Bamboo shoots are a natural laxative as they are very high in dietary fiber content, which includes both insoluble fiber and soluble fiber, which adds bulk to your stool promotes regularity and improves your bowel function and helps prevent constipation.
Eating bamboo shoots has also been shown in studies to increase fecal volume and bowel movement frequency and support digestive health.
Bamboo shoots are packed lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose, which are insoluble fibers that help soften your stool and speed up intestinal transit time.
The fiber in bamboo shoots increases stool weight and stool volume, which makes it easier to pass and the fiber in bamboo shoots also promotes the beneficial gut bacteria and short chain fatty acid production, which aids digestion further.
Bamboo has also long been used in Asian traditional medicine to treat constipation.
And even research confirms that bamboo shoots consumption improves your bowel movement frequency, stool consistency and reduces straining to poop.
Eating bamboo shoots is good for you as bamboo shoots are high in fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and also support digestion, heart health and immunity.
The high fiber in bamboo shoots promote digestive health, regularity and gut health and aids in weight management.
Bamboo shoots are low in calories, which make them great weight control and low carb diets.
Bamboo shoots also contain compounds and antioxidants that fight free radicals, support skin health and overall vitality.
The bamboo shoots are also a good source of copper, manganese, potassium, vitamin B6, and vitamin E, supporting bone strength, energy and cell protection.
Eating bamboo shoots can also help lower your cholesterol and blood pressure and traditional uses of bamboo shoots include supporting liver health and acting as a natural antimicrobial.
Bamboo shoots taste mild and slightly sweet and earthy, along with having a crisp and crunchy texture that is similar to artichoke hearts, water chestnuts or even fresh corn, but they must be cooked because raw bamboo shoots are bitter and contain toxins.
And the flavor and the texture of the bamboo shoots depend heavily on the preparation, with fresh and properly boiled bamboo shoots being tender and subtly sweet, and canned bamboo shoots can be metallic or bland.
To make bamboo shoots safe to eat, you boil the bamboo shoots thoroughly to remove the natural toxins called cyanogenic glycosides and the bitterness.
The process of making the bamboo shoots safe to eat involves peeling, cutting and then simmering the bamboo shoots in some salted water and sometimes with rice bran/nuka for 1 to 2 hours or more.
Then you soak the bamboo shoots in some fresh water until they are tender and less bitter, which removes the bitterness and makes them safe to eat and use in soups, stir fries and other dishes.
The part of a bamboo shoot that is edible is the tender and soft pale white inner core, which can be found after you peel off the tough, dark, fibrous outer layers and discard the pointed tip and the hard base.
The young bamboo shoots are also best, and they have to be thoroughly cooked by boiling them to remove the toxins and natural bitterness before being sliced, chopped or added to soups, stir fries or other food dishes.
Bamboo shoots are better fresh as fresh bamboo shoots have superior flavor and texture, when compared to canned bamboo shoots.
Fresh bamboo shoots have a mild, sweet and asparagus like taste, but require more extensive preparation, like peeling and boiling the bamboo shoots to remove bitterness and toxins.
Canned bamboo shoots are still pretty good are safe and convenient, but are also often bland and slightly metallic in taste and stringy.
Canned bamboo shoots are perfect for quick meals, but fresh bamboo shoots taste much better.
For fresh bamboo shoots, choose younger and shorter bamboo shoots with yellow tips and not green, for less bitterness.
Bamboo shoots are also considered to be a superfood because the bamboo shoots are rich in fiber, protein, minerals, vitamins, phytosterols, antioxidants and also low in calories.
Eating bamboo shoots is very healthy for you and offer numerous health benefits, including weight loss, weight management, improved heart health, improved blood sugar control and immune system support.
Although before eating bamboo shoots, the bamboo shoots must be properly cooked to remove the natural toxins that are in bamboo shoots.
Raw bamboo shoots contain cyanogenic glycosides, which are toxic and so the bamboo shoots must be boiled to be safe for consumption.
The high fiber in bamboo shoots, is great for digestive health and promotes gut microbiota, and aids in weight management.
The minerals, like potassium, iron, manganese, magnesium and copper also support various metabolic functions in the body.
Bamboo shoots also contain Vitamin E, which is a powerful antioxidant and B vitamins like B6.
Bamboo shoots also have phenolic compounds, phytosterols, and polysaccharides with antioxidant, anti cancer and anti inflammatory properties and they are low in calories, which makes bamboo shoots a perfect choice for weight control and weight loss.
The high fiber in bamboo shoots, also promotes regularity and healthy gut bacteria and bamboo shoots can also help lower blood pressure and cholesterol and can help regulate blood sugar level.
The antioxidants in bamboo shoots also fight free radicals in the body, which reduces oxidative stress.
Bamboo shoots are also great for use in cereals, juices, snacks etc as a healthy ingredient.