Cassava is a highly nutritious food that can be prepared in many ways before consumption.
This plant stands out for containing many carbohydrates that provide a lot of energy to the body. It was the basis of the diet of many Amerindian populations, and today it is still the case for many people. But the truth is that the properties and benefits of cassava go much further, as explained in this article.
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12 properties and benefits of cassava
Cassava is a food similar to potatoes at a nutritional level . It is a very rich source of long-chain carbohydrates and contains practically no fat or protein. However, it contains significant amounts of different minerals and vitamins.
Below are the main properties and benefits of cassava. It is important to keep in mind that it should always be cooked, since raw it contains some toxins. It is normally eaten cooked or fried as if it were a potato, although it can also be ground to use it in the form of flour.
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1. Improves digestion
Eating boiled cassava promotes digestion . It is a cooked food that is very easy to digest thanks to its nutritional profile, as it contains no fat and hardly any protein. Like potatoes, it feels very good boiled, being a food that can be indicated in a soft diet. On the other hand, eating fried yucca may not feel good and loses all digestive properties.
2. Provides energy
Cassava is a very energetic food . It is a food that is characterized by its great contribution of complex carbohydrates in the form of starch, as is the case with potatoes or cereals such as rice, wheat or oats. Eating cassava is recommended in a healthy and balanced diet, but you should not abuse it because it could provide too many calories.
3. Contains fiber
This food has a high fiber content . Eating foods rich in fiber allows you to regulate intestinal transit and relieve problems such as constipation. A diet depleted in fiber ends up affecting the body. In fact, eating fiber helps improve gut health and prevent disease in this important organ.
4. It is a source of vitamins
Cassava contains vitamins that help the body function . Mainly vitamins A, C, E and some of group B stand out. Specifically, cassava is rich in thiamin (vitamin B1) and riboflavin (vitamin B2). It is therefore an interesting food to ensure a diet with the corresponding levels of these vitamins.
5. Contains minerals
The minerals contained in yucca are also remarkable . It has very good concentrations of sodium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese and calcium. These micronutrients participate in many vital functions of the human body, such as nerve propagation, different metabolic reactions or the maintenance of bone health.
6. It has purifying properties
Cassava is a recommended food to purify the body of toxins . This is because it contains a substance called resveratrol, which regulates cholesterol levels and improves blood circulation and lymphatic drainage. It also combats uric acid levels, preventing people with gout from seeing their condition worsen.
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7. Supports the immune system
The immune system is favored if foods such as cassava are taken . This tuber contains substances that make the body’s defenses better able to combat external threats. For this reason, a person who eats natural foods like this instead of processed products is less likely to get sick.
8. It’s satiating
Cassava is a natural food that thanks to its amount of fiber satisfies . Contrary to refined flours or food products made with them, cassava is a tuber that is eaten raw. This allows its fiber intake to occupy a volume in the stomach that provides satiety, avoiding hunger and making you want to eat more.
9. It is food for everyone
Cassava is a food indicated for everyone . People with gluten can take this tuber for example, because the foods of this family do not contain this protein that causes so many problems for many people. Diabetics can also eat yucca because it has fiber and complex carbohydrates, although it should not be abused.
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10. It has anti-inflammatory properties
Inflammation is a problem that affects many people . The inflammation of the internal organs unknowingly affects people who suffer from stress and a not entirely healthy rhythm of life. On the other hand, inflammation also manifests itself more specifically due to diseases such as arthritis, rheumatism or osteoarthritis. Cassava allows to reduce the inflammation of these tissues and mitigate inflammation.
11. It can be eaten in many ways
Cassava is a food that gives a lot of versatility in the kitchen . It can be the base of a main dish, but it can also be part of a side dish. In addition, the multiple forms of preparation that it can have mean that it has different possibilities within different recipes. For example, fried yuca in pieces is a very different way of consuming it than flour, with which desserts can be prepared.
12. Reduce stress
This tuber is also useful for people suffering from stress . This is due to its good contribution of minerals such as manganese and magnesium, as well as other antioxidant substances such as resveratrol, a flavonoid with analgesic properties. It even improves headaches that develop due to accumulated tension.
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Bibliographic references
- Antai, S.P. (1990). Enrichment of nutrient quality of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) with microbial proteins. Plant Foods Hum Nutr, 40 (4), 289-296.
- Batista de Souza, CR, dos Reis, SP and Castelo Branco Carvalho LJ (2015). An overview of protein identification studies in cassava, Curr Protein Pept Sci, 16 (3), 219-227 .
- Oboh, G. y Oladunmoye, M.K. (2007). Biochemical changes in micro-fungi fermented cassava flour produced from low- and medium-cyanide variety of cassava tubers. Nutr Health, 18 (4), 355–367.
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