Cocoyam is a root crop that fights and cures diverse diseases. Both the leaves and the roots are edible and they have a lot of health benefits. It has a lot of nutritional values more than yam and cassava. Cocoyam is a nutrients packed food which when consumed, helps in maintaining the body’s immune system, provides the body with vitamin A, B, C and E, magnesium copper, protein and carbohydrates. It also helps in the easy passage of stool. Cocoyam can be consumed in different ways through roasting, cooking, frying, baking, pounding and milling etc. It can also be processed into various food products.
Health benefits of cocoyam.
1. Diabetes
Cocoyam helps you manage diabetes by preventing hazardous spikes and plunges in blood sugar. The starch granules in cocoyam are smaller the easily digested. It also helps prevents the risk of developing diabetes because of its dietary fibre.
2 Immune system booster
Cocoyam is highly concentrated with vitamin C, this helps the immune system to produce more white blood cells that protects and defends the body from foreign pathogens. It also prevents the risk of heart diseases
3 Helps prevent cancer
Cocoyam is rich in various phenolic antioxidant, vitamin A and C, these nutrients help in eliminating dangerous free radicals from our system. The presence of Cryptoxanthin also helps in lowering the chance of having both lungs and oral cancer.
4 Helps with cramp
Cocoyam is highly concentrated in potassium, and consuming a lot of it means a decrease in muscle cramp and an increase in muscle strength. A low level of potassium in the body causes cramp,
5. Control blood pressure
Potassium is a very important nutrient in the body that helps to relieve stress and pressure in the blood vessels and arteries, relaxes the veins and blood pressure. Consuming cocoyam always can help neutralise a chronic heart disease by enabling healthy fluid transfers between membrane and tissues throughout the body. The omega 3 fatty oil in cocoyam also contributes to the production of hormones and the relaxation of the arteries wall, which will lead to a healthy heart
Other health benefits of cocoyam are
Increase in sperm production
Reduces inflammation
Reduce wrinkles on the skin
Reduced cholesterol level in the body
Contributes to weight loss
Detoxifies the body
Helps to treat nicotine addiction
There are other health benefits of both the cocoyam and its leaves but it’s barely known because people hardly focus on this type of food as compared to yam and potatoes.
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