10 Nutrition Health Benefits of Jicama

Jicama Overview

The interior of the jicama is similar to a potato or a pear in terms of consistency and color. Like most root vegetables, it is high in starch. It is most commonly eaten raw, seasoned with various spices or fruit juices, as well as chili powder. It can also be cooked in soups and stir fry dishes, but some of its health benefits are slightly decreased in that way. Jicama can also be dried into slices like potato fries and used in dips. They are also good elements to add to various salads and side dishes.

Jicama is rich with vitamins A, C, K and the B vitamins. There is a good balance of sodium and potassium present in jicama, making it useful for alkalizing the blood. Minerals in this vegetable are calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese and zinc.

Jicama health benefits includes promoting good digestion, lowering cholesterol levels, preventing constipation, brightening the skin, and maintaining blood sugar. Other benefits includes strengthening immune system, calming the nerves and muscle, preventing cancer, maintaining healthy metabolism and promoting healthy pregnancy.

Nutrition Value of Jicama

Amount Per 100 grams

  • Calories 38
  • Total Fat 0.1 g 0%
  • Cholesterol 0 mg
  • Sodium 4 mg
  • Potassium 150 mg 4%
  • Total Carbohydrate 9 g 3%
  • Dietary fiber 4.9 g 19%
  • Sugar 1.8 g
  • Protein 0.7 g 1%
  • Vitamin C 33%
  • Calcium 1%
  • Iron 3%
  • Magnesium 3%

Jicama

10 Nutrition Health Benefits of Jicama

1. Aids in Digestion

Jicama contains decent amount of Inulin and fiber present that helps aid against any digestive problems you face. Whereas Inulin helps heal the stomach against inflammation, fiber helps absorb the remaining nutrients inside the intestines so that the body can benefit from it.

2. Heart Health

The fibers present in jicama help in preventing the intestines from absorbing too much cholesterol, therefore, reducing our daily intake of it. The extra cholesterol, therefore, exits the body through urine.

3. Controls Blood Sugar Level

Jicama is perhaps one of the best remedies for unstable sugar levels to prevent diabetes from happening or merely mitigating its effects. The inulin present in the Jicama has close to no calories and can sustain a person’s sugar needs while not exceeding the required amount. The excess sugar simply exits the body in the form of urine.

4. Boosts Immunity

There is a very large amount of vitamin C found in jicama; 100 grams of jicama gives approximately 40% of our entire daily requirement for ascorbic acid. Vitamin C is an essential part of our immune system as it stimulates the white blood cells, which are the body’s first main line of defense against illness. Battling bacterial, viral, fungal or pathogenic diseases is done by adding vitamin C to your body. Also, the antioxidant potential of vitamin C means that it helps in fighting cancer by neutralizing the effects of free radicals connected with heart diseases and cancer. Free radicals are found in the body as a result of cellular metabolism.

5. Reduces Cancer Risk

The presence of antioxidants means Jicama becomes beneficial to your body in a variety of ways. Recent research into this ancient Chinese vegetable found that Jicama’s antioxidant property may be the key to fighting off free radicals that eventually lead to cancer cell formation.

6. Prevents Scurvy

Scurvy mostly ends up happening when your body faces a Vitamin C deficiency. Scurvy’s earliest symptoms are so severe that a person must be taken to the doctor as soon as they notice them. They include weakness, sore arms, and legs as well as having pain in the back area. Eating a lot of Jicama can help prevent against inflammation of these parts as well as prevent scurvy from ever occurring thanks to the huge amounts of Vitamin C it contains.

7. Maintains Healthy Metabolism

Jicama has folate, riboflavin as well as Vitamin B complex which help in stabilizing the stomach from any aches. They also help break the nutrients down into pieces that can be absorbed into the bloodstream and release energy, making it important for your stomach.

8. Improves Blood Circulation

The significant amounts of copper and iron found in jicama make it very good for maintaining the health of the circulatory system since these two minerals are important elements of red blood cells. Without these components, people suffer from anemia and also face a low functioning of the organs that require fresh, oxygenated blood to function properly.

9. Calms Nerves and Muscles

Stress is probably the biggest cause of nervous breakdowns as well as muscle aches. When you stress on something too much, the body’s cells are negatively affected. Jicama is a muscle relaxant.

10. Regulates Blood Pressure

Jicama is a rich source of potassium which helps manage blood pressure, since it is a vasodilator and reduces the tension on blood vessels and arteries, thereby lowering stress on the cardiovascular system. Potassium is also essential for maintaining fluid balance in opposition to sodium throughout the body, thereby keeping our body hydrated and functioning at a high level.

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