Tiger Nuts are a Great Alternative for People with Nut Allergies

Tiger Nuts are a Great Alternative for People with Nut Allergies

If you or your children suffer from nut allergies, there is an alternative that has the nutritional qualities of nuts without the allergy problems. They are called tiger nuts or chufa. They are actually not nuts but small tubers that grow in the ground. Discovered about 4,000 years ago, tiger nuts come from North Africa and are part of the daily diet for people in North Africa and Spain. In North Africa, people eat them in their natural form, while in Spain tiger nuts are made into a milk called “horchata de chufa.” A 2002 study on patients suffering from multiple food allergies noted that tiger nut allergy “has rarely been reported” despite the fact that tiger nuts and tiger nut milk are widely consumed in some areas.

According to TigerNuts.com, tiger nuts contain a powerful energy compound as well as nutrients. They are high in fiber, proteins and natural sugars. Tiger nuts also have a high content of oleic acid, certain minerals (phosphorous, potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron) and vitamins (B1, E, and C). There are many claims about their health benefits. This summer, the Nigerian news media reported the health claims of tiger nuts by a nutritionist at a Nigerian hospital. The nutritionist claimed that tiger nuts help prevent cardiovascular diseases, strokes and cancer. Read more about cancer prevention

There may be something to the claims by the Nigerian nutritionist

A Nigerian study compared the nutritional qualities of tiger nut, coconut and soy milk. Researchers found that all three had similar protein content, while tiger nut and coconut milks had higher fat content than soy milk. Tiger nut milk had the highest levels of oleic acid. The study notes that tiger nut is "reported as very healthy and it helps in preventing heart attacks, thrombosis and activates blood circulation. It helps in preventing cancer, due to high content of soluble glucose.” The study also notes that tiger nuts have been found to help reduce the risk of colon cancer, and are “suitable for diabetic persons."Read more about colon cancer

What about the taste? The company Tiger Nuts USA which sells organic tiger nuts describes them as “sweet tasting.” Not bad for something that is not actually a nut, isn’t eaten by tigers, and can be safely eaten by those with nut allergies.

Image: LondonBrad

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Andrea Donsky, RHN
Andrea Donsky, B. COMM is an international TV Health Expert, Best Selling Author, Nutritionist Podcast Host, and Founder of NaturallySavvy.com—a recipient of Healthline’s Best Healthy Living Blogs for 2019. As a pioneer and visionary in the health food industry, Andrea’s passion is to inspire people to make healthier choices. Andrea has combined her background and expertise as both a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and an entrepreneur ("She Boss!") to educate the public on living a healthy lifestyle through the creation of her businesses, books, articles, podcasts, videos, talks, and TV and radio media appearances. Andrea founded Naturally Savvy Media Inc. in 2007 in order to share her passion for healthy living, and love for natural products and companies. Among her numerous publications, Andrea co-authored Unjunk your Junk Food published by Simon and Schuster, a book that journalist, author and mother Maria Shriver endorsed: “Unjunk Your Junk Food has certainly made me more aware about the food that my children eat and the effects it has on our body and mind."</P. Andrea also co-authored two e-books entitled Label Lessons: Your Guide To A Healthy Shopping Cart, and Label Lessons: Unjunk Your Kid’s Lunch Box.