Ar Vandens Kaštonai Jums Naudingi? Kaip Juos Valgyti?

2024 Autorius: Cecilia Ryder | [email protected]. Paskutinį kartą keistas: 2023-12-17 14:21

Ar žinojote, kad kai kurios daržovės auga ir po vandeniu ?

Geras pavyzdys yra vandens kaštonai. Eidami vardu, galite pagalvoti, kad jie priklauso kaštonų šeimai. Neteisingai! Kaštonai auga ant medžių, o vandens kaštonai - po vandeniu.

Jie labiau panašūs į vandens augalo, augančio sekliuose vandenyse, vaisius. Jie naudojami Indijos, Kinijos ir keliose Europos virtuvėse. Tyrimai įrodo, kad jie yra mineralų ir antioksidantų sandėliai. Bet kaip jie padeda tavo kūnui? Kaip galite juos vartoti? Ar jie saugūs? Kaip jie skonis?

Toliau slinkite, kad rastumėte atsakymus!

Turinys

• Kas yra vandens kaštonai? Kokios jų veislės?
• Kodėl populiarūs vandens kaštonai?
• Kokia yra vandens kaštonų nauda?
• Vandeninių kaštonų mitybos profilis
• Kaip vartoti / vartoti vandens kaštonus
• Kaip nusipirkti vandens kaštonų
• Kaip laikyti vandens kaštonus
• Kaip jūs galite sužinoti, ar vandens kaštonai pasisekė?

Kas yra vandens kaštonai? Kokios jų veislės?

„Shutterstock“

Vandeniniai kaštonai nėra riešutai. Tai vandens / povandeninės daržovės (arba gumbasvogūniai), augančios Kinijoje, Indijoje ir kai kuriose Europos dalyse. Vandeninių kaštonų pavadinimu auginamos dvi rūšys - Trapa natans (dar žinomi kaip vandens kaltropai arba jėzuitų riešutai) ir Eleocharis dulcis (1), (2).

Trapa natans (vandens kaltropas arba „molva“) auginamas Pietų Europoje ir Azijoje. Eleocharis dulcis auginami plačiai į Kiniją. Todėl „Trapa natans“vadinamas europiniu vandens kaštonu, o pastarasis - kiniškuoju vandens kaštonu (1), (2)

Europos kaštonų turi tris keturis smailas, kampas, ortogonalias, dideli vaisiai. Valgoma dalis yra riešutą primenanti vidinė šerdis. Kinų vandens kaštonų, kita vertus, atrodo labiau kaip ropės formos gumbai - apvalios ir minkštesnė.

Abi šios rūšys yra invazinės ir agresyvios piktžolės. Jie greitai auga ir ant tvenkinių, ežerų ir negiliai gilių vandens telkinių formuoja tankius kilimėlius (2).

Tačiau vietiniams žmonėms patinka valgyti šias vandens daržoves. Nulupti vandens kaštonai kepami, verdami, garinami, malami ir verdami įvairiais būdais. Matote, kad jis plačiai naudojamas Azijos virtuvėje, ypač autentiškame kinų maiste.

Ar kada susimąstėte, kodėl?

Skaityk toliau!

Kodėl populiarūs vandens kaštonai?

Vandeniniai kaštonai yra mineralų, vitaminų, krakmolo, skaidulų ir fenolio junginių sandėliai. Dėl jų krakmolo ir skaidulų kiekio jie puikiai papildo įprastą mitybą.

Kadangi vandens kaštonas turi didelę maistinę vertę, jis susijęs su keletu naudos sveikatai. Tai yra esminis ajurvedos komponentas. Jis yra žinomas dėl savo diuretikų, antiseptikų ir virškinimo savybių.

Vandens kaštonų preparatai gali padėti gydyti dizenteriją, viduriavimą, kraujavimą, lūžius ir uždegiminius sutrikimus (3). Norėdami sužinoti daugiau apie vandens kaštonų naudą sveikatai, slinkite žemyn!

Kokia yra vandens kaštonų nauda?

Vandeniniuose kaštainiuose yra daug antioksidantų ir priešuždegiminių junginių. Šie junginiai padeda ištaisyti virškinimo problemas, mažakraujystę ir nuovargį. Jie taip pat gali padėti sumažinti karščiavimą, skausmą ir uždegimą.

1. Sumažinkite skausmą ir uždegimą

Remiantis klinikiniais tyrimais, vandens kaštono ekstraktai slopina uždegiminių junginių, tokių kaip interleukinai ir azoto oksidas, gamybą. Veikliosios cheminės medžiagos šioje vaisių downregulate į genus, atsakingas už gaminant šiuos junginius (4).

Vandeniniuose kaštainiuose esantys fenolio antioksidantai pašalina laisvuosius radikalus jūsų sistemoje ir neleidžia jiems sukelti organų pažeidimų, uždegimo ir skausmo. Taigi vandens kaštonas turi stiprų skausmą malšinantį (nuskausminantį) poveikį jūsų kūnui (4).

With these properties, this aquatic vegetable can be used to treat skin irritation, stomach ulcers, fever, and age-related brain disorders (3), (4).

2. May Help In Managing Diabetes

Root vegetables like water chestnuts store water and nutrients and supply them to the plant. Hence, they are rich in fiber, minerals, antioxidants, and starches. Making water chestnuts a part of your diet may help manage diabetes (5), (6).

Though this vegetable has fair amounts of starch, its fiber and antioxidant content have the upper hand (5), (6).

3. Possess Antioxidant And Anticancer Effects

Potent antioxidant effects have been identified in various parts of water chestnut. Multiple experimental studies showed that the fruit and peel extracts of water chestnuts scavenged free radicals in subjects (7).

Hence, water chestnut can prevent/slow down lipid peroxidation, tumor proliferation (growth and metastasis), and DNA damage induced by free radicals. Flavonoids like luteolin, fisetin, and diosmetin are responsible for this property (7), (8).

According to lab trials, Chinese and European water chestnuts may exert anticancer activity against human breast, lung, and colon cells (8).

4. May Lower Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

Water chestnuts are high in minerals. Compared to wheat flour, water chestnut flour has higher potassium, magnesium, zinc, and copper content. This flour also retains its antioxidant properties, unlike wheat flour. Including it in your diet can help in regulating blood pressure (9).

Along with water chestnuts, adding dark green leafy and cruciferous vegetables also enhances heart health. Such high-potassium foods are known to relax your heart muscles and prevent stroke (10).

Moreover, these vegetables are low in calories and carbohydrates. They may help people with hypertension to lose weight (10).

5. Exhibit Antimicrobial Activity

Water chestnut extracts can eliminate bacterial strains like Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes. Shigella sonnei and Bacillus cereus were also found to be susceptible in another study. Water chestnut extracts inhibited the growth of helminths (worms and insects) as well (11), (12), (13).

These studies prove the antibacterial nature of green and red water chestnuts. Since they can kill several pathogenic strains, their extracts can be used to treat bacterial infections (11), (12).

Moreover, this antibacterial activity is comparable to the effect of standard antibiotics (like kanamycin). Therefore, adding water chestnut to your food may increase its shelf life (11). This plant may also purify water bodies with this antimicrobial effect.

Such health and ecological benefits are attributed to the mineral, vitamin, and phytochemical content of water chestnuts.

Find out more about their nutritional value in the following section.

Nutritional Profile Of Water Chestnuts

The water chestnut plant contains minerals like calcium, phosphorus, iron, copper, manganese, magnesium, sodium, and potassium.

The fruit kernels contain vitamins A, B, and C, and functional proteins.

The water chestnut fruits contain carbohydrates, minerals, and fair amounts of phenolic compounds. The flavonoids, flavones, saponins, phytosterols, oils, and tannins in them contribute to their antioxidant properties. It is these polyphenols that scavenge free radicals from your system (14).

Consuming water chestnuts means supplying your body with all these phytonutritional components.

How can you do it? Can you eat raw water chestnuts or should they be processed?

Keep reading for answers!

How To Use/Consume Water Chestnuts

Freshwater chestnuts can be eaten raw after peeling and washing them well. They are crispy and taste mildly sweet, similar to lotus root.

No matter how long you cook or steam them, these corns have a magical power to remain crunchy.

Therefore, you often see them added to soups, ramen, stew/stocks, and any broth-like preparation for a fresh and crunchy twist.

Don’t you want to taste water chestnuts? Let’s stir up something quick with them!

Here’s a simple recipe you can try in your kitchen right away!

Water Chestnut And Veggies Stir Fry

What You Need

• Olive oil: 1-2 tablespoons (enough for a stir fry)
• Water chestnuts: 1 ounce (canned or fresh), sliced
• Broccoli florets: 5-6, washed and cleaned
• Snow peas: 1 pound, fresh, trimmed
• Baby corn kernels: 6-8, fresh, sliced into halves
• Bell peppers: 1-2 medium-sized, sliced long
• Fresh mint: 1 tablespoon, chopped
• Sesame seeds: 2 tablespoons
• Salt: to taste
• Pepper: to taste
• Skillet: 1, medium-large

Let’s Make It

1. Place a large skillet over a medium-high flame and add olive oil.
2. Once the oil is hot, stir in the broccoli, snow peas, baby corn, and bell peppers. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. Toss in the water chestnuts, mint, and sesame seeds.
4. Cook and stir well for about 3-5 minutes more, until the vegetables are tender.
5. Sprinkle salt and pepper and give a final stir.
6. Serve hot alongside rice, noodles, or flatbreads.

Such sides or stir-fries are a super healthy and tasty way of incorporating these nutty water vegetables into your diet.

This dish can give your body a boost of antioxidants and much-needed micronutrients.

You can find a horde of such quick, simple, and nutritious recipes with water chestnuts. They go very well with greens, chicken, and meat dishes.

You can dry water chestnuts and get them milled for flour. Water chestnut flour can be used in baking and cooking, similar to wheat flour.

But before you think about cooking with it, let’s talk about how to pick the best water chestnuts at the grocery store.

How To Buy Water Chestnuts

You can find fresh water chestnuts if you live close to a pond or a lake that has been invaded by this plant. If not, you can get them from supermarkets that sell international foods or Asian grocery stores.

Pick the hard and glossy ones. Ensure that they have no pits, bruises, or mushy spots. Good quality and healthy water chestnuts should look bright and white on the inside. They should taste sweet and nutty.

How To Store Water Chestnuts

After buying water chestnuts, store them unpeeled in paper bags in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also freeze them in suitable containers. They last up to 5-6 months at 0ºF.

It is better to peel water chestnuts just before use. Storing peeled ones in water may rob them of their fresh taste and texture.

If you still wish to do so, keep them in this condition only for 2-3 days. Change the water every day.

Some of us find it convenient to cook and store such vegetables. The best way to do so is to boil water chestnuts, peel them, pack them in freezer bags/suitable containers, and freeze.

Label the bags with the date of packing. Leave enough headspace in each bag to prevent rotting or partial freezing.

Cooked, peeled, and frozen water chestnuts will last up to a year if stored the right way.

Another fuss-free option is using canned water chestnuts. Good quality water chestnuts are washed, peeled, and stored in brine (saltwater) before canning. You can buy them here.

You can use canned water chestnuts just like the fresh ones. They taste similar. Once opened, the leftovers need to be stored in fresh, filtered water. Change the water every day.

How Can You Tell If Water Chestnuts Have Gone Bad?

Water chestnuts spoil quickly if not stored well. Do not use the canned contents if they smell off and feel slimy.

Fungal molds may develop in the containers if you don’t change the water. This can also happen in the cans.

Be careful when you are buying water chestnuts – fresh or canned ones.

Sometimes, the fresh ones may be picked from a lake/pond that has polluted/contaminated water. Therefore, stick to a trusted source/brand.

Also, check the expiration date and storage conditions before purchasing canned water chestnuts.

In Summary

Water chestnuts are aquatic corns that grow in shallow water bodies. The plant and its fruits are rich in minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and starches. This is why they have been traditionally used to treat dysentery, diabetes, and blood pressure.

Their antioxidant activity is also thought to reduce the risk of cancer. However, there is not enough information about its safety and side effects.

Hence, talk to your dietitian or healthcare provider about water chestnuts. If permitted, try cooking and baking with it. Follow our storage tips to recreate that favorite Chinese dish of yours any time of the year! Share your feedback in the section below.

14 sources

„Stylecraze“turi griežtas apskaitos gaires ir remiasi recenzuojamais tyrimais, akademinių tyrimų įstaigomis ir medicinos asociacijomis. Vengiame naudoti tretines nuorodas. Skaitydami redakcijos politiką galite sužinoti daugiau apie tai, kaip užtikriname, kad mūsų turinys yra tikslus ir aktualus.

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