Cassava and coconut, sometimes referred to as tapioca and coconut, is often a handy snack for some persons.
In Nigeria, it is easy to find some women who sell this snack, as you return home after work.
This cassava and coconut combination often comes tied up in a small nylon.
People from the eastern part of Nigeria snack on this combo often.
If you have seen it and wonder why people eat it, this article will help you understand better.
Cassava
Cassava is a root vegetable that is widely consumed in many countries around the globe.
It comes in different species.
It provides many important nutrients, including vitamin C and resistant starch, that offers you amazing health benefits.
Although, cassava is native to South America, Nigeria and some other countries are major producers.
Nutritional Fact Of Cassava
Basically, consuming 100 grams of cassava offers you the under listed nutrients.
- Calories: 191
- Protein: 1.5 grams
- Fat: 3 grams
- Carbs: 40 grams
- Fiber: 2 grams
- Vitamin C: 20% of the Daily Value (DV)
- Copper: 12% of the DV
- Thiamine: 7% of the DV
- Folate: 6% of the DV
- Vitamin B6: 6% of the DV
- Potassium: 6% of the DV
- Magnesium: 5% of the DV
- Niacin: 5% of the DV
While this tuber offers you some vital nutrients, we often recommend that you consume it in moderation just like other foods that are high in calories.
Foods that are high in calories could make you gain weight overtime.
This happens when you burn less calories than you consume.
Why Coconut?
On the other hand, coconut, which is added to the combination brings it own nutrients.
It is the fruit of the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera).
Most people drink the water in it as a source of fluid. Others make milk out of it or even eat the meat.
Truly, there is a reason people who invented this cassava and coconut combination did so.
Before we look at the reason they have to go together, let us give you the nutritional fact of coconut.
If you eat 100 grams of coconut meat, you will get:
Calories 354
Protein 3 grams
Carbs 15 grams
Fiber 9 grams
Fat 33 grams
Manganese 75% of the Daily Value (DV)
Copper 22% of the DV
Selenium 14% of the DV
Magnesium 8% of the DV
Phosphorus 11% of the DV
Iron 13% of the DV
Potassium 10% of the DV
That said, the popular cassava and coconut snack (Akpu Mmiri as it is popularly refferred to) has so much health benefits that you should not ignore.
1. Good Source Of Resistant Starch
Cassava is high in resistant starch. This is a kind of starch that bypasses digestion and has properties similar to those of soluble fiber.
A study says that eating foods high in resistant starch could add great benefits to your health markers. (1).
In your gut, resistant starch feeds beneficial bacteria. This lowers inflammation.
Also, this form of starch improves metabolic health and reduces the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
A study highlights that the resistant starch further helps in improving blood sugar management.
It also makes you stay full and lower cravings for food (2).
However, a study in Nigeria found that processed cassava products like tapioca, garri and abacha had reduced resistant starch content (3).
2. Contains High Calories
Calories is good but you need to understand how much calories you need per day and how much you are likely to use each day.
This could guide you on how much of this Cassava and coconut you need to consume.
Remember that our nutritional fact showed that cassava contains 191 calories per 100 grams serving.
This is high. As a result, you should not eat this combination as a meal.
Most people eat it as snack.
If you are sure you will not be needing to eat other things after consuming this snack, it could be a good source of calories for you for the day.
3. Great Source Of Vitamin C
Also, cassava is a good source of vitamin C.
Again, 100 grams of cassava contains 20% of your daily value of vitamin C.
This makes it amazing as an immune booster.
Also, it protests your body against oxidative stress. So eating this cassava and coconut combination supports the function of your immune system in your body (4).
On your skin, vitamin C protects against damage by stimulating the production of collagen.
This is a type of protein found through your body in your skin, muscles, joints and bones (5).
Health Benefits Of Coconut
On the other hand, adding coconut to this combination appears to be a well-thought-out inclusion.
This is because of the health benefits that coconut offers you.
1. High In Nutrients
First, you will notice from the nutritional fact of coconut which we shared earlier that in 100 grams of coconut, you will get 75% of manganese.
Other nutrients that it offers your body in small amounts are B vitamins and protein.
Also, coconuts are rich in copper and iron, which aid the formation of red blood cells. It also contains selenium, an vital antioxidant that protects your cells.
2. Aids Metabolism Of Carbohydrates
You see, the carbohydrate in cassava is high, and that constitutes most of the calories count.
But adding coconut to it would makes the metabolism of carbohydrate amazing.
A study says manganese in coconuts are essential for bone health and the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and cholesterol (6).
3. Boosts Heart Health
Often people who use coconut oil, have some form of inferred benefits for their heart.
According to a 2016 study, people who consume virgin coconut oil, extracted from dried coconut meat, may notice a reduced belly fat.
The researchers said this beneficial since excess belly fat increases your risk of heart disease and diabetes (7).
Another study found that the waist size of male participants decreased by an average of about 1 inch after taking 30 ml of virgin coconut oil daily for 4 weeks.
However, female participants did not experience a significant reduction (8).
4. May Help Control Blood Sugar Level
One of the very good things about coconut is that it is low in carbs and high in fiber.
It also contains fat. These compounds make coconut a good food that stabilises your blood sugar.
Also, coconut contains a compound – arginine – which is an amino acid that is important for the functioning of pancreatic cells.
The pancreas releases the hormone insulin that regulates your blood sugar levels.
According to a study, this makes coconut a great food for lowering the risk of diabetes (9).
As a result, while the cassava may raise blood sugar because of the high carbohydrate content, the coconut provides a blood lowering effect. This balances things out.
The fibre in coconut can also help slow digestion, thereby improving insulin resistance, a process that regulates blood sugar levels.
5. Coconut Is Rich In Antioxidants
Coconut that is in this combination provides phenolic compounds, which are antioxidants.
they may help protect cells from oxidative damage.
Some of the phenolic compounds in coconut are gallic, acid, caffeic, acid, salicylic, acid and p-coumaric acid (10).
While resistant starch in cassava feeds the good bacteria in your gut, the antioxidants further helps scavenge free radicals in your body, reducing the risk of cancer, especially colon cancer.
Also, the polyphenols in coconut helps prevent the oxidation of bad cholesterol (LDL).
Interestingly, this lowers the chance of this fat sneaking into your arteries to form plaques that increase the risk of heart disease (11).
Side Effect Of Eating Cassava And Coconut
Indeed cassava and coconut are an amazing combination.
But eating this too much could increase the amount of calories you get from the cassava and if you are not active, over time your weight will increase.
Weight gain has been linked to heart disease, diabetes and other chronic diseases.
Also, excessive consumption of coconut could also increase the bad cholesterol level.
A study says it contains both good and bad cholesterol.
According to the study on 1,837 Filipino women, those who ate more coconut oil not only had higher levels of HDL (good) cholesterol, but also higher levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides (12).
Moderation is necessary when you consume this snack that is often feeling.
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