Benefits of Cassava for Health and How to Process

In addition to rice, cassava is a staple food that is widely consumed by the people of Indonesia.

Besides being delicious, it turns out that there are several health benefits of cassava. To find out what these benefits are, let's look at the following reviews.

Cassava is a staple food for most of the world's population, especially those living in tropical areas, such as South America, Africa, and Asia, including Indonesia. In Indonesia itself, cassava is processed into various dishes, ranging from fried, steamed or boiled cassava, to getuk.

a. 38 - 40 grams of Carbohydrates.
b. 1 - 1.2 grams of protein.
c. 1 -2 grams of Fiber.
d. 300 milligrams of potassium
e. 20 milligrams of calcium
f. 25 - 30 micrograms of folate
g. 20 - 30 milligrams of vitamin C

Cassava also contains zinc, magnesium, selenium, phosphorus, vitamin A, vitamin B, and various types of antioxidants, such as polyphenols and flavonoids.

  
    
  

What are the Benefits of Cassava for Health?
Because of its diverse nutritional content, cassava is considered to have health benefits, such as:

Increase energy
Cassava contains high enough calories. In 100 grams of cassava, contained 110-150 calories. This number of calories is higher than the calories in other types of tubers, such as potatoes and sweet potatoes. Therefore, you can get extra energy to carry out daily activities if you eat cassava.

Here are sources of fiber and complex carbohydrates
In addition to calories, cassava is also rich in complex carbohydrates and fiber. Both of these nutrients function to maintain a healthy digestive tract, reduce inflammation, and control blood sugar levels. When blood sugar levels are not controlled, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes will also be lower.

Even so, the benefits of cassava in blood sugar levels still need to be studied further.

Although there are many health benefits of cassava, you need to consume it with caution. Here are some things you need to pay attention to regarding this plant:

Cassava needs to be processed properly
Cassava contains chemicals called cyanogenic glycosides. These chemicals can release cyanide in the body. Therefore, cassava must be processed properly before eating to prevent cyanide poisoning.

Limit consumption of cassava in pregnant and lactating women

Consuming too much cassava during pregnancy and breastfeeding is also not safe. Consuming too much cassava during pregnancy is thought to increase the risk of the baby having birth defects and thyroid disorders.

Risk of lowering iodine levels
Cassava is known to reduce the amount of iodine absorbed by the body. Therefore, consuming cassava too often in large quantities has the potential to cause an iodine deficiency.

This can reduce the amount of thyroid hormone in the body. Therefore, you should not consume too much cassava, if you are suffering from thyroid disease or are undergoing thyroid hormone replacement therapy.

How to Process Cassava Correctly
When you want to eat cassava, you need to process it properly. This is important to remove harmful cyanide substances in cassava.

To be safer for consumption, cassava needs to be processed by peeling the skin first, then soaking the white part of the stem in clean water for 48-60 hours.

After the soaking process is complete, continue to cook the cassava until it is completely cooked. You can fry, boil, or steam cassava for at least 25 minutes. This is to prevent cyanide poisoning from consuming raw or undercooked cassava.

Consult a nutritionist to find out the safe amount in consuming cassava. In addition to determining the dose of consumption, the doctor can also recommend other foods to complement the daily nutrients your body needs.