Low fat

Fat content is extremely low in bamboo shoots (2.46 g/100 g) that are, therefore, very good for weight conscious and dieting people. Bamboo shoots contain taxiphyllin, a cyanogenic glycoside. Cyanide alkaloids inhibit cytochrome oxidase, an important enzyme in cellular respiration. Over matured shoots and certain varieties of bamboo possess higher concentration of these glycosides than young, tender and some sweet varieties. Treating the tender shoot in boiling water readily degrades these toxic compounds.