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CAIAPÓ – MORE THAN A SIMPLE FOOD
There are around 3,000 species of plants cultivated in the world nowadays, but only 150 have a real economic value in the international market, being the Caiapo culture one of the most important. Caiapo has been consumed for a long time as a regular item in meals among many populations, but recently it has been discovered that Caiapo is more than a simple tuber; it has some features that makes it a food with very healthy properties.
The real origin of Caiapo is still discussed, but the accepted theory is that it has its origins in Tropical America, from where it spreaded to other regions, even to Europe, Africa and Asia.
BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Scientific name: Ipomoea batatas
Family: Convolvulaceae
Used parts: Roots
Caiapó is a tuberous-rooted perennial plant, usually grown as an annual crop; the top is herbaceous, drying back to ground each year, with the stems forming a running vine up to 4m long, usually prostrate and slender, with lateral stem branches arising from the short stem; the leaves are ovate, borne on long petioles and the flowers are rare. The tubers may have many different shapes, according to the type of soil and cultivation techniques; the size can also vary, and some tubers may reach up to 1kg.
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND NUTRITIONAL PROPERTIES
Caiapo tubers contain great amounts of starch, reason why it’s used mainly as food; it also contains large amounts of sugars, mineral salts and vitamins. The table 1 shows the average content of nutrients in the tubers.
TABLE 1: AVERAGE CONTENT OF NUTRIENTS IN 100G OF CAIAPO TUBERS
Component |
Average content in 100g of fresh tubers |
Calories |
108 – 121 |
Water (g) |
68,0 – 72,0 |
Carbohydrates (g) |
25,0 – 31,0 |
Protein (g) |
1,0 – 1,7 |
Fat (g) |
0,2 – 0,4 |
Fiber (g) |
0,7 – 1,0 |
Ash (g) |
0,7 – 0,1 |
Calcium (mg) |
21,0 – 36,0 |
Iron (mg) |
0,7 – 2,0 |
Sodium (mg) |
10,0 – 36,0 |
Phosphorous (mg) |
38,0 – 56,0 |
Potassium (mg) |
210,0 – 304,0 |
Thiamine (mg) |
0,09 – 0,14 |
Riboflavin (mg) |
0,04 – 0,06 |
Niacin (mg) |
0,6 – 0,7 |
Ascorbic acid (mg) |
21,0 – 37,0 |
Sucrose and a few reducing sugars are present, but maltose, mannose and galactose also occur in trace amounts; the essential aminoacids present in the total proteins are arginine, histidine, lysine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, methionine, threonine, leucine, isoleucine and valine. Other substances in the fresh tubers are pectine, organic acids, phytosterols, tannins and resins.
USES
Cultivated mainly for the tuber, Caiapo is used as vegetable, eaten boiled, baked fried, or dried, or even dehydrated in chips.
The leaf decoction and the tubers are also used in folk remedies, being reported to be alterative, aphrodisiac, astringent, bactericide, demulcent, fungicide, laxative, and tonic. Caiapo is a folk remedy for asthma, bugbites, burns, catarrh, ciguatera, convalescence, diarrhea, fever, nausea, splenosis, stomach distress, tumors, and whitlows.
Several reports have shown the efficacy of Caiapo in controlling the glucose levels in cases of diabetes, as well as the cholesterol levels in the blood.
REPORTS
In a report published in the Nippon-Nogeikagaku-Kaishi Journal, in 1998, the authors report that Caiapo was found to have potential hypoglycemic activity in streptozotosin (STZ) induced diabetic rats and hereditary diabetic mice (Type II) by oral administration. However, in normal rats, serum glucose levels were not changed by treatment with Caiapo. In glucose tolerance tests, treatment of normal and STZ diabetic rats by Caiapo showed increased glucose tolerance and increased serum insulin levels like the tolbutamide treatment in response to oral glucose load. These results suggest that Caiapo has quite unique properties such as the increase of insulin secretion and improving insulin resistance. The same authors report in the Biosci-Biotechnol-Biochem Journal, in 2001, a study showing the isolation and purification of the antidiabetic component of Caiapo, which was presumed to be an acidic glycoprotein.
In another study, published in the Diabetes-Care Journal, the authors report the effect of Caiapo on glucose metabolism and serum cholesterol in patients with type II diabetes.
YERBALATINA OFFERS
Caiapo roots slices
Caiapo roots powder
Caiapo roots tea bag cuts
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