Tapioca: Its Surprising Health Benefits and Uses Explored
By Dr Rajeev Singh +2 more
Medically reviewed by Dr Rajeev Singh
Last updated: Jun 28, 2024Click to rate this article!
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By Dr Rajeev Singh +2 more
Medically reviewed by Dr Rajeev Singh
Last updated: Jun 28, 2024Table of Contents
Tapioca is a starchy food made from cassava plant. It’s flexible and used in many ways, both in the kitchen and outside it. In this article, we will delve into the world of tapioca. We’ll explore its roots, uses, nutritional value, potential health benefits, and side effects. Lastly, we will answer some frequently asked questions regarding this topic.
Tapioca has a rich past. It hails from South America. The key root, cassava, played a big role in many cultures there, especially Brazil. Over time, tapioca found its way to other parts of the globe. In Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean, it’s the main food.
First the cassava root is peeled and grated. The grated goods then sit in water. To split the starchy bit from the rest. The result is tapioca flour once you drain the water and dry it in the sun.
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In the old methods, workers wash, peel, and grate cassava roots. They then mix this with water, straining through the fabric to remove fibrous bits. The wet starch left behind dries in the sun, making tapioca.
Modern ways of making tapioca boosts efficiency. They decrease work, increasing output. Nowadays, machines peel, grate, and extract starch from cassava. To speed up drying, they use heated-air dryers.
Tapioca is a real kitchen superstar. It’s a great thickener, a key player in bubble tea, and a handy gluten-free baking alternative.
Using tapioca to thicken soups and sauces works well. It doesn’t change the flavor and gives a smooth texture. Additionally, it stays the same when frozen or heated again.
Even bubble tea uses tapioca pearls or “boba”. They add a fun, chewy texture to the sweet drink.
People keen to avoid gluten consume tapioca flour. It’s great for baking. It boosts texture and moisture content in cakes and bread. Plus, you can mix it with other flours to boost their goodness.
Tapioca’s usefulness doesn’t end in the kitchen. It’s also used in industries and textile factories.
Tapioca works well in industries. Its unique benefits make it fit for making glue, paper, and even items that break down naturally like certain plastics.
In the textile sector, tapioca serves as a sizing agent. It strengthens fibers and shields them during weaving, resulting in high-end fabrics.
Tapioca isn’t packed with nutrients, but it does provide some. It also gives a useful comparison point with other starchy food items.
The top nutrient in tapioca is carbohydrates. It’s light on protein, fat, and fiber. In raw terms, one cup of dry tapioca gives around 544 calories and 135 grams of carbohydrates.
The micronutrients in tapioca are limited. But, one cup gives us 30.4mg of calcium and 2.4mg of iron, playing a part in meeting daily nutrient needs.
When you put tapioca up against other starchy foods like corn or wheat, it comes off poorer. It lacks important nutrients like protein. Still, if you want to avoid gluten, tapioca is an option.
Even though the nutrition part isn’t impressive, tapioca still provides some potential health benefits.
No gluten, nuts, and grain-tag make tapioca safe for those with celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, or nut allergies. Perfect for baking without gluten or thickening dishes.
It’s really easy on the gut. If you have IBS or diverticulitis, it could be suggested as an energy source.
If you feel the need to pack on pounds in a hurry, tapioca can help. A cup churns out 544 calories and 135 grams of carbohydrates. Serving dishes with tapioca may support healthy weight gain and help maintain fat and cholesterol in check.
With lots of carbohydrates, tapioca is a great power source. That’s especially handy for athletes or anybody doing high-intensity activities.
The “resistant starch” in tapioca adds a bonus to its potential health benefits. It also competes well with other sources of resistant starch.
The resistant starch feeds good gut bacteria, which reduces inflammation and fights bad bacteria. It might also reduce blood sugar after meals, boost how you handle glucose and insulin, and make you feel full.
There are a few potential downsides to eating tapioca. These include risking poisoning from poorly processed cassava goods and having allergic reactions to cassava. That said, most store-bought tapioca in the US meets safety measures.
Raw cassava carries a toxic chemical, linamarin. It can turn into cyanide in the body, which can cause poisoning. Dangers from poorly processed cassava range from death to paralysis and other diseases. Safety rules ensure that tapioca sold in the US is safe.
An allergic reaction to cassava may happen, but it’s rare. People with latex allergies are most at risk due to cross-reactivity. It means the body confuses things in cassava for latex allergens, triggering an allergic response.
In poorer countries, tapioca is often a cheap, lifesaving food source. , Therefore, it’s crucial to boost the nutritional profile of tapioca products. So, below we have discussed various fortifying options.
Mixing nutrient-rich options like soybean flour with tapioca boosts its nutritional value. This increases the potential health benefits of tapioca.
Government policies play a big part in improving the nutrition of tapioca products. That’s crucial for communities hugely dependent on cassava and tapioca for food. Better nutrition from tapioca may help fight malnutrition and linked health problems in these groups.
There are many ways to use tapioca, whether pearls or flour which are as follows.
Tapioca flour has useful effects on soup and sauce textures. It also increases the moisture in baked food.
In gluten-free baking, tapioca flour is a star. It blends well with other flours and gives a nice texture to cakes, cookies, and breads.
Because it doesn’t change the flavour and has a strong thickening power, tapioca flour is a popular choice for soups and sauces.
Tapioca pearls are a hit for making bubble tea and sweet puddings or desserts.
To create bubble tea, blend boiled tapioca pearls with flavoured tea, milk, and ice cubes. But keep an eye on sugar levels, bubble tea can carry a lot.
Cooking tapioca pearls to make a pudding or dessert is simple. After they’ve simmered, just add flavours you prefer like fruity, spicy, dairy, or sweet.
Tapioca offers endless possibilities, in and out of the kitchen. Though not full of nutrients, it’s useful for those who need a gentle food or have dietary restrictions. Knowing its roots, uses, and health pros and cons opens up new possibilities.
While not a superfood, tapioca does carry unique health benefits. It’s allergen-free, easy to digest, and helpful for those with dietary needs. It can also be useful for gaining weight and as a source of energy.
In the US, it is usually called as tapioca. It is available as flour, flakes, or pearls.
Tapioca is from the cassava root. With a mild flavour, people use it as a thickener or in different dishes for its texture.
Tapioca pearls are key in bubble tea. They add a fun, chewy feeling to the sweet drink.
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