Jicama is a globe-shaped root vegetable with papery, golden-brown skin and a starchy white interior. It is a good source of fiber. A 1-cup or 130-gram (g) serving of raw jicama contain 6.4 g of dietary fiber.
According to Food and Drug Administration (FDA), most Americans do not get enough fiber. The recommended daily intake of dietary fiber is 25 g a day for females and 38 g for males. For those over 50 years of age, the daily intake recommendations are 21 g for females and 30 g for males. Its flesh is juicy and crunchy, with a slightly sweet and nutty flavor. Some think it tastes like a cross between a potato and a pear. Others compare it to a water chestnut. Dietary fiber can prevent or treat constipation. It can also help stabilize a person's blood sugar, which may help treat or prevent diabetes. High-fiber diets also promote regular bowel movements and reduce the risk of heart disease, according to the FDA.
Packed with Nutrients:
- Calories: 49
- Fat: 0.1 gram
- Carbs: 12 grams
- Protein: 1 gram
- Fiber: 6.4 grams
- Iron: 4% of the RDI
- Vitamin C: 44% of the RDI
- Folate: 4% of the RDI
- Potassium: 6% of the RDI
- Manganese: 4% of the RDI
- Magnesium: 4% of the RDI
How to eat:
Eaten raw, jicama tastes similar to an uncooked potato but slightly juicier and sweeter. A person can use jicama to add flavor and texture to a variety of dishes. Try adding it to a Mexican fruit salad or thinly slicing it to give some crunch to a vegetable salad. Some other, easy ways to prepare jicama include thinly slicing the jicama, sprinkling it with sea salt and lime juice, and serving on top of avocado.
Safety:
For people interested in trying jicama, it is basic to realize that just the root vegetable is sheltered to eat. Whatever remains of the plant, including the beans and blossoms, contain rotenone. An individual ought to likewise evacuate the dark colored skin before eating Jicama. Rotenone is a characteristic bug spray that is lethal to people, particularly in expansive dosages. Research recommends that expending rotenone may raise an individual's danger of creating Parkinson’s. Any individual who builds up an unfavorably susceptible response or stomach related indications in the wake of expending Jicama ought to maintain a strategic distance from it later on.
