From small size to big health gains - di benefits of tiger nuts

Tiger nuts na somtin wey don dey common across Nigeria as word on di street be say, dey help gbola to stand veri strong.

In fact, one of di popular local drinks wey dey non alcoholic wey pipo dey take na tiger nuts milk.

Howeva, recently, goment officials put di outbreak of cholera for Lagos state say na unregistered batch of tiger nut milk cause am.

So we go find out wetin dey dis tiger nuts dey do and why e dey popular for most parts of di world.

E dey popular for Africa, parts of Asia and Spain.

Tiger nuts no be nuts, dem be tiny dried brown tuber plant.

Dem dey taste like coconut and dey chewy. Pipo dey chop am and den troway di chaff of di nuts.

Hausa dey call am Aya, Yoruba dey call am Ofio and Igbo dey call am Aki Hausa, and anoda name for am na Hausa groundnut.

Dr Abosede Olowofoyeku wey get PhD in Drug Discovery and Development From Nature tell BBC News Pidgin say "tiger nuts na root plants, like yams and groundnuts".

She believe say di nutritional value of tiger nuts dey higher dan kunu and dis fit explain why e don dethrone am as one of di leading local drinks.

She reveal say, "Tiger nuts get more proteins and dem get plenti vitamins, and also becos some pipo dey use am as aphrodisiac. If you mix am wi dates, di claim be say e get some boosting libido effects, but I neva really check go dat side. But wetin I value for inside tiger nuts na as source of protein, oda vitamins and minerals wey dey inside."

One naturalist, Juliana Osakue wey don study how to use normal plants take cure sickness, say true true, tiger nuts dey work if dem prepare am well. She say nature don provide beta cure wey fit help pipo wey get dis kain man and woman wahala witout any side effects.

Dem say to make dis drink na just to grind di tiger nuts afta e don soak overnight, wit dates and coconut. Den sieve am to separate di juice from di chaff, and di juice don ready.

Some pipo sef dey add ginger to spice am and dem testify say e dey work wella, but some pipo say na just ordinary drink.

Dr Abosede tok say, "You fit juice am, you fit squeeze am, na di main way dem dey make am be dat becos pipo dey majorly use di juice and throway di chaff. But nowadays, pipo dey carry dat chaff, kon grind am to powder."

Howeva she warn of di risk of allergies wit nuts.

She say, "As far as I know, no disadvantages dey for tiger nuts.

"But you know say wit some kain foods wey dem dey call nuts, some pipo fit dey wey go fit get allergy for am. But I no sabi any downsides. Except dose pipo wey dey make dia tiger nuts milk kon and plenti sugar or too much dates inside am. Dat one fit no good for pipo wey get diabetes sake of say dates get plenti sugar for inside."

But Dr Abosede press on di fact say na "fit" dem fit get allergies.

As to wetin tiger nuts fit do, Dr Abosede note say most of di work wey tiger nuts dey do for bodi na nutritional rather dan medicinal.

She reveal say, "I no see am (tiger nut) as somtin wey get veri high medicinal value, but I see am as somtin wey get veri high nutritional value."

So wetin be some of di tins wey e fit help wit?

Constipation

Dr Abosede explain say, "E dey help wit tins like constipation, as e be good source of protein and fibre."

One article for di National Center for Biotechnology Information tok say, "Di solid by-product of tiger nuts milk na di main source of fibre. Wen you compare am to oda kain sources of dietary fibre like oat bran, rice bran, sugarcane waste, tiger nuts fibre get higher water holding and oil holding capacity. Studies show say foods wey dey rich in dietary fibre na di koko to prevent colon cancer, constipation, obesity and cardiovascular disease"

Diabetes

"For pipo wey get diabetes sha, to just take di tiger nuts milk like dat witout any sweetener actually dey veri healthy," na so Dr Abosede tok.

For one study by di International Journal of Diabetes in Developing Countries wey dem publish for 2015, di authors reveal say potential dey for tiger nuts to dey used as food wey go manage di blood sugar levels wey dey associated wit type 2 diabetes.

Weight loss

Dr Abosede explain say, "Dem fit mix tiger nuts inside all kain swallow and make healthy swallows mostly for pipo wey dey try to lose weight. Or pipo wey wan do keto diets."

She also add say as food, na beta plant substitute for milk.

Dr Abosede tok say, "If you drink am, e dey also help wit lactose intolerance. As na plant substitute for milk, di way almond milk be. And e no dey cause certain allergies for pipo di way oda nuts dey cause."

Di National Center for Biotechnology Information article also reveal say tiger nuts fit dey used for not only milk, but also gluten free bakery products, tiger nut oil and tiger nut pasta.