Friday, June 17, 2011

Plant shoots Anti Cholesterol



Bamboo shoots or shoots have long known to our society as food, made ​​especially for vegetables. If you liked the spring rolls, a typical snack Semarang, you know, in it there is sliced ​​bamboo shoots. In addition to delicious processed, bamboo shoots are also rich in dietary fiber and potassium. That means bamboo shoots can be used as suppressive levels of bad cholesterol in the blood. These benefits are also recognized Jaya. Father of two children was experienced with the properties of bamboo shoots. Like most other workers, Jaya is also fond of fried foods. Consequently, when approaching a half-century old, his body no longer able to neutralize the accumulated fat in the blood.

Jaya complain often giddy. "After sleeping, I can hardly open my eyes for the sky as it spins," he said. After went to the doctor, he was convicted of high cholesterol levels. The results of laboratory tests showed the value of cholesterol 240 mg / dl, normal maximum of 200 mg / dl. Doctors recommend Jaya reduce the intake of fried foods and increase fiber. Incidentally a few months he often ate vegetables shoots and the results were pretty. The results of laboratory tests, cholesterol in the range of 180 mg / dl. Although it is recognized not only because bamboo shoots, the experience made ​​him confident of the benefits of this vegetable from bamboo shoots.

High-Fiber Bamboo Shoots

Shoots was selected as a viable source of natural fiber. Based on research known fiber content of bamboo shoots pretty good food, which is 2.56 percent, higher when compared with other tropical vegetable species, such as soy bean sprouts (1.27 percent), pecay (1.58), cucumber (0.61), and mustard (1.01).

Dietary fiber is a form of complex carbohydrate compound that is widely available in the cell walls of food plants. Dietary fiber can not be digested and absorbed by the human digestive tract, but the function is important for health maintenance, disease prevention, and as an important component of nutrition therapy.

It should be recalled that the lack of fiber can cause diseases ala-Western societies, such as atherosclerosis (clogged arteries), which in turn could lead to coronary heart disease (CHD), diabetes, hypercholesterolemia (excess cholesterol), hypertension, hyperlipidemia (excess fat ), or cancer of the colon (large intestine).

In addition to fiber, the main compounds in the raw bamboo shoots is water, which is about 91 percent. Bamboo shoots contain protein, carbohydrates, fats vitamins A, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin C, as well as other minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, and potassium. Potassium content in bamboo shoots is quite high, ie 533 mg per 100 grams of bamboo shoots.

Growing Throughout the Year

Bamboo shoots are young shoots of bamboo plants that appear on the bottom surface of the clump. In the English language called bamboo shoot bamboo shoot. Bamboo shoots growing at the base of a bamboo grove and is usually filled glugut (bamboo hair) are itchy. Cone-shaped bamboo shoots, each end glugut have sections such as bamboo leaf tip, but the color is brown.

According to botanical classification, bamboo plants including monocot class doneae, order Graminales, subfamily Dendrocalamae, Dendrocalamus genus, species Dendrocalamus asper. Harvesting bamboo shoots can be done throughout the year. Harvest occurs during the rainy season, ie between the months of December to February.

Taken are bamboo shoots that can not grow up. Not all bamboo shoots growing bamboo can live into adulthood. There are times when the shoots have stopped growing a few weeks old and eventually die. Usually bamboo shoots are harvested when the high reached 20 cm from ground level, with a trunk diameter of about 7 cm. When harvested late, in 2-4 months bamboo shoots have become complete.

Boiled Salt Water

Bashori, one of the farmers in the region Sawangan bamboo shoots, Depok, noting that some types of bamboo can not grow up, so it must be harvested when young. However, if none, any bamboo shoots can be taken for vegetables. "In addition to inexpensive, bamboo shoots are also easy to obtain, in the traditional markets and supermarkets. When about to be cooked or processed, do not forget to boil it with salt water so that the smell pesingnya lost, "he said. In the market, sold in the form of whole bamboo shoots and thin slices. However, most people prefer bamboo shoots daiam intact form because it could look directly freshness.

Not only disayur

Although there is no scientific evidence or sufficient medical study, some people believe bamboo shoots have properties that nourish the body. In traditional medicine, yellow bamboo shoots are often used to lower blood cholesterol levels.

Bamboo shoots have long been used to treat cough and fever. To make nutritious ingredients, there is no special way.

Bamboo shoots can be enjoyed as a single vegetable or as a mixture of the contents of spring rolls, stir, stir, boiled vegetables, coconut milk and curry. Bamboo shoots are also often made ​​pickles and pickles are very tasty snack to serve. Foodstuffs can even be used as flour and vinegar.

To reduce the risk of poisoning, should be washed and then boiled bamboo shoots. When boiling, mix salt to taste so distinctive smell of stale urine smell no longer shoots.

Curious to know the taste of the benefits of bamboo shoots? Go ahead and try.