Health
Benefits Of Garri, Or Cassava Flakes
Garri, or Cassava flakes if you want, is a popular food in Nigeria. One
of the most important meals across the nation. It is one of the most common
farm produce in Nigeria. With different forms of processing and manufacturing.
It will interest you to know that as common as the product is, that it has a great health benefits
for you.
Here are some of the Health Benefits of Garri:
1. Aids
in Digestion
Garri is rich in high fibre content which helps in the digestive
health. Garri can be soaked in cold water with milk to make it creamy, and when
consumed the fibre content in it helps to make one fuller, helps in quick
digestion and sustains one from hunger for some time, and also eliminates the
chances of constipation.
Fibre content in garri helps in weight loss as it reduces
appetite and as well reduces the chances of other health conditions such as
heart and other cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes. But in as much as
the fibre is good for the digestive system, taking too much of it can cause stomach
cramps or bloat.
Cassava contains starch which is known as resistant starch
because it doesn’t get absorbed fully in the digestive system, it is beneficial
to the body because it helps in removing some of the particles of cholesterol
present in the system after it gets attached to them thereby acting like a
soluble fibre.
2 Promote
Eye health
Garri also contains the compound known as bakarotennya, this
compound helps to prevent blindness. The presence of an important vitamin
(vitamin A) in garri helps in the prevention of poor sight as well, as far as
it is consumed in moderation.
Most importantly the garri has to be processed well to avoid eye
problems which are caused by the cynanide present in not-to-well processed
garri especially and when consumed in large quantity and can also irritate the
intestinal bowels leading to or worsen the case of ulcer because of its acidic
nature.
3 Energizes
& Cools The Body
It has been noted from researches that Garri has 360 calories of
which 99% is Carbohydrate. It is actually the number of calories in food that
measures the unit of energy contained in that food.
Soaked garri known as “garium sulphate” in English provides a
certain amount of energy as mentioned above which the human body needs to
maintain daily health and life. It also provides a good cooling effect to the
body in hot weather when soaked in cold water with milk.
The nutrients in it and the combination of milk in cold water
makes it creamy and chill the whole body after consumption. Garri in this form
energizes the body quickly and makes the system to relax in a calm way.
4 Prevents Cancer
This might have never been heard of by many people and therefore
it may seem too difficult to believe, but this is just a fact you have to note
down from reading this article.
Experiments have shown that the presence of B17 vitamin
(Amygdalin) and fibre in garri help to stimulate the red blood cell and prevent
the stomach from cancerous diseases.
5 Reduce
Age-Related Illness
Studies have shown that one cup of garri contains up to 15% of
folate that the body requires in a day as well as 47% of the body’s calcium
requirement.
Folate has an integral role to play in pregnant women in the
aspect of foetal development and helps reduce the risk of age-related macular
degeneration.
What Is Eba?
Eba is
a Nigerian staple food eaten all over the country and beyond. It is made from
fried grated cassava (manioc) flour, commonly called as garri.
Garri
is a by-product of cassava. It goes through a lot of processes before it
finally becomes garri. But you don’t need to bother yourself with all of those.
We all buy garri from the grocery stores and make eba out of them in just five
minutes.
Most of the soups you
would learn to prepare from this blog are not usually served alone in Nigeria.
They are served alongside “swallows” – as we call them in Nigeria. There are
just about ten of them and eba is the most popular.
Ingredients
What You Need:
4 cups of Garri (white or yellow)
bowls
wooden turner
Hot water.
4 cups of Garri (white or yellow)
bowls
wooden turner
Hot water.
How to make Eba
Step 1
Boil water and pour into a bowl.
Boil water and pour into a bowl.
Step 2
Sprinkle the garri into the boiled water. continue until the eba thickens. You can add more garri if it is too soft or add water if it is very hard.
Sprinkle the garri into the boiled water. continue until the eba thickens. You can add more garri if it is too soft or add water if it is very hard.
Once the
eba is well stirred to achieve a fine consistency, you can serve with any soup.
Step 3
You should be able to mold it in small portions, dip into your delicious soup and swallow.
You should be able to mold it in small portions, dip into your delicious soup and swallow.
Eba is served with any one of the popular Nigerian soup. I
think it is the most popular Nigerian swallow.
That is
how I prepare (garri), tell me how you prepare your own using the comment form
below. I hear some just pour boiled water over the garri. Is that what you do?
Served with okro soup or any choice
soup.
+2348074926468.
Pharex Global Ventures Foods.
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