Fig
Ficus caricaFigs about 11,400 years old found in the Jordan Valley suggest the fig may have been domesticated about a thousand years before wheat.
What is Fig?
Fig (Ficus carica) is a plant of the Moraceae family. Traditions that use it: Anatolia and the Mediterranean. Part used: fruit, leaf, latex.
What is Fig used for?
Traditional use: Dried figs are eaten for constipation; the milky latex from stems and leaves is dabbed on warts. Scientific evidence: limited. Dried figs are rich in fibre, and a few small clinical studies show a benefit for constipation.
Is Fig safe?
Safety label: generally safe. The fruit is safe. The latex in leaves and stems contains furocoumarins; going into the sun after skin contact causes phytophotodermatitis that looks like a severe burn. Serious burns have been reported in people who used fig leaves as a tanning lotion. Dried figs are high in sugar and calories.
Traditional use
Dried figs are eaten for constipation; the milky latex from stems and leaves is dabbed on warts. In Aydın, branches of the male fig (ilek) are hung in female trees so that a tiny fig wasp can pollinate them. Figs from Aydın and İzmir have been traded across the Mediterranean for centuries.
Surah at-Tin in the Qur’an opens by swearing by the fig and the olive; in the Old Testament and in Greek myth the fig is also a symbol of plenty.
In nature
Mix-up risk
Ornamental figs such as rubber plant and weeping fig have inedible fruit, and their latex also irritates the skin.
Preparation
Eaten fresh or dried; for constipation, dried figs are soaked overnight and eaten in the morning. The latex is used only externally and with care.
What science says
Dried figs are rich in fibre, and a few small clinical studies show a benefit for constipation. Effects of leaf extract on blood sugar and cholesterol have mostly been seen in animals. A small study comparing fig latex with freezing for warts gave promising results, but the evidence is limited.
Safety
The fruit is safe. The latex in leaves and stems contains furocoumarins; going into the sun after skin contact causes phytophotodermatitis that looks like a severe burn. Serious burns have been reported in people who used fig leaves as a tanning lotion. Dried figs are high in sugar and calories.
Similar plants
Sources
- ResearchKislev, Hartmann ve Bar-Yosef 2006: Early domesticated fig in the Jordan Valley (Science)
- ResearchTraditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Ficus carica: a review (Pharm Biol 2014)
- ResearchFig Tree-Induced Phytophotodermatitis: A Case Report (Cureus 2023)
- BookBaytop T. Türkiye’de Bitkiler ile Tedavi: Geçmişte ve Bugün. 2. baskı. İstanbul: Nobel Tıp Kitabevleri; 1999.
- Botanical recordKew Plants of the World Online: Ficus carica
- Titles of research sources are summarised in Turkish on the Turkish page; links open the original English publications.
Written by Edanaz Tınmazlar · Last reviewed: · Türkçe