Tiger nuts: This silly-named superfood was used by humans over a million years ago

Monday, March 14, 2016 by: L.J. Devon, Staff Writer
Tags: superfoods, tiger nuts, breast milk

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(NaturalNews) Hunters and gatherers who roamed the Earth over 1.4 million years ago were instinctively attracted to a special superfood called tiger nuts. Erase the first thoughts that come to mind, because tiger nuts don't come from large, striped cats. Tiger nuts are a legume found at the base of cyperus esculentus grasses. A recent Oxford University study concludes that the ancient "Nutcracker Man's" diet was comprised of 80 percent tiger nuts.

According to the book, Domestication of Plants in the Old World, civilizations as early as the ancient Egyptians (6,000 B.C.) relied on tiger nut crops to sustain the population. Remarkably, these bite-size tubers have a nutrition profile similar to human breast milk, and this may explain why man is instinctively attracted to them. The carbohydrate, fat and protein ratio of tiger nuts mimics that of human breast milk, perhaps helping the body's genetics recall a sensation of nurturing.

Tiger nuts contain rare prebiotic fiber to empower the human microbiome

Tiger nuts are comprised of 9 percent fiber, which comes as a rare form of prebiotic fiber, helping feed the trillions of good microbes in the gut. This prebiotic fiber enhances the human microbiome, allowing the body to heal itself more effectively, starting in the gut. Paleo diets that follow a strict protocol for healing autoimmune disorders, favor tiger nuts because of their prebiotic qualities. Tiger nuts can empower the body to heal from conditions that seem irreversible, like psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.

Tiger nuts are also a decent source of protein, providing 5 grams per ounce. They are more nutritious than beef in 10 out of 18 micro-nutrient categories. They also have a similar fatty acid composition to olive oil. They are 75 percent oleic and 10 percent linoleic acid. Comprised of 30 percent starch, 14.5 percent sugar and 24.5 percent fat, tiger nuts are a great source of all-round sustenance and energy.

Tiger nuts contain resistant starch which provides energy to every healthy cell

The starch in tiger nuts is called resistant starch. Its resiliency in the body serves a valuable purpose in the gut, bypassing the small intestine and stopping in the large intestine, where it is broken down slowly by beneficial microbes. The end result is a product called butyrate which is used as fuel for healthy human cells. Other foods that contain resistant starch include lentils, rolled oats and slightly green bananas. All these foods ultimately deliver sustainable energy to every healthy cell in the body by working with the microbes in the intestines.

Having this sustainable energy delivers a signal to the brain that the body is full. People who eat tiger nuts are going to stay full for longer, and not crave all kinds of junk food. On top of that, their sleep cycle and digestive system are going to greatly improve.

The USDA estimates that Americans eat only 20 grams of fiber a day, leading to persistent appetite for more food. Ancient hunter-gatherer societies consumed an average of 50–100 grams of fiber, allowing them to sustain energy longer and be more resilient to pathogens in their environment.

When looking at food labels, fiber comes in many forms. There's insoluble fiber which is a bulking agent that doesn't get digested; there is soluble fiber which breaks down readily; and then there's resistant fiber which breaks down slowly in the intestines, releasing intelligent byproducts the body needs to sustain itself. This slow breaking-down process helps diabetics manage their glycemic response.

Additionally, tiger nuts contain potassium, phosphorous, and vitamins C and E. They also include amino acids such as arginine, glutamic and aspartic. To help the body break down the nutritional components within the legume, tiger nuts also includes enzymes such as catalase, lipase and amylase.

There's no doubt that the future of feeding the world will have to include whole foods with excellent nutritional profiles such as tiger nuts.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

Science.NaturalNews.com