Taro – What Is Taro and Some Surprising Benefits Of This

Here are some facts about taro including its benefits.

TARO – These are the different health benefits of taro, a starchy root vegetable that contains many nutrients.

Colocasia esculenta or taro which is also called eddo or dasheen. This starchy root vegetable is native to southeastern Asia. Apart from being a famous milk tea flavor, the root has many uses. It is cooked and made into puddings and bread and its large leaves are stewed.

Taro
Photo lifted from Masterclass

The root has a brown outer skin that must be peeled and a white flesh that has purple specks on it. The taste is slightly sweet and the texture is very much similar to potatoes when cooked.

When it comes to benefits, this vegetable is filled with fiber and other essential nutrients. One cup or 132 grams of cooked taro has 187 calories and here are the other contents according to the source:

  • Fiber: 6.7 grams
  • Manganese: 30% of the daily value (DV)
  • Vitamin B6: 22% of the DV
  • Vitamin E: 19% of the DV
  • Potassium: 18% of the DV
  • Copper: 13% of the DV
  • Vitamin C: 11% of the DV
  • Phosphorus: 10% of the DV
  • Magnesium: 10% of the DV

Keep in mind that raw taro corms and leaves are poisonous. Make sure to cook it before consuming it. There are also many ways to cook taro such as steamed, simmered, mashed, boiled, fried, or baked. You can even roast it in the oven to have crispy fries or chips out of this vegetable.

Based on Food Print, it has Vitamin E, Vitamin B-6, Vitamin C, potassium, and manganese and minerals like folate, calcium, and iron. Among the health benefits of this include improved digestion because of its fiber.

It can also help promote healthy vision, skin, circulation, and immune system function due to the various vitamins it contains. It also has resistant starch that helps manage blood sugar.

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