Rich in proteins, fibers, amino acids and even antioxidants, bamboo shoots are full of benefits for our health, according to a study from China, the leading producing country.
- Bamboo shoots have the advantage of having a protein content “similar to that of cow’s milk” (at least 3 grams per 100), and “higher than that of many cereals” such as brown rice or oats.
- They also provide “seven of the nine essential amino acids” (tryptophan, lysine, methionine, etc.) that our body needs to function.
- Thanks to its antioxidant action, this miracle food even has the potential to “prevent the risks of obesity, diabetes and cancer”.
It is the fastest growing plant in the world… and one “underestimated natural resource” : bamboo could constitute, according to a recent study published in the journal Trends in Food Science & Technologya sustainable and particularly virtuous food source for human health.
Bamboo: a protein content “similar to that of cow’s milk”
First of all, bamboo shoots have the advantage of having a protein content “similar to that of cow’s milk” (at least 3 grams per 100), and “higher than many cereals” such as brown rice or oats, researchers from the Chinese National Bamboo Research Center explain in a press release. We understand better why they constitute 99% of the diet of giant pandas.
That’s not all: bamboo provides “seven of the nine essential amino acids” (tryptophan, lysine, methionine, etc.) which our body needs to function, more than certain basic vegetables such as carrots, celery or even cabbage. Their iron concentration is even higher than that of spinach and pumpkin. Bamboo shoots are also an asset for your intestinal microbiota as “important source of dietary fiber and various minerals and vitamins”not to mention that they are “rich in carbohydrates” but “low fat”.
Consumption of bamboo to ward off illnesses?
Regular consumption of this miracle food even has the potential to “prevent the risks of obesity, diabetes and cancer”, say the authors of the study. And for good reason, bamboo, “its major antioxidant and antimicrobial action”would help eliminate free radicals, toxic substances that cause damage to cells and are the cause of premature aging and inflammation in the body.
Beyond their health benefits, bamboo, due to its extremely rapid growth, also has benefits for “local economies in creation[ant] trade and export opportunities”, according to the team of scientists, who specify that 25 to 35 million tonnes of shoots are produced each year in China, of which only a third are currently harvested and consumed by humans. Production could increase “up to 150 million tonnes per year” if there was a demand from the world’s population.
That being said, not all bamboo is created equal: not only are the majority of the 800 species found in China inedible, but the plants can also become stiff after harvest and lose much of their nutritional value. “Despite their potential, the use of bamboo shoots in today’s food industry faces limitations,” conclude the researchers, who plan to carry out further work to study its feasibility.
