- What taro actually is
- The important nutritional content of taro
- The characteristics of taro
- Health benefits of taro
- The medicinal properties of taro plant
- The harms and side effects
- Tips for buying taro
- The methods of taro preparation
- How to store or preserve taro
- The relationship between taro and diabetes
- Benefits and how to use taro for pregnant women
- How to use taro leaves for skin and hair
- How to make taro flour at home
- How to grow taro at home
- Benefits of eating taro
- Benefit of taro leaves
Taro | What Is It?
Taro is known by several names such as edible taro, elephant ears, agricultural taro, kalo, eddo, dasheen, or dalo, and its scientific name is Colocasia esculenta. Taro is a thick root plant that has been around for thousands of years, and it is believed that it originated in the regions of Asia and India in particular, and is currently considered one of the food items known worldwide. Taro is found in abundance in many parts of Africa, Asia, Europe, the United States of America, Fiji, and different parts of the world, etc.
Taro roots are used in many dishes due to their delicious taste and starchy texture, as well as being a healthy alternative to root vegetables such as potatoes. Taro is a herbal plant that is known for the thickness of its underground stem, and its simple and broad leaves as taro leaves and veins can be eaten like spinach and other vegetables. The leaves of taro can also be used to wrap baked foods. Taro tubers can be fried like potatoes, and they can also be dried to prepare flour from them, and in addition to cooking the stems in order to make it safe for eating.
What Are The Characteristics Of Taro?
Taro has many characteristics which include the following:
- Taro has a large stem and tubers.
- Taro has large round leaves with veins on them.
- Taro is a starchy healthy food.
- Taro tubers grow underground and are spherical in shape.
- Taro is used as a food and is tasty.
- Both the tubers and leaves of taro can be used as food.
- Taro is mainly grown in tropical regions.
- Taro is white in color when cut open and has some juicy substances.
- Taro can be planted with the tubers.
- Taro contains many health benefits for the human body.
- Raw taro can be poisonous to eat.
- Taro leaves are among perishable vegetables.
Can Taro Be Eaten Raw?
The answer is capital NO. Raw taro contains oxalate compounds which may cause swelling and irritation in the skin, eyes, lips, mouth, and throat. So cooking it is the only way to reduce the effect of these toxins because taro retains its toxicity until it is being cooked in saltwater for an hour at least, or by drying it properly, or soaking it in water overnight or for days. The same applies to the leaves, as they must be cooked to get rid of the calcium oxalate compounds in them before eating.
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Taro - What Are The Benefits, Harms, And Methods Of Preparation?
Have you heard about or eaten taro before, do you want to know more about it, its benefits, harms, and ways to prepare it? If you answered yes, then you should continue reading for full details.
What Are The Important Nutritional Content Of Taro?
Taro is rich in the following nutrients:
- Dietary fiber in high proportions.
- Healthy minerals such as magnesium, iron, zinc, phosphorous, potassium, manganese, and copper.
- Vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine), and folic acid.
Health Benefits Of Taro | What Are The Benefits Of Eating Taro?
The health benefits of taro are many and amazing, here are the most important ones:
- Promotes heart health: Taro is high in potassium, which is an important mineral for a healthy heart and circulatory system, and to protect against or keep blood diseases under control. Potassium helps regulate the spread of different fluids and their pressure in the body within and between cells and prevent fluid retention, thus regulating blood pressure and relaxing the walls of blood vessels.
- Contributes to the prevention of the risk of cancer: Taro may play an important role in preventing the risk of various cancers. This is due to the antioxidant activity and the high levels of vitamin A and vitamin C in it. Taro also contains substances that help strengthen the immune system, strengthen the body's defenses, and fight any harmful outputs of metabolism that may cause cancer.
- Improves eye health: Taro is one of the foods rich in antioxidants, and beta-carotene and these substances combined together help improve eyesight and vision in general. Antioxidants help fight free radicals that may cause some eye diseases caused by aging.
- Prevents diabetes: Taro's high fiber content helps lower the chances of developing diabetes because dietary fiber regulates the frequency of insulin and glucose release in the body. If a person has diabetes, eating foods rich in fiber, such as taro, helps prevent dangerous spikes in blood sugar.
- Supports blood circulation: The high content of various minerals in taro, especially copper and iron, helps make taro a good food in preventing anemia while promoting and strengthening blood circulation. Copper and iron contained in taro are essential for the production of red blood cells that carry oxygen and transport it throughout the body effectively.
- Boosts body immunity: One of the most important benefits of taro is its role in enhancing and strengthening the body’s immunity, especially with its high levels of vitamin C.
- Improves digestive health: Taro contains a large amount of fiber and starch, which are substances that travel with the digested food to the colon, and there it becomes the ideal food for the beneficial bacteria in the intestines to assist in its growth and development. It has been found that eating foods rich in fiber helps to fight many diseases of the digestive system, such as colitis and colon cancer.
- Contributes to reducing excess weight: Because of its high content of dietary fiber, eating taro helps to lose excess weight, and reduce body fat percentages, especially as a person feels full for long periods after eating it.
- Protect the nervous system: Taro leaves contain vitamin B6, thiamine, niacin, and riboflavin which are all known to protect the nervous system. All of these nutrients help in the proper development of the brain and the strengthening of the nervous system.
- Reduce inflammation: Taro leaves contain many organic chemical compounds such as phenols, flavonoids, glycosides, and sterols that have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties that help reduce chronic inflammation in the body.
How To Prepare Taro | Ideas, And Recipes
Taro is best eaten cooked as eating it raw can be toxic due to its high calcium oxalate content which can be reduced by soaking the taro overnight or by cooking it with baking soda. There are several ways to prepare taro and benefit from it in different ways, including the following:
- Taro porridge: Where the taro is boiled well, then mashed and added spices and salt to it as desired.
- Taro with meat and chard: Where taro is cooked with meat and chard, then flavorings are added.
- Taro chips slices: Where the taro is cut into thin slices, then placed on a baking tray and inserted into the oven.
- Taro stews and soups: Taro is cut into small pieces and added to soup or vegetable stew.
- Bread stuffed with taro: The baked dough is stuffed with taro mash, and then placed in the oven to bake well.
It is preferable to soak the taro in water overnight before cooking it to get rid of the high levels of toxic substances in it, as mentioned previously.
Side Effects Of Taro | Cautions, And Risks
Despite the many and important benefits of taro, you should be aware of some warnings and potential risks associated with eating it. Some of the side effects that may occur as a result of the use of taro include:
- Direct contact of the taro root peels with the skin can cause irritation and may result in rashes knowing that the taro peels contain calcium oxalate.
- To avoid the irritation and rashes to the skin caused by taro, it is recommended to wear hand gloves and wash the taro seeds well with running water.
- Taro causes heartburn in the mouth and stomach if eaten raw.
- Even though taro is low in calories but eating too much of it can result in high calories in the body thereby resulting in obesity.
- It causes bloating and gas in some people.
- Eating large quantities of taro may result in an allergic reaction such as the irritation of the throat and mouth.
- Also, excess consumption of taro can cause the formation of kidney stones as a result of the increased accumulation of calcium oxalate in the body.
- To avoid the side effects of taro, it is recommended that you consume taro in moderate portions in order to gain the useful benefits.
Tips For Buying Taro
Many important tips should be taken into account when buying taro which includes the following:
- Taro tubers should be strong and durable, heavy for their size, and completely free of blemishes.
- The taro should not have mold spots or soft and loose areas.
- Taro tuber or leaves should be free of wrinkles and creases in its external form, and it should be firm in texture when touched and pressed from the edges.
- Taro should be bought fresh for cooking as it can spoil quickly.
- Taro should be free of dents in the outer shell as these scratches will cause the taro's interior to turn brown.
- Taro leaves should be green, free of yellow spots, and fresh and not wilted.
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How To Store Taro | How Can I Store Taro?
Taro leaves is considered a perishable vegetable, and therefore it cannot be stored for long periods of time. One of the conditions for storing it is that it be kept in a cool, dark, and well-ventilated place for a period of not more than two days. Keeping taro leaves in the refrigerator can also help to preserve them, but they should not be put directly into the freezer rather they should be kept below the freezer compartment where the freezing is least minimal so that the leaves can retain their freshness.
Before putting taro leaves in the refrigerator, it is recommended that you rinse the leaves properly in order to remove the dirt and particles on it so that it does not permanently stick to the leaves while in the refrigerator knowing that the temperature levels of the refrigerator can make the dirt and particles attach to the leaves and make it hard to remove while trying to wash it off after refrigerating it.
However, taro tubers can be stored for a little longer period of time even though most of them may get spoilt or decayed during the process. The idea of storing taro tubers for a little longer period is for the purpose of replanting them of which they should be kept in a cool, dry, and well-ventilated place for better storage. Taro tubers should not be stored for longer periods if the intention is to eat it as the least you can store taro tubers for eating is for a few days for maximum benefits.
Taro tubers can also be stored in the refrigerator, but putting taro tubers in the refrigerator for a longer period may result in it being so hard to cook while boiling it because the freezer temperature is likely to harden the tubers and make it hard to boil when you want to eat it thereby making it lose its texture. Therefore, it is much better to eat both taro leaves and tubers fresh so that you get the full health benefits associated with them.
The Connection Between Taro And Diabetes | What Is The Relationship Between Them?
For sure, taro is one of the root plants with a high nutritional value which is beneficial to various body systems. We will discuss here the relationship between taro and diabetes.
A healthy diet rich in many essential nutrients important to the body is one of the main ways to follow up the treatment of diabetics and prevent its complications, and because taro is one of the foods rich in dietary fiber, many vitamins, and minerals and with a low content of fats and carbohydrates, this gives it an effective role in controlling blood sugar levels.
The Role Of Taro In The Diet Of Diabetic Patients Is Explained As Follows:
- Improve insulin sensitivity: The most important attribute that reduces the possibility of developing type 2 diabetes is high insulin sensitivity, as dietary fiber is a key factor in regulating insulin secretion and glucose entry into the cells. The higher the fiber content in food, the more effective the insulin sensitivity of which taro is rich in dietary fiber.
- Regulating blood sugar: Taro is a low glycemic index food that helps to slow down the breakdown process of glucose in the liver, it is also food with complex carbohydrates that are difficult to digest easily, and this in turn slows down the absorption of glucose thus maintaining moderate blood sugar.
- Adjust lipid levels: The content of taro roots which contains various minerals and vitamins can reduce triglyceride levels in the blood and prevent the accumulation of cholesterol and harmful fats on the arteries which reduce the likelihood of diabetes patients suffering from strokes and cardiovascular disease.
- Reduce digestive disorders: Diabetics are accompanied by a group of digestive disorders, such as constipation, indigestion, diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea. The taro content of dietary fiber and protein contributes to improving digestion and bowel movement which reduces associated disorders.
How Can You Benefit From Taro As A Diabetic Patient?
Of course, it is possible to take advantage of the relationship between taro and diabetes to regulate the level of sugar in the blood and reduce episodes of sudden hyperglycemia for diabetic patients by incorporating taro roots or taro leaves with other food items in different ways, as it can be prepared by boiling, roasting or baking, and these methods include:
- Roast chopped taro leaves in oil and spices.
- Prepare taro soup with oats.
- Make taro porridge with vegetables, such as potatoes, broccoli, and carrots.
- Combine grated taro with soups.
- Add taro powder to hot herbs.
Healthy Diet For Diabetics
Having learned about the relationship between taro and diabetes below is a healthy diet that is recommended for diabetics patients which can be consumed together with taro. Among the food items that should be present in abundance in the diet of a diabetic patient include:
- Citrus fruit
- Whole grains
- Dark green leafy vegetables
- Beans
- Salmon
- Fat-free dairy products
- Sweet potato
- Nuts and seeds
- Tomatoes
Also here are food items that are recommended to be eaten in moderation for diabetic patients:
- Olives and olive oil
- Avocado
- Low-fat red meat and poultry
- Eggs
- Fruits and vegetables
On the other way round, food items to be avoided by a diabetic patient include:
- Processed fatty meat
- High-fat dairy products
- Snacks and processed products
- Fried foods or foods that are high in sodium and salt
- Sugary products
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Benefits Of Taro For Pregnant Women | What Benefits Can Pregnant Women Get From Taro?
What do you know about the role and benefits of taro for pregnant women? Is it safe during pregnancy? Learn about the benefits of taro for pregnant women as you continue reading.
As you may already know by now, taro is a root vegetable with a mild, starchy taste. It has a high nutritional value that gives it a number of health benefits for the body systems. The roots of the taro plant or the leaves of the taro plant can be used in cooking which can be beneficial to pregnant women in many ways.
Many women worry during pregnancy about what is and what is not allowed from food items, and what is proper nutrition during pregnancy. Some women may spread misconceptions about certain foods, as some may think that including taro in their diet may negatively affect pregnancy. But this is just a misconception as taro contains a number of important nutrients during pregnancy and a group of important health benefits for women during pregnancy. Among the benefits of taro for pregnant women are the following:
- Provide the body with nutrients: Taro is one of the vegetables rich in many different nutrients important in supporting and strengthening the body’s systems, most notably carbohydrates, dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins important during pregnancy, including iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, manganese, vitamin B, vitamin C, and vitamin E.
- Prevention of anemia: Taro contributes to reducing the risk of weak blood in pregnant women, as it contains a good percentage of iron which is an essential component of red blood cells.
- Regulating the level of sugar: Taro contains good carbohydrates called resistant starches that slow the rise in blood sugar level by slowing down the process of breaking down glucose in the liver which contributes to regulating blood sugar level and reducing the risk of gestational diabetes.
- Reduce the risk of birth defects: Taro's folic acid content may reduce birth defects, as it directly contributes to reducing neural tube defects and the development of fetal cell growth, especially in early pregnancy.
- Reduce digestive disorders: Most pregnant women suffer from digestive disorders during pregnancy, including bouts of nausea, diarrhea, constipation, stomach ulcers, and acidity. The dietary fiber and protein content of taro roots helps in improving digestion and absorption of nutrients, thus reducing disturbances.
How To Use Taro For Pregnant Women
It is possible to take advantage of the benefits of taro for pregnant women by combining it with different food items in various ways. It can be prepared by roasting, boiling, or baking. Among these methods are the following:
- Add grated taro on top of pancakes and soups.
- Cook green taro leaves with onions and oil.
- Taro chips bread with potato chips, broccoli, and carrots.
- Bake taro chips in the oven, and eat them alongside other dishes.
- Add taro powder to milk.
- Prepare taro soup with meat and rice.
Useful Diet For Pregnant Women
The nutritional program for pregnant women is one of the most important supports for the health of the mother and fetus during pregnancy, and as such the necessary food items in addition to taro during pregnancy include:
- Green fruits and vegetables
- Red meat and fish
- Whole grains
- Dietary fiber and protein
- Dairy products
However, among the foods and drinks that should be avoided during pregnancy include:
- Undercooked meat
- Fish high in mercury
- Drinks that contain high levels of caffeine
- Raw eggs
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How To Use Taro Leaves For Skin And Hair | Can Taro Leave Help To Protect Against Hair Loss And Skin Infections?
The benefit of taro leaves has shown in recent studies which have proven that taro leaves contain benefits that double the taro itself as taro leaves also contain many vitamins and minerals that are important for the body in general and for the skin and hair in particular.
In this regard, here are the most prominent benefits of taro leaves for hair and skin:
- Taro leaves help treat the problem of hair loss.
- Taro leaves helps moisturize the skin and protect it from cracking.
- Taro leaves help treat skin tuberculosis in women.
- Taro leaves can be used to slow down the aging progress thereby removing wrinkles, fine lines, and dark spots.
- Taro leaves help treat skin and scalp infections.
- Taro leaves help treat dark circles.
Below is the easiest skin mask from taro leaves:
Ingredients:
- Taro leaves
- Sweet almond oil
- Milk
How to prepare:
Chop the taro leaves and put them in a blender together with sweet almond oil and milk so that it blends until the texture becomes homogeneous. After blending the ingredients together, the mask is placed for 10 minutes on the skin, and then wash it with warm water to get the best results. It is preferable to do this mask twice a week for people with oily skin, and once a week for people with normal.
Taro leaves for hair loss mask:
Ingredients:
- Taro leaves
- Olive oil
- Rocca leaves
- Yogurt
How to prepare:
Taro leaves, Rocca leaves, olive oil, and yogurt are added together in the blender, and after the ingredients are well mixed together, put them on your dry hair for 60 minutes and cover your hair with a warm towel or a plastic hair cap, and then wash your hair properly with shampoo after which you are to moisturize your hair with hair lubricant. It is recommended to do this mask once a week for a month to get the best results.
How To Make Taro Flour At Home | How Can I Make Taro Flour At Home?
The major reason why you should make taro flour is to preserve taro for a longer period knowing fully well that fresh or raw taro can easily perish in a short amount of time if not eaten as soon as it is harvested. So the best way to preserve taro for long term purpose is by making a taro flour which can last for a longer period of time without any fear of damage which is because the taro tubers or roots are being completely dried and free from any form of liquid thereby making it suitable for lasting preservation. As such, below are the processes involved in making taro flour:
- The first stage of starting the process of making taro flour is to gather the quantity of the taro tubers or roots you want to use in making the flour.
- Then clean and wash the taro tubers very well so that all the dirt and unwanted particles are removed in order to make sure that there is no sand on it.
- After that, have the taro tubers peeled properly with a kitchen knife or any other device so that only the inner whiter part of the taro tubers is left.
- Having done that, then cut the peeled taro tubers into small sizes like as if you are trying to make some potato chips and wash them properly the second time.
- After that, put the already cut taro tubers into a pot and boil with water until the taro is done and eatable.
- Then remove the boiled taro from the pot and separate it from the water and allow the hotness to cool down to normal temperature.
- Now go ahead and dry the boiled taro so that there is no liquid left on it. Either you dry it under the sun for a few days or you dry it in an oven which is much faster.
- Finally, put the dried taro into a blending machine and grind properly so that it completely turns into a powdered form. Behold the end product is your taro flour.
- To make it tasty and more nutritious, you can grind the dried taro together with some dried tiger nuts and date seeds which will give it more flavor.
Now that you know how to make taro flour. Of course, there are various uses of taro flour that are as beneficial and healthy as normal or unprocessed taro. Taro flour can be used to advantage in various products such as bread, rolls, layer cakes, doughnuts, hotcakes, waffles, and cookies, etc. Taro flour can also be added to smoothies, milk, yogurt, and ice cream.
Because of the high nutritional values contained in taro as well as being gluten-free, it is possible that taro flour can be used as an alternative to other types of flours such as cassava flour, almond flour, arrowroot powder, wheat flour, rye flour, cornflour, rice flour, barley flour, oats flour, buckwheat flour, millet flour, kamut flour, quinoa flour, pea flour, mung beans flour, garbanzos flour, plantain flour, yam flour, and lentil flour.
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How To Grow Taro At Home | How Can I grow Taro Plant At Home?
A large number of people want to know the method of growing taro so that they can plant it at home or among the other plants that they constantly grow in their farmlands because of the amazing nutritional benefits of taro which is very essential for human health. People want to grow taro at home either for the purpose of selling it to consumers or cooking and eating it as food because of its health benefits. Taro with no doubt is very popular among many people around the world that most countries that can not produce it, import it from other countries that produce it.
Before we go into the details of taro cultivation, we have to first know about the taro cultivation season of which the best time for planting taro is from mid-February until April, and March. Taro is considered a semi-aquatic plant that has the ability to retain moisture inside, and it is grown in fertile heavy soil which is why the planting season falls into the period when the rainy season is around the corner.
How To Prepare For Planting Taro
The soil suitable for planting taro is loam soil, heavy and fertile well-drained soil because it can retain moisture as it is preferable not to plant taro in sandy and calcareous lands.
The seeds that will be planted must be prepared and are called taro seeds, as it is required that the weight of each of the seeds ranges from at least 80 to 100g, and the seeds are cut so that the upper part containing the terminal bud is not touched. Taro roots or tubers can have different buds in one taro plant which can be separated by cutting them to get as many taro seeds as possible in a single taro plant.
It should be noted that taro is considered one of the crops that stress the soil and it is best when planted alongside a non-stressful crop such as legumes and vegetables, as it helps to increase fertility. This is preferable in order to expedite the preparation of the soil due to the rapid decomposition of the organic matter that helps the taro in its growth.
Soil Preparation For Planting Taro
The land should be plowed so that it is soft and easy to penetrate of which organic fertilizer can be added to the soil before the final plow. After plowing the land, then the next step is to form ridges on the land so that it can be in a straight row covering every area of the landmass making it ready to insert the taro seeds which should be inserted about 6 inches deep and covered with 3 to 4 inches of soil.
You have to space the plants 14 to 22 inches apart while planting the seeds and of course, the space between the ridges should be about 40 inches apart because taro plants can grow to about 36 inches tall and about 20 inches across or even more depending on the species. The taro seeds should be placed on the ridges so that the buds are facing up and covered with soil, then the land is irrigated immediately after planting.
Finally, the replanting process should be done 6 weeks after propagation of which using seeds previously planted in plastic bags or pots can be transferred to the ground after the taro seeds are fully propagated. Taro seeds can take up to 200 days after planting to reach maturity which is the stage where they can be harvested and eaten as food.
The best condition to grow a high-quality taro plant is by making sure that the soil in which it is planted is always irrigated either naturally or artificially because taro plants can only do well in a moisturized environments.
The Process Of Irrigating The Taro
As discussed earlier, taro is one of the plants that need moisture around it on a continuous basis because it is a semi-aquatic plant of which the periods of irrigation depend on the weather conditions, the nature of growth, and the level of moisture in the soil. Taro plant can be irrigated lightly after 10 days of planting it for fear of not having the seeds rot in the soil. But if there is weekly rainfall after planting the taro seeds, then there is no need to irrigate it again being that the rainfall has given it the irrigation it needs.
But when there is no adequate rainfall, the crop should be irrigated every 15 days, and then the irrigation period is gradually shortened to every 5 days in the months of July and August in order to compensate for what was lost by the plant due to the large size of the plant, especially with the high temperature and dry season so that the plant can be harvested easily on maturity.
Taro Fertilization Process
Taro needs appropriate amounts of fertilizer throughout its growth period in other to have the best yield, the most important of which is the availability of organic fertilizers which are produced organically. Chemical fertilizer may not be a good option to grow any plant as it can add to the toxicity of the grown plant.
A moderate amount of fertilizer should be added during the service and plowing of the land after which additional fertilizer should be added during condensation in July or August. The taro plant may also need some calcium superphosphate, ammonia sulfate, and potassium sulfate which can be mixed in the organic fertilizer and administered to the plant for better productivity.
Signs Of Taro Maturity And Harvest Time
Taro plant usually matures 7 to 9 months after planting it depending on the species, and one of the clear signs that indicate the maturity of the taro plant is the weakness and yellowing of the taro leaves which start to shrink and die. Once the taro plant has reached maturity, then it is ready to be harvested and all that is needed to be done is to gently uproot the taro plant from the soil so that you can harvest the tubers. The harvesting can be done manually by hand either by pulling it with bare hands or using a hoe to dig the ground to remove it. But it is surely much better to use a hoe to dig it in order to make sure that there are no tubers left under the soil.
Summary And Take Away
In this guide, the full details of almost everything anyone needs to know about taro were duly covered starting from what taro is, the characteristics of taro, health benefits of taro, side effects, benefit of taro leaves and methods of preparation. Also, the tips for buying taro and how to store taro were equally discussed alongside the relationship between taro and diabetes. In addition, the benefits of taro for pregnant women and the uses of taro leaves for skin and hair were treated while covering other areas such as how to make taro flour at home and how to grow taro plants at home.
In summation, the taro plant is a very important plant for human health in many different ways considering the enormous amount of nutritional values contained in the taro plant which can be obtained either from the taro leaves or taro tubers or roots which means that every part of the taro plant is beneficial in one way or the other to improve human health knowing fully well that taro can be consumed as food as well as used as medicine which shows the benefits of eating taro. As such, adding taro to your diet can improve your overall health status thereby giving you the important health benefits contained in the taro plant for long-term health.
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