Here’s a fun fact from the American Gut Project. Regardless of a person’s prescribed diet (vegan, vegetarian, paleo, etc.), those who eat 30 or more different plants per week have a more diverse microbiome than those who eat 10 or fewer plants per week. And, there’s a positive correlation between the diversity of our gut microbiome and our health (Su et al., 2021). In our mission to help everyone achieve optimal health, we occasionally spotlight unfamiliar plant foods to help you diversify the types of plants you normally eat. In this edition of Ingredient Spotlight, we talk tiger nuts. Also known as chufa, nutsedge or earth almonds, tiger nuts are a versatile ingredient. It boasts a variety of nutrients and is linked to several health benefits. However, we recommend eating them because they are delicious.
These wrinkled chickpea-sized nuggets are the tubers of yellow nutsedge grass. They’ve been a part of the human diet dating back to Neolithic Egypt. Still, they’re relatively new to the American diet and haven’t been formally studied in humans. Tiger nuts may be eaten raw, cooked, whole or ground into flour. In flour form, they are a good sub for almond flour in most recipes. They add a sweet, nutty flavor and can also be used to make grain-free tortillas.
The nutrients in tiger nuts
Some notable nutrients in tiger nuts include phosphorus, vitamin C, magnesium, zinc and potassium. But it’s their high fiber and antioxidant content that sets them apart.
Fiber is a form of non-digestible carbohydrate. While the term non-digestible may sound undesirable, certain fibers are beneficial to our digestive health. The two types in tiger nuts are insoluble fiber and resistant starch. They help keep the gut healthy by aiding with waste elimination and feeding the beneficial gut bacteria. The result is an increase in the diversity of our gut microbiome and health. In fact, tiger nuts have such a high fiber content that it’s best not to overeat them initially because they can cause bloating and gas.
Tiger nuts contain antioxidants that help our bodies defend against aging and disease. There’s also evidence that they may help the body build a more robust immune response against infection (Seukep et al., 2013).
Emerging health benefits of tiger nuts
Although additional human studies are needed, initial animal and test tubes studies indicate tiger nuts may help reduce blood sugar levels. One animal study revealed their high fiber content might help slow the absorption of sugar in the digestive tract (Ekeanyanwu et al., 2010). And another test tube study supports this finding (Sabiu et al., 2017). It also indicates tiger nut extract could work to inhibit the action of carb-digesting enzymes in the gut. Overall, its effect on these two mechanisms improves blood sugar levels.
Another emerging benefit of tiger nuts is that they may help improve your heart’s health. They contain primarily monounsaturated fats and have a similar fat profile to olive oil. Monounsaturated fats aid in blood circulation and are associated with a lower risk of heart attack and death from heart disease.
The antinutrients and how to reduce them
The one downside is that tiger nuts contain various antinutrients that prevent nutrient absorption within our bodies. Like presoaking beans and lentils, which also have antinutrients, germinating or roasting tiger nuts can reduce these compounds (Chukwuma et al., 2010).
How to add tiger nuts to your diet
Tiger nut flour may be the most versatile, fiber-rich ingredient in our pantry. We frequently swap out almond flour in recipes to make nut-free treats for school while also adding fiber to foods containing very little. Also, adding some into pancake batter, smoothies or scones means breakfast can include vegetables without the prep work of vegetables.
In Spain, the main ingredient for a popular plant-based milk called horchata de chufa is tiger nuts. Once made into milk, you can also turn it into yogurt and ice cream.
