A Nutritionist, Dr Grace Johnson, has advised Nigerians to consume tiger nuts for its numerous nutritional and health benefits, describing it as “an amazing food for anyone”.
Johnson gave the advice in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday.
She said that the nut helps in curing stomach upset and irritable bowel among other digestive issues.
“It has been used in folk medicine as a remedy for many ailments, including flatulence and diarrhoea.
“The methanol extract of tiger nuts has a very positive effect on reproductive hormones, sperm motility, and sperm count.
“Tiger nut increases fertility parameters in females, rich in zinc and helps the body to produce testosterone.
According to Johnson, health benefits contained in tiger nut include a high content of soluble glucose and oleic acid, along with high energy content.
“The high non-soluble fiber contents of the tiger nut helps the diabetics to regulate their sugar levels in the blood.
“The tiger nut milk is a perfect substitute of animal milk because it’s very easy to make your own milk using the nuts with cooking equipment that can be found in every kitchen.
“Tiger nut oil is used in the cosmetic industry as an anti-oxidant and it helps slow down the ageing of the body cells.
“It favours the elasticity of the skin and reduces skin wrinkles,” she explained.
She further explained that tiger nut gives the body more potassium than banana, saying that consumption of 25 tiger nuts gives the body 139 milligrammes of potassium.
“Being the same level as a potato or an avocado and exceeding the potassium levels of a banana.
“This mineral helps the cells and organs to work correctly.
“It also regulates the muscle contractions, which helps your digestion.
“Tiger nut is good to consume when trying to lose weight because of its extremely high in fiber.
“The insoluble fiber in them helps regulate blood sugar levels and that makes the body properly metabolise calories and fats, and it helps stave off cravings too,” she said.
She stressed the need for people contending with digestive issues to consume less tiger nuts because they might experience some gas, bloating, cramping, or diarrhoea.
