Benefits of Cassava

1. Cassava is native to Brazil and Paraguay and is a staple food throughout Indonesia and Thailand, as well as parts of Africa. Its roots serve as an excellent source of starch and, at 330 calories per cup, cassava provides energy you need to fuel your active lifestyle. Adding cassava to your diet offers health benefits because of its vitamin, mineral and fiber content, but you must only eat cassava after it has been cooked to avoid exposure to toxi .....

What is Cassava

2. Originating in South America, cassava is a plant that grows up to a total length of 13 feet. The root grows to a length of about 4 feet and is most often used in various foods because of its sweet taste. This starchy root has been used for many centuries in Africa and Asia, and has made its way into many of the world s markets. The cassava root has a brown, woody skin and can weigh from 1 to 5 lbs. .....

Description

3. The cassava plant is a staple crop in Africa, Asia, and South America. Tapioca is a starch found in the roots (tubers) of the plant. Different parts of the plant such as the root, leaves, and sometimes the whole plant, are used in herbal remedies. .....

Overview

4. There is no convincing scientific evidence that cassava or tapioca is effective in preventing or treating cancer. However, some researchers have proposed an idea that might eventually lead to treatments that use an enzyme from the cassava plant. This approach has not been scientifically tested. .....

What Are Health Benefits of Cassava

5. The cassava s nutrition comes from the zinc, iron, and magnesium, which helps the blood carry oxygen throughout the body. With moderate levels of potassium, meals prepared with cassava actually help to regulate blood pressure, and because the cassava is gluten free, it can be used in specially prepared foods. The leaves are an excellent source of Vitamin K, which promotes cell growth and bone mineralization. .....

How is Cassava Prepared

6. Cassava should be washed in cold water, trimmed at the ends, and then cooked. If you fail to prepare this root in an appropriate manner, you may not feel very good later. The root of the cassava has small quantities of cyanogenic glycosides, also known as cyanide. After having made sure it s safe to eat, you peel the rough skin with a knife until you have a chunk of white flesh. You can prepare the cassava just as you would a potato or yam, add .....

Is Cassava Safe to Eat

7. The cassava has small quantities of cyanide and should never be eaten raw. If eaten raw, the natural toxicity of this plant can cause abdominal pains, nausea, and death. It s worth noting, however, the cyanide level is much higher in the skin than in the rest of the plant. The process to disperse the cyanide includes peeling the vegetable, sun drying it, boiling it in water, and then cooking it. Only then is cassava safe to eat. .....

What Are Some Other Uses for Cassava

8. It may surprise you to learn that cassava is being used as an ethanol biofuel. The aim is to replace petroleum by processing and converting the plant into a usable fuel, which in turn, cuts down on the hazardous byproducts produced by the burning of so called fossil fuels. The few cassava ethanol fuel production facilities found around the globe is a testament to mankind s ingenuity and passion for a healthier world. .....

Fiber

9. Cassava comes loaded with carbohydrates, including the especially beneficial carbohydrate dietary fiber. Consuming fiber is linked to a number of health benefits, including lower blood pressure, reduced cholesterol levels, better control over your blood sugar levels and a lower risk of obesity. Each cup of cassava approximately half of a root boosts your fiber intake by 3.7 grams. This contributes 10 percent toward the fiber intake recommen .....

Magnesium and Copper

10. Cassava also helps you consume more magnesium and copper. A diet rich in magnesium promotes life long health, lowering your blood pressure and reducing your risk of osteoporosis, while a diet rich in copper helps support healthy nerve function. A cup of cassava contains 206 micrograms of copper, or 23 percent of the copper you need each day, determined by the Institute of Medicine. Cassava also increases your manganese intake by 0.8 milligram per .....

Considerations and Serving Tips

11. Don t eat cassava raw, because it contains chemicals called cyanogenic glucosides, which act as toxins. Cooking your cassava by roasting or boiling reduces these compounds to safe levels. Prepare cassava similarly to how you d prepare potatoes. Try peeling it and cutting it into chunks, and then roast it, coated lightly in olive oil. Alternatively, boil pieces of peeled cassava and then mash for a dish similar to mashed potatoes. If you want to a .....

Vitamin C and Folate

12. The vitamin C and folate abundant in cassava also offer health benefits. Each cup of cassava contains 56 micrograms of folate, or 14 percent of your daily folate intake requirements, as well as 42 milligrams of vitamin E. This amount contributes 56 and 47 percent towards the daily vitamin C intake recommendations for women and men, set by the Institute of Medicine. Including more folate in your diet protects against colon cancer and reduces the r .....

Rich in Minerals

13. Cassava is a good source of minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, manganese, iron and potassium. These minerals are necessary for proper development, growth and function of your body s tissues. For example, calcium is necessary for strong bones and teeth; iron helps in the formation of two proteins hemoglobin and myoglobin which carry oxygen to your body tissues; and manganese helps in the formation of bones, connective tissue and sex hormo .....

Rich in Fiber

14. Cassava contains high amounts of dietary fiber, which can help prevent constipation. According to the Mayo Clinic website, fiber also helps you lose weight as it promotes lasting satiety. It may also help reduce your unhealthy cholesterol levels, which lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases. If you are suffering from diabetes, eating fiber rich cassava may help lower your blood sugar levels. This is because fiber slows the absorption of sugar .....

Rich in Carbohydrates

15. Cassava contains 38 grams of carbohydrates per 100 gram serving. This makes it a good energy source for individuals who engage in strenuous physical activities. Such activities deplete glycogen, which is the form in which glucose is stored in the muscles. When you eat cassava, the carbohydrates present in it are converted to glucose in your body, which is then converted to glycogen and stored in the muscles. .....

Gluten Free

16. Absence of the allergenic protein gluten makes cassava flour a good substitute for rye, oats, barley and wheat. Persons diagnosed with celiac disease and other gluten based allergies can find relief in consuming foods made using tapioca or cassava flour. Although baking cakes, bread and other foods requires gluten to enable them to swell in size, it can be substituted with guar and xanthan gum. .....

Rich in Saponins

17. Cassava is a good source of saponins. These phytochemicals may help lower unhealthy cholesterol levels in your bloodstream. They do so by binding to the bile acids and cholesterol, thus preventing them from being absorbed through the small intestines. The antioxidant effects of saponins may help protect your cells from damage by free radicals. A study by scientists at Tianjin University published in the October 2010 issue of Fitoterapia also fo .....

Cassava root

18. Cassava root is a healthy source of natural carbohydrates, great for low calories diets, packed with minerals such as: calcium, phosphorus, manganese, iron and potassium. These minerals are necessary for proper development, growth and function of your body s tissues. For example, calcium is required for strengthening teeth and bones; iron helps in the formation of two proteins hemoglobin and myoglobin which carry oxygen to your body tissues; a .....

High amounts of dietary fiber

19. Cassava contains high amounts of dietary fiber, (namely insoluble fiber) which can help prevent and or alleviate constipation. Fiber at a glance, helps you lose weight as it promotes long lasting satiety. It has the potential to also help reduce your unhealthy cholesterol levels (if you have unhealthy cholesterol), which lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases. If you are suffering from diabetes, eating fiber rich cassava may help lower your b .....

How to choose Cassava

20. Look for firm roots with little smell and no signs of discoloration. Cassava can grow in poor soil and can withstand drought. It is an important famine reserve crop in countries with unreliable rainfall. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Global Cassava Development Strategy, cassava is the third most important source of calories in the tropics, after rice and corn. Millions of people depend on cassava in Afri .....

How to store Cassava

21. Cassava roots will not last more than 3 4 days unless coated in wax. Fortunately, most roots are sold coated in wax and will keep for up to 4 weeks when stored in a cool dark place. Cassava root can also be kept for periods of 6 8 months when peeled and frozen. .....

Climate and origin

22. Cassava is thought to have originated somewhere in South America. Cassava grows in warm tropical climates (Zones 9 11 in the U.S.) Cassava (yuca or manioc) is a nutty flavored, starchy tuber in the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae) of plants from the South American region. Its sweet crunchy underground tuber is a popular edible root since centuries for indigenous people of many parts of Africa, Asia and South American continents. Together with other .....

Taste

23. When properly cooked, cassava root has a nutty flavor with a flaky texture. The cassava is a perennial plant that grows best under tropical, moist, fertile, well drained soils. Completely grown plant reaches to a height of about 2 4 m. Under the cultivation fields, its cut stem sections are planted just as in sugarcanes. After about 8 10 months of plantation, long, globular roots or tubers grom in radial pattern downwards deep into the soil from .....

Miscellaneous information

24. Cassava is the third largest source of carbohydrates in the world and is consumed primarily in Africa and South America. Ground into flour, cassava is known as tapioca, the source of the pudding we all know and love. Each tuber weighs one to several pounds depending up on the cultivar type and feature gray brown, rough woody textured skin outside. Its interior flesh features white, starch rich sweet flavored meat, that should be eaten only after .....

Health benefits of cassava

25. Cassava has nearly twice the calories than potatoes, perhaps highest for any tropical starch rich tubers and roots. Like other roots and tubers, cassava too is free from gluten. Young, tender cassava (yucca) leaves are a good source of dietary proteins and vitamin K. Vitamin K has a suspected role in bone mass building by promoting osteotrophic activity in the bones. It also has an established role in the treatment of Alzheimer s disease patients .....

Cassava or yucca is a nutty flavored

26. Cassava or yucca is a nutty flavored, starchy tuber of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae) from the South American origin. This sweet, crunchy underground tuber has been a popular edible root for centuries in many parts of Africa, Asia and South America; it is an indispensable part of the carbohydrate diet of millions of inhabitants living in these regions. .....

Low salt diet

27. Cassava bread has no additional salt, so is good for people requiring a low salt diet. It can be eaten with complementary foods such as avocado or boiled crab where no salt is required. Cassava has nearly twice the calories than potatoes, perhaps one of the highest for any tropical starch rich tubers and roots. 100 g root provides 160 calories. Their calorie mainly comes from sucrose, forming the bulk in these tubers accounting for more than 69% .....

Cassava bread is sugar free

28. With no sugar added, cassava bread is sugar free. It is good to train the appetite for less sugar. If something sweet is preferred, eating the bread with ripe banana is an excellent way to have some natural sweetness. Cassava is very low in fats and protein than in cereals and pulses. Nonetheless, it has more protein than that of other tropical food sources like yam, potato, plantains, etc. .....

Low fat diet

29. For those people requiring a low fat diet, cassava bread is an excellent choice. In this case, it is delicious with boiled or steamed fish. If you like chilli you can add a bit to the fish. As in other roots and tubers, cassava too is free from gluten. Gluten free starch is used in special food preparations for celiac disease patients. .....

No added preservatives in cassava bread

30. There are no added preservatives in cassava bread. Instead, it is preserved by drying in the sun. If you are looking for a naturally preserved food, cassava bread should be your choice. Young tender cassava (yuca) leaves are a good source of dietary proteins and vitamin K. Vitamin K has a potential role in bone mass building by promoting osteotrophic activity in the bones. It also has established role in the treatment of Alzheimer s disease patie .....

Cassava bread is gluten free

31. If you require a gluten free food, cassava bread is gluten free. It is recommended for persons suffering from celiac disease. Cassava is a moderate source of some of the valuable B complex group of vitamins such as folates, thiamin, pyridoxine (vitamin B 6), riboflavin, and pantothenic acid. .....

High in carbohydrates is an excellent food

32. For sustaining energy, cassava bread, high in carbohydrates is an excellent food. It is eaten while going on long forest treks. The carbohydrates are converted to glucose which is converted to glycogen and stored in the muscles. Cassava roots can be readily available in the markets all around the seasons. Buy well formed, hard, cylindrical tuber that is heavy for its size. Cleaned, and processed yuca available in the US markets, usually importe .....

Cassava Flour

33. Cassava flour does not contain gluten, an allergenic protein found in wheat, barley, oats and rye. Also known as tapioca flour, it can be used by gluten intolerant people to replace wheat flour. In the U.S., cassava flour is often used to thicken gravy but it has long been used in Asia to make savoury dishes and desserts, like cassava cake. .....

largest source of food carbohydrates

34. Cassava is the third largest source of food carbohydrates in the tropics, after rice and maize. Cassava is a major staple food in the developing world, providing a basic diet for over half a billion people. It is one of the most drought tolerant crops, capable of growing on marginal soils. Nigeria is the world s largest producer of cassava, while Thailand is the largest exporter of dried cassava. .....

Cassava is classified as sweet or bitter

35. Cassava is classified as sweet or bitter. Farmers often prefer the bitter varieties because they deter pests, animals, and thieves. Like other roots and tubers, both bitter and sweet varieties of cassava contain antinutritional factors and toxins. It must be properly prepared before consumption. Improper preparation of cassava can leave enough residualcyanide to cause acute cyanide intoxication and goiters, and may even cause ataxia or partial pa .....

Nutritional profile

36. Cassava root is essentially a carbohydrate source. Its composition shows 60 .....

How is it promoted for use

37. In folk medicine, the cassava plant is promoted for treating snakebites, boils, diarrhea, flu, hernia, inflammation, conjunctivitis, sores, and several other problems including cancer. Cassava plants can produce the poisonous substance cyanide as a way to fend off animals trying to eat them. Chewing the plant causes it to release an enzyme called linamarase, and linamarase, in turn, converts a compound in the plant called linamarin into cyanide. .....

What does it involve

38. In herbal remedies, the roots of the cassava are made into a poultice and applied directly to the skin as a treatment for sores. The leaf, root, and flour obtained from the plant can also be used in a wash that is applied to the skin. In developing countries, tapioca starch made from the cassava plant is used to help restore body fluids. Cassava leaves are sold in health food stores and on the Internet in capsule or powder form. Cassava root star .....

What is the history behind it

39. Cassava has been used as a food source by many cultures for centuries. Today, it is consumed by millions of people in developing countries and is sometimes used as an herbal medicine. It has been theorized that the plant s ability to make cyanide may be useful as a type of gene therapy to treat cancer, but further research is needed to determine whether the technique will work in humans. This use would be quite different from the use of the cassa .....

What is the evidence

40. Available scientific evidence does not support claims that botanical products currently made from the cassava plant have anticancer properties. A British researcher identified the cassava genes involved in making hydrogen cyanide in the early 1990s. In collaboration with cancer specialists in Spain, she has conducted studies of the linamarase gene. They added this gene to a virus, which was then injected into rat brain tumors. These tumors were k .....

Are there any possible problems or complications

41. The cassava plant produces cyanide, a poison that can be deadly to humans, and cassava can be a serious health hazard if it is not processed properly. Some of the signs of cyanide poisoning are headache, dizziness, agitation, confusion, coma, and convulsions. Some people in developing countries have been poisoned by eating parts of the cassava plant that were not prepared properly. .....

Benefits of Cassava Root

42. Cassava root is a veritable storehouse of carbohydrates and it is the third largest carbohydrate source used for meals throughout the globe. This root can be used as a substitute for potatoes in cooking. Cassava has a unique and distinct flavor that like potatoes, complements the taste of the food being cooked. And it is highly versatile as an ingredient, it can be used as fries, chips, boiled, etc. Potatoes are healthy but they do contribute to .....

Treat arthritis and rheumatism

43. Cassava root is used as home remedy to treat arthritis and rheumatism and irritable bowel syndrome. Being a fibrous tuber, it helps add dietary fiber to daily food intake. Fiber foods reduce the risk of heart diseases and cancer as well as helping with diabetes. Fiber in your diet helps ease and decrease the occurrence of constipation. .....

Cassava is a starchy food but contains no gluten

44. Cassava is a starchy food but contains no gluten. So for those on gluten free diets or those with Celiac s disease (intolerance for gluten), cassava is an ideal substitute to using wheat, rye or barley, which are very popularly used food items that contain gluten. A good substitute for wheat flour, is cassava flour, more nutrients, no gluten. Even products produced of this flour such as noodles or pasta, are gluten free. Hence using cassava flour .....

Excellent source of saponins

45. Cassava root is an excellent source of saponins, which are chemical compounds found in variant levels in most plants. Saponins are very effective against cholesterol and also act as antioxidants and anti inflammatory agents. On the whole, their presence helps with managing cholesterol levels, reducing acidic levels in the body and breaking down waste faster. Since cassava root has this useful chemical nutrient in large quantities, all the benefit .....

The vitamins and mineral content levels

46. The vitamins and mineral content levels in this tubular vegetable also add to the benefits of this root. Cassava root has a high content level of manganese, which is a very important nutrient for the human body. It helps in improving the mental functioning of an individual as well as aids in digestion and absorption of food. Manganese is available in trace amounts in food items and is completely wiped out of modern processed and fast foods, makin .....

Important Substance Content In Cassava Leaves

47. Besides its good taste, reversed of the benefits of cassava leaves, there is a very important substances when consumed. Cassava leaves contain minerals, vitamins, essential amino acids, and proteins are very good for the body. It is also known that vegetable protein contained in cassava leaves serve as elements that build the body s cells and is a component of system of the enzyme forming . In addition, the amino acid content there on the gree .....

Benefits of Cassava Leaves

48. Benefits of cassava leaves are very much, health can be supplemented with the intake of nutritious foods such as cassava leaves. Known cassava leaves have a number of important benefits such as suitable for those who are running the diet program because Cassava leaves are very low in calories. With that consuming cassava leaves will give the effect of satiety. For those who are hard to defecate, cassava leaves to overcome constipation and digesti .....

Utilization of Cassava Leaves

49. In addition to be as healthy snacks, cassava leaves are also useful as an herbal medicine that can drink it water directly . It is very easy, just boil the leaves with one to two glasses of water and can be mixed with ginger or water whiting. Residual of water decoction also can be drink and had incredible benefits to the body. That are some benefits of cassava leaves that we can get easily. .....

Where it Grows

50. Cassava grows in Africa, the Caribbean, India, Europe, South Pacific, Central and South America, Asia, Florida, Southern Texas, Southern US, Indonesia, and many other places in the world. Cassava is one of the common vegetables featuring in variety of everyday traditional dishes in many Caribbean, Africa, and Asia countries. Together with other tropical roots like yam, taro, plantains, potato, etc., it too is an Integral part of the diet in these .....

Leaves Must Be Cooked

51. Cassava leaves and roots are high in hydrocyanic acid which is poisonous, but when cooked the acid disappears .....

High in Protein

52. 100 grams of cooked cassava leaves provides about 3.7 grams of protein which is pretty good for a green leafy veggie. And the leaves contain different types of proteins comparable to eggs and soybeans. And cassava leaves contain lysine, isoleucine, leucine, valine, and lots of arginine which are not common in green leafy plants .....

Low in Calories

53. 100 grams of cooked cassava leaves only contains about 37 calories making it great for weight loss .....

Contains

54. Cassava leaves contain Vitamin C a powerful antioxidant for helping to prevent cardiovascular disease, strokes, and cancer. Also B Vitamins for good mood, vitality, and metabolism. Beta Carotene which is a powerful antioxidant that prevents cancer .....

Cassava should never be eaten raw

55. Cassava should never be eaten raw as the root composes small quantities of cyanogenic glycosides, especiallyhydroxycyanic acid. Cyanide compounds interfere with cellular metabolism by inhibiting the cytochrome oxidase enzyme inside the human body. Peeling followed by cooking ensures them safe for consumption by removing these compounds. .....

Safety profile

56. Cassava root contains natural toxic cyanogenic glycoside compounds linamarin and methyl linamarin. Injury to tuber releases linamarase enzyme from the ruptured cells, which then converts linamarin to poisonous hydrocyanic acid (HCN). It is therefore, consumption of raw cassava root results in cyanide poisoning with symptoms of vomiting, nausea, dizziness, stomach pains, headache, and death. In general, cyanide content is substantially higher in i .....

Some important minerals

57. The root is one of the chief sources of some important minerals like zinc, magnesium, copper, iron, and manganese for many inhabitants in the tropical belts. In addition, it has adequate amounts of potassium (271 mg per 100g or 6% of RDA). Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that help regulate heart rate and blood pressure. .....