Nutritional Value of Bamboo Shoots

The nutritional value of edible shoots of different bamboo species has been worked out by several workers (Giri and Janmejoy 1992; Shi and Yang 1992; Tripathi 1998; Chen and others 1999; Sharma and others 2004; Xu and others 2005; Kumbhare and Bhargava 2007;Nirmala and others 2007, 2008). Bamboo shoots are low in calories, high in dietary fiber, and rich in various nutrients. The main nutrients in bamboo shoots are protein, carbohydrates, amino acids, minerals, fat, sugar, fiber, and inorganic salts. The shoots have a good profile of minerals, consisting mainly of potassium (K), calcium (Ca), manganese, zinc, chromium, copper, iron (Fe), plus lower amounts of phosphorus (P), and selenium (Shi and Yang 1992; Nirmala and others 2007). Fresh shoots are a good source of thiamine, niacin, vitamin A, vitamin B6, and vitamin E (Visuphaka 1985; Xia 1989; Shi and Yang 1992). They are rich in protein, containing between 1.49 and 4.04 (average 2.65 g) per 100 g of fresh bamboo shoots. They contain 17 amino acids, 8 of which are essential for the human body (Qiu 1992;Ferreira and others 1995).