By: Chrislaine Bedic

Foods we love to eat these days may not be similar to what we love before. Some may remain as our favorite dish and some adds up to our list. We may change according to our demands or our needs. Good thing for us Filipinos even if we change our lists of favorite food one group on our list remains stable and unchangeable. Our love for Filipino delicacies will always be on our favorites. Sapin-sapin, Biko, Kalamay-hati, Kutsinta, Palitaw, Puto, Espasol, Puto-Bumbong, Bibingka are some of the examples of the mouth-watering delicacies we have.

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Photo Credit: GooglePhotos.com

Dioscorea esculenta ot Tugui, a rootcrop, is considered one of the ingredients of making other delicacies. In Marinduque, it has been an alternative staple food for rice and corn sometimes. Through this people were able to create or produce tasty foods for it to be eaten every day. For Ilocanos, Tugui is the main ingredient of their Ginata-an. This has also been used in making cracker and pastillas.

 

 

Tugui belongs to the family of Yam. It has hairy kidney-liked leaves. It is rich in carbohydrates and vitamins. Tugui at the same time can be very beneficial when it comes to our health.

Tugui can:

  •       Help endocrine and renal systems function effectively. It helps decrease water retention and alleviates nausea during pregnancy.
  •       Treat premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Because of the Vitamin B6 present in Tugui, experience during the premenstrual stage can be minimized.
  •       A good source of antioxidant metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism. Tugui contains rich amount of Manganese that can act as a co-factor in many enzymes for energy production.
  •       Help maintain blood sugars levels because they have very low sugar and can be absorbed in the bloodstream gradually.
  •       Be a good source of dietary fiber. Tugui have high fiber content that is responsible for controlling body weight.
  •       Help in functioning of nervous, urinary, respiratory systems efficiently. It can help in proper optimal glandular functioning.
  •       Aid digestion process through enlarging vessels and stimulating flow of bile juice.
  •       Help in controlling blood pressure levels because of the because of the potassium present in the crop.

Tugui can be very beneficial to our body but too much intake of this can cause certain side effects, like vomiting, diarrhea, and headache. And person with conditions like liver diseases, ovarian cancer and prostate cancer is advised to be very careful in eating this rootcrop.

It is through this food where we can satisfy our taste buds and can be very beneficial to our health condition as well. Eating this food is more satisfying and enjoyable if we eat with care and safety.

References:

http://www.agribusinessweek.com/developing-tugui-as-a-promising-rootcrop/

http://www.always10list.com/2011/11/10-of-most-delectable-filipino-native.html

http://naturecure.ygoy.com/2010/11/02/health-benefits-of-yams/

http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/benefits-of-yams-5758.html