by Matt Weik, BS, CSCS, CPT, CSN
Are you in search of a gluten-free flour that may do all of it? Look no additional than cassava flour! Cassava is a sort of root that provides meals to over 500 million folks globally. The scientific identify of Cassava is Manihot esculenta. It’s cheap and proof against pests, drought, and illnesses. Cassava is a wealthy supply of carbs — therefore its flour has many functions within the meals trade.
This versatile flour, constructed from the cassava root, can be utilized for baking muffins and cookies, making pasta and noodles, and producing alcohol. Plus, it’s filled with fiber, protein, and minerals, making it a extra nutritious different to wheat flour. With antioxidant properties which will profit intestine and eye well being, cassava flour is a superb addition to any weight-reduction plan.
Disclaimer: This text is for informational functions solely and isn’t meant to deal with or diagnose any situation. It is suggested that you simply communicate along with your physician earlier than altering your present diet plan.
What’s Cassava Flour?
Cassava flour is a well-liked gluten-free different constructed from the cassava root, a tuber native to South America and generally grown in tropical and subtropical areas. Regardless of the nutty taste of cassava, its flour has a light-weight, impartial style, and a high quality, clean texture, usually white in shade however might range relying on the cassava selection.
Making cassava flour entails a five-step course of that features:
- peeling the tubers
- soaking them in water for 4-6 days
- sun-drying or roasting
- scraping off the outer layer
- grinding the rest into flour
Cassava flour’s versatility makes it a extremely sought-after ingredient within the meals trade. It’s generally utilized in baking, together with muffins, pancakes, and gluten-free pizza and pasta. Producers additionally use it as a thickener for ice cream, sauces, and dressings resulting from its impartial style and high quality texture. One other good thing about cassava flour is its low moisture content material, contributing to its prolonged shelf life if saved away from moisture.
Cassava Flour Vitamin
A cup (32 g) of cassava flour comprises:
- Energy: 110
- Fats: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Fiber: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
The Many Well being Advantages of Cassava Flour
Cassava flour has many well being advantages that not many individuals are conscious of. Under is a listing of the commonest advantages you’ll be able to expertise.
1. Digestive and Colon Well being
For the reason that resistant starch in cassava flour ferments within the colon, it feeds the wholesome micro organism there. Through the course of, the starches flip into short-chain fatty acids. One in all these short-chain fatty acids is called butyrate. It’s a important part within the colon cells. Butyrate may also lower the degrees of irritation contained in the colon. This helps to guard an individual towards many digestive points, corresponding to ulcerative colitis and inflammatory colorectal most cancers.
This reveals that, in idea, butyrate may additionally assist defend somebody from different inflammatory points within the colon and bowel, corresponding to constipation, Crohn’s illness, diarrhea, and diverticulitis.
2. Weight Loss
In line with a 2017 research, consuming resistant starches might help people really feel extra full. The research discovered that consuming 30g of resistant starch every day for six weeks decreased the degrees of the hormones that trigger starvation in wholesome individuals who have been overweight.
Together with resistant starches like cassava flour within the weight-reduction plan might have helpful results on weight reduction efforts. Analysis means that consuming resistant starches can enhance the presence of compounds that assist scale back starvation within the morning, resulting in a sense of fullness after meals and probably lowering snacking and total calorie consumption. Subsequently, including resistant starches to 1’s weight-reduction plan could also be a useful technique for these trying to handle their weight.
3. Blood Sugar
Incorporating resistant starches into your weight-reduction plan, corresponding to cassava flour, can probably improve insulin sensitivity. One piece of analysis discovered that chubby or overweight members who consumed 10-15g of resistant starch per day confirmed a lower in fasting glucose ranges, decrease hemoglobin A1C, and improved insulin sensitivity. This results in a extra environment friendly technique of transferring sugar from the bloodstream to the cells for power manufacturing. By substituting low-fiber flour with cassava flour, you’ll be able to enhance your consumption of resistant starches and probably reap these advantages.
4. Non-Allergenic
For individuals who can’t use coconut or nut-based flour, cassava flour is a superb gluten-free substitute for baking. Excessive-quality gluten-free cassava flour might be bought from numerous producers. Since it’s fully grain-free, cassava flour is a perfect possibility for folks with gluten intolerance in addition to those that comply with a paleo weight-reduction plan. Moreover, it’s a appropriate alternative for people with delicate digestive programs, corresponding to these with irritable bowel illness.
