Colocasia-Benefits And Nutritional Facts
March 27, 2020 | by Yashaswi Pathakamuri | Posted in Nutrition Facts
Colocasia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae, native to southeastern Asia and the Indian subcontinent. It has a brown outer skin and white flesh with purple specks throughout. It contains many nutritional facts and health benefits. When cooked, it has a mildly sweet taste and a texture similar to potato. Some of the common names are cocoyam, dasheen, taro root, elephant’s ear plant, amadumbe, kalo, etc.
Benefits
Colocasia is a great source of fiber and other nutrients and offers a variety of potential health benefits, including improved blood sugar management, gut and heart health.
- Heart health.
- Controls blood sugar level.
- Prevents cancer.
- Helps in weight loss.
- Gut health (promote the growth of good bacteria).
- Improves digestive health.
Although colocasia is a starchy vegetable, it contains two types of carbohydrates that are beneficial for blood sugar management: fiber and resistant starch- which help lower cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease. Colocasia contains fiber and resistant starch, which both slow digestion and reduce blood sugar spikes after meals. The fiber and resistant starch in taro root are fermented by gut bacteria to form short-chain fatty acids, which may protect against colon cancer and inflammatory bowel disease.
Nutritional Facts
Colocasia has good amounts of various nutrients, such as fiber, potassium, magnesium and vitamins C and E.It also contains good levels of some of the valuable B-complex group of vitamins such as pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), folates, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, and thiamine. It contains 73 % of moisture.
| Nutrients | Amount per 100 g |
| Energy | 88.91 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 17.85 g |
| Protein | 3.31 g |
| Fat | 0.17 g |
| Phosphorous | 81.16 mg |
| Fiber | 3.22 g |
| Calcium | 30.18 mg |
| Omega-3 fats | 8.4 mg |
| Sodium | 4.54 mg |
| Potassium | 514 mg |
| Folate (vitamin B9) | 19.91 mcg |
| Vitamin C | 1.83 mg |
| Beta carotene | 6.5 mcg |
| Vitamin A | 1.08 mcg |
| Magnesium | 36.93 mg |
| Lutein | 5.87 mcg |
Colocasia contains polyphenols and antioxidants that may combat cancer growth and protect your body from oxidative stress. Further, these provide healthy amounts of some of the essential minerals like zinc, magnesium, copper, iron and manganese. Besides, the root has good amounts of potassium. Potassium is an essential component of cell and body fluids that help regulate heart rate and blood pressure. Fiber is a carbohydrate that humans can’t digest. Since it’s not absorbed, it has no impact on blood sugar levels.