Jicama benefits / jicama contraindications. Jicama is a large, bulbous root vegetable. Its skin is thick and brown in color, with very juicy and white crisp meat. It can be eaten raw or cooked (but it is best eaten raw, previously washed, for its optimal health benefits).
Jicama is native to Central America, from southern Mexico to Costa Rica, and has naturalized elsewhere after introduction. It is grown primarily as a tuber food crop in the West Indies, Southeast Asia, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Oman, the Philippines, Australia, South America, Africa, and the Pacific Islands.
It is also known by names like yam bean, Mexican water chestnut, Mexican potato, Mexican turnip, and sengkuang.
Jicama skin is thick, but it is easy to peel. Wash it under running water to clean off excess soil, before removing the skin. Let’s see more about the
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jicama benefits
Jicama is rich in vitamins A, C, K and the B vitamins. There is a good balance of sodium and potassium present in jicama, so it is useful for alkalizing the blood. The minerals in this vegetable are calcium, ironmagnesium, manganese and zinc.
Jicama health benefits are many. It is an ideal food for health whether eaten raw or cooked. It is low in calories, cholesterol and fat, and has excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.
shortness of breath and asthma: Jicama contains high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that are helpful in relieving breathlessness and asthma.
Bruising and swelling: Vitamin C deficiency can cause bruising and swelling in some people. So eating jicama helps reduce deficiency problems that result in easy bruising and swelling.
Cold and flu: including jicama in your daily dose of juice helps prevent cold and the flu.
Immune system: include jicama as an ingredient in your regular juice to benefit from its general medicinal properties that provide support to strengthen the immune system. A strong immune system prevents many health problems.
Nosebleed: nosebleeds are caused by weak capillaries. The high vitamin C content in jicama supports and helps strengthen capillary damage, thereby reducing the risks of nosebleeds.
Skin health: Vitamin E is essential to strengthen the capillary walls in the skin, as well as to restore moisture and elasticity, acting as a natural anti-aging nutrient in the body. Research has shown that vitamin E helps decrease inflammation in both the body and skin, helping to maintain healthy, youthful skin. Jicama contains an amount of vitamin E and can be included in our regular diet.
Taking vitamin E along with vitamin C helps fight inflammation of the skin immediately after contact with UV radiation and may also be beneficial in decreasing the signs of acne and eczema. The Vitamin E present in Jicama helps the healing process in the skin. It is absorbed by the epidermis layer of the skin and can be used to treat sunburn, one of the main reasons for skin cancer. Jicama intake helps speed up cell regeneration and is used to treat wrinkles, acne, and scars, making your skin look healthier and younger.
Fights iron deficiency anemia Iron is crucial for the proper growth and development of the human body. Iron deficiency can lead to disorders such as iron deficiency anemia, chronic anemia, cough, and pre-dialysis anemia. As soon as the body’s iron level is severely depleted, you may have anemia. Eating jicama is one of the easiest ways to meet the body’s iron requirements, as it consists of 0.57 mg of iron, which is 7.13% of the recommended value.
Therefore, the intake of jicama helps in the treatment of iron deficiency anemia and cures various general symptoms of anemia such as body weakness, headache, fatigue, and increased sensitivity to low temperatures. Other than that, various other chronic disorders like pre-dialysis anemia and kidney failure anemia are also cured with sufficient iron intake.
Weight loss snack: As an extremely low calorie food, jicama can be chosen as a snack item for lose weightwhich helps to reduce the calorie intake in the body.
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recommendations
Choose a jicama that is dry, firm, and has a smooth skin. Go for the smaller ones as they are sweeter.
Once at home, jicamas can be stored just like potatoes. They have a good shelf life and keep well in a cool, dry, dark place for about 2-4 weeks. Exposure to temperatures below 10°C causes cooling-induced changes in color and texture.
Plus, prolonging storage converts its starch to sugar, making the roots less sought after in savory dishes. Keep sliced jicama in a plastic bag in an airtight container and consume within two days to get the most out of it.
Jicama juice tastes very smooth and sweet; and mixes well with most green juices and juices from other root vegetables, such as lotus root, carrot, beetroot. This is one of my favorite jicama juice recipes that is very alkalizing and a great immune booster.
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Contraindications of jicama.
Contraindications of jicama. The jicama plant contains significant levels of the fat-soluble organic toxin, rotenone. This toxin is especially concentrated in the leaf crowns, stems, and seed pods, but at much lower concentrations in the roots.
Several studies found that it was linked to the development of Parkinson’s disease. However, the peeled roots are safe for human consumption, even in children. The rotenone compound works at the cellular level by inhibiting several metabolic enzymes such as NADH dehydrogenase in the mitochondria.
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Also know
Parsnip: Properties, benefits and contraindications
Rocket or rugula: Properties, benefits and contraindications
Maple syrup: Properties and benefits
Properties of kohlrabi, rutabaga or Swedish turnip and its contraindications
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Reference:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachyrhizus_erosus
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