TIGER NUT:HEALTH BENEFITS AND USEFULNESS

• TIGER  NUT

Botanical Name: cyprus esculentus
Yoruba: imumu

HEALTH BENEFITS  OF  TIGER  NUTS

Overview
Tiger nuts are one of nature's super foods.They are high in fibre and carbohydrate. Highly nutritious and are believed to contain ingredients that can help prevent heart attack and improve blood circulation.

tiger nuts have a decent amount of magnesium, iron, and zinc. They also have smaller amounts of a few other vitamins, but nothing to write home about. About half the calories contained in tiger nuts are from fat, with most of the rest from carbohydrates. Tiger nuts are most famous as a source of resistant starch. Resistant starch is a prebiotic fiber: it feeds the friendly bacteria in your gut. Resistant starch has gotten a lot of attention recently for its ability to specifically feed the species of bacteria that might protect against various diseases; Resistant starch is typically praised for all its good qualities, and it does have a lot of them. But not everyone does really well with huge amounts of resistant starch or fiber in general.

1. THEY  ARE VERY HIGH IN  FIBER
Tiger nuts are a very rich source of dietary fibre. Over 30% of a tiger nut is made of fibre and that's more than oats, bran and most vegetables and fruits. We all need fibre to keep our digestive system in good working order,and it call also be an aid to weight loss, by making you feel fuller for longer.

2. THEY HELP  CONTROL  BLOOD  PRESSURE
Another one of wonderful health benefits of tiger nuts is that they are high in amino acids, especially one called arginine, which has been shown to be beneficial to those suffering with high blood pressure. Arginine has been clinically proven to reduce blood pressure.

3. THEY  ARE GOOD SOURCE OF  MAGNESIUM
Tiger nuts are a good natural source of magnesium, which is needed by the body to help with muscle and nerve function and for the proper functioning of the immune system.Magnesium also helps to regulate the heart beat and maintain healthy blood pressure levels.

4. THEY  ARE A GOOD  SOURCE OF PROTEIN
Protein is a vital ingredient used in the building of muscle, skin and bone, and tiger nuts provide a rich source of protein. Tiger nuts are in fact one of the best, non-meat, sources of protein.

5. THEY  HELP  REGULATE  BLOOD  SUGAR  LEVEL
Another one of great health benefits of tigernuts is that they help regulate blood sugarlevels. The insoluble fibre found in tiger nutscan be of great help to diabetics. Insoluble fibreis important to diabetics, because, unlike othercarbohydrates, it does not cause peaks and troughs in the blood sugar levels.

6. THEY CAN  BE  USED  AS  cow's  MILK  SUBTITUTE
Tiger nut milk contains no lactose but plenty of calcium, so it makes a great alternative to cow’s milk, for people who are lactose intolerant.

7. THEY  ARE  A GOOD SOURSE  OF  VITAMIN  E
Tiger nuts are also a good source of the antioxidant- Vitamin E, which helps to protect against the damage caused by free radicals in the body. By protecting the body against free radicals, Vitamin E can help prevent both cancer and coronary diseases, as well as slow down the onset of the signs of ageing.

8. THEY  CONTAIN  THE  HEALTHY  FATS
Another one of health benefits of tiger nuts is the fact that they contain the healthy oils that are very similar to olive oil. The oil extracted from tigernuts consists of around 80% unsaturated fats and only 18% of the cholesterol causing saturated fat.

9. THEY  ARE  A  GOOD  SOURCE OF  VITAMINS  AND  MINERAlS
They area superb source of Vitamins C and E and the minerals, such as potassium and phosphorus.Some yoghurt is now being made with added tiger nut milk, to boost their nutritional content.

Tiger nuts are so nutritious; they can be used to fight malnutrition. Tiger nuts are so packed with nutritional goodness that they are being considered as analternative staple food in some developing countries. A study in Egypt found that tiger nuts are more nutritious and less expensive, than some other staple foods.

HOW  TO EAT TIGER NUT

Tiger nuts taste just a little bit sweet, with a nutty flavor similar to actual nuts (but remember: tiger nuts aren't actually members of the nut family, so people with nut allergies can eat them just fine).It's possible to eat them plain, but it can be kind of a commitment. After being harvested,tiger nuts are dried in the sun to make sure they don't rot. This concentrates all the fiber and turns the nuts into a very intensive chewing experience. You can minimize this by rehydrating them before eating. Or, you can cook with them instead of diving right into the plain nuts.

One option is to make a beverage called "horchata",or "kunu aya" as yoruba will call it.the beverage is made of ground tiger nuts mixed with water and sweetener. This is the traditional way to eat tiger nuts in Spain.  Note that if you make horchata/kunu aya,you're throwing away the fibrous parts of the nuts, which is the outer coat, called roughages,so you won't get the fiber.This could be good or bad, depending on your tolerance for fiber.
Another popular option is to use tiger nut flour for baking. Tiger nut flour is one more entry in the growing array of grain-free flours. Because it's not actually made of nuts.







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