If you have grown up eating home-cooked food, you must be quite familiar with Taro root. A staple root vegetable in most households, Taro root in Hindi is known as “Arbi”. It is also called “Chamagadda/Chamadumpa” in Telugu, “Chepankizhangu” in Tamil, “Chembu” in Malayalam, and “Kochu” in Bangla. Taro root is widely cultivated in India but is said to have its origins in Malaysia. It is known for its nutty flavour and mildly sweet taste. Packed with carbohydrates, folate, iron, vitamins and minerals, Arbi vegetable is one of nature’s best gifts to mankind. Let’s take a closer look into the many taro root benefits to our health.
What Is Taro Root?
Taro root is the tuber stalk of the Taro plant, which has long, wide leaves. Also called “Elephant Ears”, these taro leaves are also quite edible and nutritious, with benefits for your health. Taro Scientific name is “Colocasia esculenta”. The tubers are believed to be poisonous in raw form due to the high amounts of oxalates. Indian Taro is a starchy root vegetable, which has brown outer skin and white pulp inside. It resembles a potato in taste and texture after cooking.
Is Taro Root Good for Health?
Taro is one of the healthiest foods available in the market. It is known to be gut-friendly due to the high amounts of dietary fibre. Taro also has a low GI and is recommended by doctors for diabetic patients. It is rich in iron and folate, which helps in preventing anaemia and energy loss. Taro root is also known to prevent many types of deadly Cancers.
Arbi Nutrition Facts:
Check out the nutritional value of Taro root in cooked form, per 132 gms of serving size:
- Total Calories: 187
- Dietary Fiber: 6.7 gm
- Vitamin E: 19 % of the DV
- Potassium: 18 % of the DV
- Copper: 13 % of the DV
- Vitamin C: 11 % of the DV
- Phosphorus: 10 % of the DV
- Magnesium: 10 % of the DV
How To Eat Taro Root?
Taro root should always be used after proper cooking. It is either boiled, roasted or steam cooked. Cooking taro is a time taking process. It is usually pressure-cooked to save time and effort. Taro is also used in making chips, where it is parboiled and fried in hot oil for crispiness.
Taro Root (Arbi) Benefits and Side Effects:
Surprising Taro Root Benefits for Health, Hair and Skin:
Here we enlisted 16 best taro root benefits for skin, hair and health. Let’s have a look at them.
1. Great Energy Food:
Arbi benefits in giving you good energy. There are enzymes in Taro vegetable that helps in giving long-lasting energy to the body, and this makes it perfect for athletes too. The low glycaemic index in the vegetable ensures that the body stays away from fatigue. It is one of the top-notch taro benefits.
Read: Best Koovapodi Benefits and Side Effects
2. Aids In Better Digestion:
There are high levels of fibre in taro vegetable that makes it perfect for the regulation of the bowels and for aiding in digestion. The entire process starts working well with a small portion of this vegetable each day. By adding bulk to the stools, Taro root also cleanses your stomach to prevent constipation.
3. Promotes Weight Loss:
One of the best Arbi vegetable benefits is its promotion of weight loss. It helps you feel full for longer periods of time, which controls the hunger pangs and consumption of extra calories throughout the day. This manages the weight and ensures low calories in the body that taro is known for.
4. Lowers Blood Pressure:
Low-sodium foods are perfect for those who suffer from hypertension, also known as high blood pressure. Taro vegetable is surely low in this mineral, which makes it perfect for high blood pressure patients. It gives you a minimal amount of sodium, which is important to keep the kidney clean and flush out water retention.
5. Cleansing Stomach:
To eliminate the waste from the stomach, you will need high-fibre foods, and taro vegetable is an ideal choice to make. Along with this, eating taro will prevent such situations late on in life where you might be having stool retention. It refreshes the system completely.
6. Prevents Cancer:
The polyphenols in taro roots are what help you here. It is a powerful antioxidant that belongs to the category of vitamin A and helps in the prevention of cancer. Taro vegetable has about 160 % of the total requirement the body has for vitamin A. This is one of the key Taro health benefits.
Read: Carrot Health Benefits
7. Strengthens Bones and Teeth:
The magnesium and vitamin E content in taro toot is perfect for maintaining bone strength. Along with this, it helps in restoring your oral health by keeping your teeth strong and healthy. Regular consumption of Taro root can strengthen your skeletal system and lower your risk of fractures.
8. Culinary Benefits:
The roots and the leaves of the taro vegetable are known to have some great and strong flavours. The nutty flavour of these parts helps in cooking a lot of dishes and enhancing the taste. Curries, chips and pureed taro can be made as well as these can be used for making cakes.
9. Rich Source Of Amino Acids:
There are 17 different types of amino acids present in taro root. Along with this, omega 3 fatty acids and omega 6 fatty acids are also present for overall well-being. It also helps in the prevention of cancer, restoring cardiovascular health as well as prevention and treatment of a lot of other diseases. It is another good reason why you should eat taro.
10. Controls Blood Sugar Levels:
One of the key benefits of eating Taro root is its diabetic-friendly properties. Taro root is known to be highly beneficial for Type-2 diabetic patients. It can help in maintaining blood sugar levels, with its fibre-rich pulp. Taro root satiates hunger levels with low calories and can also control insulin production in the system.
11. Improved Heart Health:
People suffering from cardiovascular disorders are advised to have Taro root regularly. It is one of the healthiest ways to incorporate all the vital nutrients in the body. This potassium-rich vegetable does plenty of good to your heart by unclogging the arterial walls and lowering cholesterol levels in the body.
12. Prevents Aging:
Taro root is rich in antioxidants which can reduce oxidative stress on the cells, caused due to free radicals. By encouraging new cell growth, Taro root promotes younger and fresher-looking skin. It helps in delaying the signs of ageing like blemishes, dark spots, wrinkles and fine lines.
Read: Daily Eating Beetroot Benefits
13. Improves Vision:
Taro root can strengthen the optic nerves with powerful anti-oxidants like beta-carotene and cryptoxanthin. This results in improved vision and reduced risks of macular degeneration. Taro root is also known to prevent cataracts and other eye disorders. Eat a healthy portion of Taro root to enjoy good health.
14. Boosts Immunity:
Taro root is a great immunity booster. It is loaded with many anti-oxidants like Beta-Carotene, which have the potency to fight infection-causing microbes. Taro root can also prevent many common colds and coughs to help you stay away from antibiotics and other medications.
15. Improves Blood Circulation:
Iron and Copper present in Taro root are the two essential components required for proper blood circulation in the body. They help in increasing the RBC count, which is required for oxygenating vital organs. By reducing the chances of an anaemic, Taro root also helps you deal with fatigue, lack of concentration and headaches.
16. Thickens Hair:
Taro root is loaded with Folate and iron, which are essential for the strength of your hair follicles. It helps in adding volume to your hair by encouraging new hair sprouts. Copper present in the root can also prevent greying of hair and make it shiny and black. It is also believed to reduce the breakages of hair.
Taro Root Side Effects:
Listed below are some of the common arbi root side effects:
- Taro roots contain oxalates which, when coming in contact with bare skin, can cause allergic reactions.
- Uncooked taro root can cause a burning and itching sensation in the mouth and throat.
- It is known to form kidney and gallstones in certain cases.
- Taro root may also aggravate Gout problems.
Read: Radish Health Benefits
Now that you have seen the wonderful taro root benefits, it’s time to take it seriously! Taro root, when cooked to perfection, not only makes for a great satisfying meal but also helps in promoting better well-being. It must be made a part of your balanced diet to incorporate all the vitamins and minerals needed by your body. However, we do not advise deep-fried chips, as they can lead to bad cholesterol.
