Nutritional Profile Of Arrowroot & Its 22 Top-Rated Health Benefits

Arrowroot is a creeping underground rhizome that is rich in starch and belongs to the plant family of Marantaceae. It is mainly cultivated in Caribbean islands, Philippines, and South America. The arrowroot powder has fine qualities like easy digestibility, its ability to properly mix with a wide range of food ingredients and also because it is rich carbohydrate contents. Some common names of arrowroot are arruruz, uraro, araru, sagu, cara maco, and yuquill. There are a lot of health benefits of arrowroot because of its excellent nutrient profile. Let us read on to know about some of the most important health benefits of arrowroot.

One cup of arrowroot or 120 grams of the slices of arrowroot contains only 0.24 grams of fat and 78 Kilocalories. It is loaded with carbohydrates, vitamin B, especially the Vitamin B9, minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and sodium. It also contains fiber, protein, and fluid and a very negligible amount of saturated as well unsaturated fatty acids.

The nutrient profile of one cup or 120 grams of sliced arrowroot contains 78 Kcal, 5 gram of protein, 16. 07 grams of carbohydrates, 0.24 grams of lipid, 1.6 grams of fiber, calcium content of 7 milligram, 2.66 mg of iron, 30 milligram of magnesium, 118 mg of phosphorus, 545 mg of potassium, and sodium content of 31 milligrams. Apart from this, it also contains folate, niacin, riboflavin, and thiamin.⁽¹⁾

Below are some of the health benefits of arrowroot.

1. Arrowroot Has No Gluten:

   One of the best health benefits of arrowroot is that it contains no gluten. So it would be great for people who are generally allergic to corn or gluten. Being gluten-free arrowroot is also beneficial for treating symptoms associated with celiac disease.

2. Arrowroot Strengthens The Immune System:

   Arrowroot is a widely known food starch that has also got amazing immune-boosting abilities.⁽²⁾ Arrowroot stimulates immune system of individual cells.⁽²⁾ The nutrients such as zinc, magnesium, potassium, and copper are known to be important for immune boosting ability of arrowroot. Adding arrowroot to your regular diet not only helps in keeping away from bacteria and infection but also helps in offering your strength and energy to the body. You can thus improve the strength of your body’s immune system by regularly taking arrowroot in your diet.

3. It Improves Cardiovascular Health:

   One of the fairest health benefits of arrowroot is its wonderful benefits for your cardiovascular health. It gets our hypertension in control. It is known that 100 grams of arrowroot contains around 454 mg of potassium, and only 26 mg of sodium. This means, that arrowroot is really great for dilating our blood vessels and for getting back the blood pressure to absolutely normal levels. This ultimately helps in improving the cardiovascular health. So, if you are suffering from hypertension then you surely need to add this in your diet.

4. Good For Heart Health:

   There are a lot of studies which suggest that potassium is really good for the heart and we already talked that arrowroot contains an incredible amount of potassium.

   Potassium, being a vasodilator, softens the arteries and blood vessels; and this ultimately reduces the blood pressure and also reduces the risk of heart attack, heart strokes and atherosclerosis.

   NOTE: It must be noted that if you are experiencing any kind of inflammation in your chest, do not rely on herbal remedies and consult an expert cardiologist on an immediate basis.

5. It is Good For The Digestive Health:

   One more health benefit of arrowroot is its benefit towards the digestive health. There are studies which show that arrowroot helps in treating digestive issues such as irritable bowel syndrome and diarrhea.⁽³⁾

   This is because of the reason that arrowroot is packed with starch that works as a mild laxative in proper regulation of digestion and bowel movements. So, this could be really suitable for people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome or IBS. It also reduces bloating and stomach ache.

6. Arrowroot Improves Cognition:

   There are a lot of health benefits of arrowroot and improving the cognitive ability is one of those health benefits. It is suggested by experts that arrowroot can increase the cognitive power in the brain of children and can also help in the development of brain function.

   The various nutrients such as magnesium, zinc, sodium and potassium found in arrowroot help in improving concentration and it further leads to an improved cognition.

7. Arrowroot Reduces The Risk Of Birth Defects:

   One more health benefits of arrowroot could be its benefits in reducing the risk of birth defects. It contains lots of folate in it which is known to be essential for healthy development of the fetus. So, adding arrowroot to the daily diet in case of pregnant women can help in their overall well being and also promote the healthy development of fetus and reduce the risk of several birth defects.

   NOTE: In case of pregnancy, you must always consult with your doctor before adding any type of home remedy or supplement to your diet.

8. Arrowroot Is Antibacterial:

   Arrowroot has got significant antibacterial properties and is known to speed up the recovery process. It is known to be potential enough in treating wounds and in impeding the spread of infection.

   You need to prepare a paste out of the arrowroot powder and water and apply it to your wounds and leave it for some time. This mixture has got a tremendous healing power and is known to be quite antibacterial and antiseptic in nature.

   NOTE: It must however be noted that severe cases of wounds need medical attention.

9. Arrowroot Might Help In The Treatment Of Diabetes:

   One of the finest health benefits of arrowroot could be that it benefits in treating diabetes. This might be because of its low glycemic index. It can be a real addition to your diabetes diet.⁽⁴⁾ Moreover. Arrowroot tubers are even good sources of dietary fiber and thus can help in the treatment of diabetes.⁽⁴⁾

   However, there are limited information about the anti-diabetic properties of arrowroot and so, if you are a diabetic, you definitely need to consult your doctor without simply relying on arrowroot.

10. Benefits of Arrowroot in Enhancing The Rate Of Metabolism:

    Arrowroot enhances the rate of metabolism of our body. The presence of vitamin B complex in arrowroot makes it quite beneficial in regulating the body’s metabolism. Folate content found in it also helps in controlling the hormonal activity. However, there is not scientific proof to this claim that it might help in restoring the levels of hormones.

    In addition to this, the B-vitamins are also known to be important for regulating the body’s circadian rhythm.

11. Arrowroot Promotes Blood Circulation:

    One more health benefit of arrowroot is that it enhances the circulation of the blood. There are fair amounts of minerals, such as iron and copper, which are crucial for the RBCs. Moreover, they are even essential for proper circulation of the blood in all parts and organs of the body. When the important organs and muscles receive enough amount of oxygenated blood, they prevent weakness, fatigue, and symptoms of anemia. Apart from this, an increased blood circulation to our nervous system also enhances memory and cognitive ability.

12. Arrowroot Is Packed With Vitamin B:

    We already know that arrowroot contains significant amount of vitamin B complex in it, especially niacin and riboflavin. Niacin is known for its wonderful ability to enhance the good cholesterol or the HDL and reduce the risk of several cardiovascular diseases. It is also found that a deficiency in niacin results in a disease called Pellagra that is characterized by dementia, diarrhea, dermatitis, and even death.

13. It Reduces The Cholesterol Levels:

    Another health benefit of arrowroot is that it helps in reducing the cholesterol levels in the blood which is actually achieved by enhancing the production of bile juice in our liver. As cholesterol is imperative for the synthesis of bile, the bile uptake by our gall bladder increases while the process. This result in lowering of the cholesterol levels in the blood.

    Apart from this, there are also some bioactive compounds, like cardiac glycosides, alkaloids, flavones, phenolic compounds, and saponins, which even help in maintaining a healthy level of blood cholesterol. So, adding arrowroot to diet can be beneficial for patients suffering from hypercholesterolemia.

14. It Is Best Substitute For Breast Milk And Good For Small Children:

    Because of the presence of zinc, magnesium, and iron; mineral that enhances growth and development, arrowroot in its powdered form can be one of the best substitutes for breast milk. It is also effective in treating bronchitis, diarrhea, and cough in newborn.

    It is also beneficial in providing relief from toothache. It pains when the milk toot erupts and the baby might also experience irritation as well as pain in the gums. In this case, chewing on the arrowroot biscuits could offer fair relief from the pain.

15. Arrowroot Treats Athlete’s Foot:

    Another health benefit of arrowroot is that it helps in treating athlete’s foot. Athlete’s foot is a kind of fungal infection of the foot that arises if the foot is exposed to dirty water for a longer time period or by wearing totally covered shoes all throughout the day. Applying arrowroot topically can treat athlete’s foot effectively because of its antifungal and antibacterial nature.

    Moisture and sweat is absorbed quickly by arrowroot powder and this makes it pretty difficult for the microorganisms to grow or make the infection worse.

16. Arrowroot Works As An Antidote For Poison:

    Arrowroot is also known to be beneficial in treating injuries or wounds that might be due to insect bites or even the scorpion venom. It works as an effective antidote for poison in various parts of the world.

17. Arrowroot Improves The Kidney Health:

    One of the best health benefits of arrowroot is its benefit in improving kidney health. The potassium amount present in it helps in removing harmful toxins and stressors from the blood circulation and the kidney; and by clearing the unwanted toxins one could keep a check on the blood pressure, improve the functioning of urinary system and even enhance body’s immunity.

    NOTE: Do no avoid or delay in visiting doctor and taking proper medical care in case of any symptom of ill health condition of kidney and prevent self from meeting with any kind of serious consequences.

18. Treats Urinary Tract Infection:

    One more health benefit of arrowroot is that it helps in treating UTI or the urinary tract infections and the infections of bladder. You can try this if you face frequent urinary infections.

19. Improved Sleep Benefits of Arrowroot:

    Are you suffering from insomnia or any other sleep disorders? Make sure that you are taking enough of food rich in magnesium. One such food if arrowroot that contains fair amount of magnesium in it. As per the United States Department of Agriculture, one serving of 100 grams of arrowroot has approximately 25 milligram of magnesium in it. And magnesium is known to improve the quality and quantity of sleep. So, adding arrowroot to your daily diet could also help you in enhancing healthy sleep.

20. Arrowroot Helps In Weight Loss:

    Are you looking for some remedies to reduce your extra body weight? You definitely need to try arrowroot. This helps in weight loss because it is contains very less fat.

    Moreover, the fiber content present in arrowroot along with various other minerals make you feel fuller for quite a long period of time. It not only fills you up but also offers you all the essential nutrients so as to keep your energy levels high.

    So, you can shed those extra pounds by adding arrowroot powder to your regular diet.

21. Skin Health Benefits Of Arrowroot:

    Arrowroot is also known for its incredible skin healing abilities. It is rich in vitamins, proteins, and antioxidants, all of which help in treating acne, scars, blemishes, dark spots, and skin rashes. Using the powder of arrowroot in your face mask is even essential for rejuvenating the dead skin cells and for bringing back your skin’s natural glow.

    It is also a fact that arrowroot starch is used in many cosmetic products and baby powders. The active ingredients in arrowroot powder seep into our skin and lock the moisture, when topically applied. Moreover, it is even a natural sweat absorbent.

22. Hair Health Benefits Of Arrowroot:

    Arrowroot powder has also got some good hair health benefits. You can use it as a dry shampoo. It has got wonderful moisture-absorbing ability and is thus helpful in reducing the greasiness happening in your hair.

If you are someone who is quite health conscious and want to try some herbal remedies for better health then you really need to try arrowroot and experience the benefits by yourself. However, make sure that in case of any serious illness or disease you must never delay in visiting your doctor.

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