Got News?
DIETS

6 Health Benefits of Atadwe (Tiger Nuts) 0

Tiger nuts, also known as chufa, yellow nutsedge or earth almonds, are not actually nuts, but rather edible tubers.

Tiger nuts were one of the first plants cultivated in Egypt and traditionally used as both food and medicine.

They’re rich in a variety of nutrients and have been linked to several health benefits — ranging from better digestion to a reduced risk of heart disease.

Here are 6 emerging health benefits of tiger nuts.

Tiger Nuts

1. Rich in Nutrients

Tiger nuts contain a variety of nutrients and beneficial plant compounds.

Their specific nutrient content depends on the type. There are three main varieties of tiger nuts: black, brown and yellow.

On average, one ounce (28 grams) provides (1):

  • Calories: 103–121
  • Fiber: 2–7 grams
  • Carbs: 9 grams
  • Protein: 1 gram
  • Fat: 7–9 grams
  • Vitamin E: 278% of the daily value (DV)
  • Iron: 13–40% of the DV
  • Phosphorus: 9–11% of the DV
  • Vitamin C: 2–8% of the DV
  • Magnesium: 7% of the DV
  • Zinc: 5–7% of the DV
  • Potassium: 3–5% of the DV
  • Calcium: 1% of the DV

Tiger nuts are also a rich source of antioxidants, which are beneficial compounds that protect your body against aging and diseases like cancer and heart disease (2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source).

Research shows that germinating tiger nuts prior to eating them increases their antioxidant content (4Trusted Source).

That said, tiger nuts also contain antinutrients, such as phytates, oxalates, saponins and tannins, which can reduce nutrient absorption in your gut.

Germinating or roasting the tubers prior to eating reduces their antinutrient levels, making it easier for your body to absorb and use the many nutrients they contain (5).

2. May Improve Digestion

Tiger nuts may promote a healthy digestion in various ways.

For starters, they are high in insoluble fiber, which passes through your gut without being digested. Insoluble fiber adds bulk to your stools and helps food move through your gut easily, reducing the likelihood of constipation (1, 6Trusted Source).

Tiger nuts are also presumed to contain resistant starch, a type of fiber that can feed the friendly bacteria in your gut, helping your digestion run smoothly (7).

Moreover, tiger nuts may contain enzymes, such as catalases, lipases and amylases, which help break down foods in your gut, relieving gas, indigestion and diarrhea (7).

Keep in mind that the high fiber content of tiger nuts may initially cause unpleasant gas or bloating. Those interested in trying them should increase their portions gradually.

3. May Reduce Blood Sugar Levels

Tiger nuts may help keep your blood sugar levels in check.

Animal studies show that tiger nut extract may help reduce blood sugar levels. This may, in large part, be due to the high fiber content of the tubers which may slow down the absorption of sugar in the gut (5).

Tiger nuts are also rich in the amino acid arginine, which may increase insulin production and sensitivity, both of which are important for blood sugar control (8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source).

Moreover, test-tube studies show that tiger nut extract may inhibit the action of carb-digesting enzymes in your gut.

As a result, less sugar may be absorbed from your gut in a way similar to the action of some blood-sugar-lowering diabetic medications. This is thought to potentially lower blood sugar levels, though more research in humans is needed (11Trusted Source).

4. May Improve Heart Health

Tiger nuts may also be good for the health of your heart.

That’s partly because of the high amount of monounsaturated fats they contain, which give them a fat profile similar to that of heart-healthy olive oil (12, 13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source).

Diets rich in monounsaturated fats are linked to lower levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol and higher levels of “good” HDL cholesterol. They are also associated with a lower risk of heart attack, stroke and death from heart disease (15Trusted Source, 16Trusted Source).

What’s more, tiger nuts are rich in the amino acid arginine. Arginine can promote heart health because your body can use it to make nitric oxide, a compound that helps arteries and veins dilate, hence lowering blood pressure (17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source).

Research also links tiger nuts to better blood circulation and a lower likelihood of blood clots — both of which can reduce your risk of heart disease (7).

5. May Boost Your Immune System and Help Fight Infections

Tiger nuts may contribute to a stronger immune system.

In one test-tube study, tiger nut extracts were tested against several types of bacteria that can infect humans. The extract was effective against E. coli, Staphylococcus and Salmonella bacteria (19Trusted Source).

Another cell study found similar results. The researchers added that tiger nut extracts might also be effective at fighting antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections (20Trusted Source).

However, more studies are needed before strong conclusions can be drawn.

6. May Act as an Aphrodisiac

Tiger nuts have a history of being used to boost libido.

They’re used as aphrodisiacs in Ayurvedic medicine. In addition, men in Nigeria have used tiger nuts for generations to treat erectile dysfunction, increase sperm count and boost libido.

That said, few studies have investigated these supposed aphrodisiac properties.

One mouse study showed that tiger nuts helped preserve testicular weight and sperm production following heavy metal poisoning (21).

In a rat study, eating large amounts of tiger nuts for 30 days increased testosterone levels, boosted sexual activity and reduced intermission time between mating sessions (22Trusted Source).

However, there are no studies on using tiger nuts as an aphrodisiac in humans, so more research is needed before any conclusions can be made.

Previous ArticleNext Article

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Ketogenic Diet, Benefits and Side Effects 0

“Ketogenic” is a term for a low-carb diet (like the Atkins diet). The idea is for you to get more calories from protein and fat and less from carbohydrates. You cut back most on the carbs that are easy to digest, like sugar, soda, pastries, and white bread.

How It Works

When you eat less than 50 grams of carbs a day, your body eventually runs out of fuel (blood sugar) it can use quickly. This typically takes 3 to 4 days. Then you’ll start to break down protein and fat for energy, which can make you lose weight. This is called ketosis. It’s important to note that the ketogenic diet is a short term diet that’s focussed on weight loss rather than the pursuit of health benefits.

Who Uses It?

People use a ketogenic diet most often to lose weight, but it can help manage certain medical conditions, like epilepsy, too. It also may help people with heart disease, certain brain diseases, and even acne, but there needs to be more research in those areas. Talk with your doctor first to find out if it’s safe for you to try a ketogenic diet, especially if you have type 1 diabetes.

Weight Loss

A ketogenic diet may help you lose more weight in the first 3 to 6 months than some other diets. This may be because it takes more calories to change fat into energy than it does to change carbs into energy. It’s also possible that a high-fat, high-protein diet satisfies you more, so you eat less, but that hasn’t been proved yet.

Cancer

Insulin is a hormone that lets your body use or store sugar as fuel. Ketogenic diets make you burn through this fuel quickly, so you don’t need to store it. This means your body needs — and makes — less insulin. Those lower levels may help protect you against some kinds of cancer or even slow the growth of cancer cells. More research is needed on this, though.

Heart Disease

It seems strange that a diet that calls for more fat can raise “good” cholesterol and lower “bad” cholesterol, but ketogenic diets are linked to just that. It may be because the lower levels of insulin that result from these diets can stop your body from making more cholesterol. That means you’re less likely to have high blood pressure, hardened arteries, heart failure, and other heart conditions. It’s unclear, however; how long these effects last.

Acne

Carbohydrates have been linked to this skin condition, so cutting down on them may help. And the drop in insulin that a ketogenic diet can trigger may also help stop acne breakouts. (Insulin can cause your body to make other hormones that bring on outbreaks.) Still, more research is needed to determine exactly how much effect, if any, the diet actually has on acne.

Diabetes

Low-carb diets seem to help keep your blood sugar lower and more predictable than other diets. But when your body burns fat for energy, it makes compounds called ketones. If you have diabetes, particularly type 1, too many ketones in your blood can make you sick. So it’s very important to work with your doctor on any changes in your diet.

Epilepsy

Ketogenic diets have helped control seizures caused by this condition since the 1920s. But again, it’s important to work with your doctor to figure out what’s right for you or your child.

Other Nervous System Disorders

These affect your brain and spine, as well as the nerves that link them together. Epilepsy is one, but others may be helped by a ketogenic diet as well, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and sleep disorders. Scientists aren’t sure why, but it may be that the ketones your body makes when it breaks down fat for energy help protect your brain cells from damage.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

This is when a woman’s ovaries get larger than they should be and small fluid-filled sacs form around the eggs. High levels of insulin can cause it. Ketogenic diets, which lower both the amount of insulin you make and the amount you need, may help treat it, along with other lifestyle changes, like exercise and weight loss.

Exercise

A ketogenic diet may help endurance athletes — runners and cyclists, for example — when they train. Over time, it helps your muscle-to-fat ratio and raises the amount of oxygen your body is able to use when it’s working hard. But while it might help in training, it may not work as well as other diets for peak performance.

Side Effects

The more common ones aren’t usually serious: You might have constipation, mild low blood sugar, or indigestion. Much less often, low-carb diets can lead to kidney stones or high levels of acid in your body (acidosis). Other side effects can include the “keto flu,” which may include headache, weakness, and irritability; bad breath; and fatugue.

Diet With Care

When your body burns its stores of fat, it can be hard on your kidneys. And starting a ketogenic diet — or going back to a normal diet afterward — can be tricky if you’re obese because of other health issues you’re likely to have, like diabetes, a heart condition, or high blood pressure. If you have any of these conditions, make diet changes slowly and only with the guidance of your doctor.

 

Health Benefits of Garden Egg 0

Garden Egg is a good source of dietary fibre, as well as other mineral and vitamins such as vitamin B1, potassium, folate, manganese, magnesium, copper, Vitamin B6, niacin and other various secrete nutrients that you can read below.

Health Benefits Garden Egg:

1.    Promotes Weight Loss

Eating of eggplant especially the greenish type is beneficial in weight reduction because they contain low carbohydrates and calories essential for weight management.

Overweight individuals who want to lose weight or those who wish to retain their normal body weight can add eggplant to their diet as well.

2.     Rich in Antioxidants

Anthocyanins, nasunin and flavonoids are important and powerful phytonutrients and antioxidants in eggplants that help to protect the body system and add many health-promoting benefits to the human body.

Anthocyanins are responsible for the deep purple colour of eggplants and also helps in preventing the development of cancer as well as other diseases that result in bacteria.

Anthocyanins found in eggplants possess antioxidant properties that are responsible for protecting the whole body system.

3.       Rich in Vitamin B

Garden egg is a natural source of vitamins B’s such as thiamin, niacin, B6 and pantothenic acid that helps the body in the proper use of fat and protein; and also contributes to the nervous system positively.

Vitamin B plays a vital role in promoting good health and well-being. It helps in brain development and also helps in making sure that the immune and nervous system works properly.

Regular consumption of eggplants provides you with enough vitamin B needed by the body.

4.       Promotes Healthy Bone

They contain a good amount of potent minerals such as folate, manganese, vitamin K, magnesium, vitamin C and copper that help in bone strengthening and general bone health.

Consuming eggplant regularly is highly beneficial in preventing the risk of bone degradation and osteoporosis.

Garden egg also contains some amount of iron and calcium aids in reducing the chance of osteoporosis, thereby keeping your bones strong and healthy.

5.       Helps in Digestion

Garden eggs are fibrous fruits that help in proper food digestion and controlling of bowel movement. Due to this fibre content in the fruit, they reduce constipation and improve digestion.

Garden eggs are believed to be one of the greatest sources of dietary fibre which is an essential element in any balanced diet.

Fibre aids greatly in gastrointestinal health and proper movement of bowels. Consuming eggplants will contribute a lot in digestion and consistence movement of bowels.

6.       Good for Pregnant Women

These fruits are packed with minerals, vitamins and other nutritional properties that play a key role during pregnancy.

The properties in garden egg help both pregnant women and unborn children for healthy situational conditions.

Garden eggs are also rich in folic acid which is beneficial to pregnant women. Folic acid protects infants from neural tube defects that do occur.

Garden eggs are rich sources of folic acid, which makes it an excellent food and useful dietary addition during pregnancy.

7.       Prevents Anemia

Garden egg has been found to serve as a natural medicine for treating several health conditions such as bronchitis, colic (pain in the abdomen caused by obstruction of the intestine); stress relief, headache and others, if consumed daily.

Garden egg is a rich source of iron, which helps in increase in the red blood cell in the body, thereby aids in fighting against anaemia or deficiency in iron.

Garden eggs are also rich in copper, another important component of red blood cells. Consuming garden eggs helps in making the red blood cells to flow adequately through your veins, thereby causing a boost in strength and energy.

8.       Prevents Diabetes

Garden eggs which are a source of soluble fibre and carbohydrates can help in the control and prevention of diabetes.

Foods rich in fibre and carbohydrate help in the regulation of blood sugar levels and glucose absorption.

It is an excellent food for people suffering from diabetes, as it will go a long way in the reduction and prevention of type 2 diabetes.

9.       Maintains Blood Pressure Levels

Garden eggs contain a high amount of calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. These minerals contained in it helps in maintaining electrolyte balance in our body.

It aids in neutralizing sodium effects in the body, thereby controlling blood pressure levels.

An antioxidant in garden eggs known as chlorogenic acid also helps in reducing cholesterol levels in the body.

Therefore regular consumption of garden egg helps in maintaining a good blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

10.    Prevents heart diseases

Garden eggs are rich in vitamin B1 and B6 (thiamin and niacin). These vitamins are essential in the body for the proper functioning of the heart and cellular respiration. Its rich in potassium also help in blood pressure regulation.

Vitamin B1 deficiency leads to cardiovascular problems. Therefore foods rich in vitamin B1 play a vital role in ensuring a healthy nervous system and improve the proper functioning of the cardiovascular.

Vitamin B6 helps in maintaining a healthy nervous system. Consuming garden egg can greatly help in preventing heart disorders.

finelib.com

Send this to a friend