The Health Benefits of Cassava Vegetable

Cassava, a perennial shrub belonging to the Euphorbiaceae family and is grown primarily for its storage roots which are eaten as a vegetable. The cassava plant is a woody plant with erect stems and spirally arranged simple lobed leaves with petioles (leaf stems) up to 30 cm in length.

 

It is cultivated throughout the tropical world for its tuberous roots, from which cassava flour, breads, tapioca, a laundry starch, and even an alcoholic beverage are derived.

 

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. Cassava root is very rich in starch and contains significant amounts of calcium, dietary fibre, iron, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin b6 and vitamin C.

 

Cassava was the staple crop of the Amerindians of South America when the Portuguese arrived in 1500 just south of what is known as Bahia, Brazil. The Amerindians living in the area were the Tupinamba, who relied on cassava as a dietary staple, processing it into bread and meal using techniques similar to those still used by Amerindians in the twenty-first century.

Cassava leaves are an excellent source of vitamin K, which promotes cell growth and bone mineralization. Dietary fibre has been associated with lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases, colon cancer, and helping control diabetes. With moderate levels of potassium, meals prepared with cassava actually help to regulate blood pressure; raw cassava roots have a high level of toxicity because it contains cyanide.

 

Therefore you need to do a careful cleaning and handling before putting them on the dinner table. Bitter cassavas contain a high amount of cyanide content and they must be crushed and cleaned thoroughly until all cyanide are totally removed at the first place. Cassava can also be used to treat wounds that have entered the stage of infection.

 

Mashed cassava stems were still fresh and cream in a wound. It may also wrap again with a bandage. For injuries caused by hot objects, cassava can be grated and squeezed. Then rub in the wound. Repeat until the wound dry.

 

Cassava vegetable have been used for centuries and just like any other vegetable it offers a few health benefits, it is also famous for making bammy especially in the Caribbean.