Bamboo: A New Super Food!

Bamboo tends to be far more of a restaurant title than a main ingredient – think Bamboo Garden with a lunchtime buffet as opposed to a heart-healthy ingredient for your home-cooked dinner. But bamboo, long a diet staple as well as a cure for what ails you in Asian countries, could quickly be an essential ingredient in the fight against cancer and heart disease in the United States.

Already, we know that bamboo charcoal and bamboo vinegar are purifying agents which can keep us healthy regardless of whether it’s with their antibacterial properties or as a source of Far Infrared Rays that may be absorbed by the human body to help improve circulation. (Much of this might be attributed to the presence of phenols which give bamboo its antioxidant, antibacterial and antiviral properties, the study found.)

But now researchers have found that bamboo contains antioxidants, a critical buzzword for the fight against cancer. A write-up published in Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety pointed out that bamboo shoots “contain anti-carcinogenic agents,” and that “bamboo-derived pyrolysates have been proposed to have antimicrobial and antifungal activities and to protect neurons from oxidative stress.”

For those searching for a healthier diet plan, there is more excellent news about the health rewards of bamboo shoots. The study, led by Nirmala Chongtham, a botany professor at Panjap University, found the study suggests that they [bamboo shoots] possess health benefits “from cancer prevention and weight reduction to lowering cholesterol levels.”

Young bamboo shoots “are wealthy in nutrient components, primarily proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, and fibre and are low in fat and sugar.” Whilst some may take multi-vitamins every day, one could easily pop some bamboo shoots as they are an excellent source of thiamine, niacin, vitamins A, B6, and E, potassium, calcium, manganese, zinc, copper, iron, and chromium, and contain 17 various amino acids, eight of which are necessary for human health.

And if you attempting to combat a lifetime of greasy food or just eat a healthier diet, throw some bamboo shoots into a salad to make the most of the phytosterols, phytonutrients which are similar to cholesterol yet have been shown to inhibit the absorption of cholesterol in the intestinal tract and aid in lowering “bad” LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol.

Some smaller markets in the States carry bamboo fiber which can simply be added to baked goods, sauces, cereals and other foods within your pantry.

So not only can you make your diet plan more eco-friendly by including a sustainable ingredient like bamboo, but you may make it healthier too!

Douglas Michaels Jr. writes educational articles for Green Earth News, the authority on everything Bamboo. Read the full article on Bamboo Recipes. Check out Green Earth Bamboo for bamboo sheets, bath towels, duvet covers, clothing and baby products, all made from the world’s most sustainable and renewable resource on the planet.