12 Health benefits of Elephant Foot Yam or Suran vegetable

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Elephant foot yam is the English name for oal or suran vegetable; actually, it has been named because of its transversal structure and looks. It has numerous health benefits. Let us check some of them.

What is Elephant foot yam?

elephant foot yam
elephant foot yam

Elephant foot yam is a tuber crop and is also raised as a cash crop. After cutting into two halves; elephant’s foot yam looks the same as the elephant’s foot. After getting ripe its edible root yam gets pink-brown and the upper shoot gets grown and leafy green.

Classification of the vegetable:

Elephant foot yam belongs to the kingdom Plantae and ‘Araceae’ family. Its binomial name is “Amorphophallus paeoniifolius”. The green shoot part of the plant is also edible. Elephant’s foot yam is very stony and hard in look. It looks similar to rock not like most of the vegetables which are very attractive and juicy in look.

Yam is suitable for all age groups. Suran is also good for diabetic patients. The yellow-pink flesh is highly nutritive and tasty. It has the same size as football and weighs up to 30 lbs.

plant of elephant foot yam / suran
plant of elephant foot yam

Where is it grown?

This veggie is fibrous in nature and is mostly grown in Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Odisha. In Hindi, it is called ‘oal’, in Tamil it is called ‘Senai kizhangu’, in Telugu it is known as ‘Pulla ganda’ and ‘Oluo’ in Oriya. Not only in India this yam is popular in many countries abroad.

Recipes of Elephant foot yam:

Elephant’s foot yam is prepared in many varieties like; Gravy curries, chutneys, bharta, finger sticks, pickles, French fries etc.  It is also prepared as curries or soups.

elephant foot yam curry
elephant foot yam curry

In Hindu culture, there is a ritual of eating yam recipe on Diwali festival. The fresh yam is very yummy yet very itching in nature. By eating this, your throat and mouth can itch a lot.

To avoid the itching some sour ingredient like Amchoor powder or lemon is used while preparing it. Elephant’s foot yam has a very cooling effect; so it should not be consumed by those suffering from a respiratory ailment like asthma or sinus allergy.

It is good to cure hypertension and stress. Yam is also a medicinal plant; it is the major ingredient in Ayurvedic medicines.

chopped yam
chopped yam

Health benefits :

  1. Yam is a natural remedy meant to cure Bowel movement and also aids in constipation, intestinal heat and cramps.
  2. It is also used as a slimming food as it is a low-fat food and lowers the cholesterol level and promotes weight loss. In addition, it also clears the vein blockage and arterial blockage.
  3. Yam is rich in magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, potassium and many trace metals. These metals are responsible for sharp memory and concentration power.
  4. Through a survey, it has been concluded that yam contains ‘Diosgenin’. Which has the potential to fight carcinogens (cancer-causing agents).
  5. Elephant’s foot yam contains carbohydrates and protein equivalent to potatoes. It provides you with instant energy. Its regular consumption keeps you fit and healthy.
  6. Yam lowers the Insulin level thus aiding in blood sugar. Its adequate consumption lowers diabetes.
  7. Yam is rich in dietary fibers thus home for probiotic bacteria. This strengthens your digestion and boosts your immune system. It has the potential to prevent colon cancer and breast cancer.
  8. Elephant’s foot yam regulates the secretion of estrogen thus gifting you a fit hormonal balance.
  9. Yam is a good anti-inflammatory agent that aids in joint pain and arthritis pain. It is also good to cure muscle spasm and inflammation.
  10. Yam is a good detoxifier too; it is helpful to detoxify/cleanse your body system keeping your internal organs clean. It flushes out toxins and keeps your liver, intestines, and stomach free from pathogens.
  11. As an Ayurvedic medicine, it is helpful to cure piles and haemorrhages. The paste can be applied to dermal problems and arthritis pain.
  12. It is rich in Vitamin C thus helps to cure premature ageing. It slows the process of ageing making your skin look blemish-free and young.

Conclusion:

Elephant’s foot yam is full of nutritious values. Many of us think of it as a nutritious-less vegetable. But it is not right! Each and every vegetable is full of health benefits.

Each and every vegetable posse some unique benefit; yet many of the kids hesitate to consume veggies. Everyone, whether it is kid or adult, should intake the proper amount of vegetables for good health.

These are the mother nature heritage itself. So guys, Eat well live well.

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6 Comments

  1. aaryambal October 8, 2016
    • Avatar of Shalini Jaiswal Shalini Jaiswal October 13, 2016
  2. R.Rajan October 9, 2016
    • Avatar of Shalini Jaiswal Shalini Jaiswal October 13, 2016
  3. Shri Hariji February 25, 2018
    • Avatar of Shalini Jaiswal Dr. Shalini Jaiswal March 2, 2018

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