This extraordinary fruit has protective benefits for those who partake and it also naturally protects itself as it ripens by staying intact even when it falls off the plant, shielding the beneficial nutrients within until needed. The thick, spiny skin of this incomparable fruit encases potent antioxidants in such large qualities that it is classified as a "super fruit”. In Asia many people actually grow it near the front entrances of their homes, in order to keep it close, because it is valued so highly for its life-giving properties.