe fruit.

People use ackee for many conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support any use. Eating unripe ackee fruit is unsafe.

Uses & Effectiveness

We currently have no information for ACKEE overview.

Side Effects

When taken by mouth: The ripe ackee fruit is commonly eaten as a food. It's usually well-tolerated. But consuming the unripe ackee fruit is unsafe, even if it has been cooked. The unripe fruit contains poisonous chemicals that can cause dangerously low blood sugar, liver damage, severe vomiting, and death.

Special Precautions and Warnings

When taken by mouth: The ripe ackee fruit is commonly eaten as a food. It's usually well-tolerated. But consuming the unripe ackee fruit is unsafe, even if it has been cooked. The unripe fruit contains poisonous chemicals that can cause dangerously low blood sugar, liver damage, severe vomiting, and death.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Unripe ackee fruit is unsafe when consumed while pregnant or breast-feeding. There isn't enough reliable information to know if the ripe ackee fruit is safe to use when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

Children: It is unsafe for children to consume unripe ackee fruit. Children are more sensitive to the toxic effects of ackee than adults. There isn't enough reliable information to know whether the ripe fruit is safe for children to eat.

Interactions

We currently have no information for ACKEE overview.

Dosing

The ripe ackee fruit is commonly eaten as food in Jamaica. As medicine, there isn't enough reliable information to know what an appropriate dose of ackee might be. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult a healthcare professional before using.

The unripe ackee fruit contains poisonous chemicals and is unsafe. Avoid use.

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CONDITIONS OF USE AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION: This information is meant to supplement, not replace advice from your doctor or healthcare provider and is not meant to cover all possible uses, precautions, interactions or adverse effects. This information may not fit your specific health circumstances. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified health care provider because of something you have read on WebMD. You should always speak with your doctor or health care professional before you start, stop, or change any prescribed part of your health care plan or treatment and to determine what course of therapy is right for you.

This copyrighted material is licensed from Therapeutic Research Center, LLC. Information from this source is evidence-based and objective, and without commercial influence. For professional medical information on natural medicines, see Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Professional Version.
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