Jerusalem Artichokes... for gut and heart health

Have you ever wondered what to do with these questionable looking root vegetables?

Jerusalem artichokes, also known as ‘earth apples’ are a root vegetable with a tough dark skin, white and starchy-tasting inside and a flavour that closely matches white potato. Jerusalem artichokes are fantastic when it comes to intestinal health. These little roots are rich in inulin, a non-digestible dietary fibre with strong prebiotic properties. Inulin contains fructans, which are food for beneficial bacteria in the gut. By feeding the good intestinal bacteria, it’s possible to inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria. These superstar vegetables can also play a role in the prevention of colon cancer.

Studies show that the compounds created during the fermentation process of the dietary fibre inulin, suppress and block cancerous tumour cell growth in the colon. Part of the anti-cancer benefit of Jerusalem artichokes could be that it promotes healthy and regular bowel activity. The high levels of non-digestible inulin creates bulk, keeping our bowels regular and healthy.

Here are five more reasons to use Jerusalem artichokes in your diet:

1. Help to lower blood pressure. Studies show that feeding the native gut microbiota and warding off bad bacteria is an important part of the treatment and prevention of hypertension.

2. High in potassium. A one cup serving of Jerusalem artichokes contains 643mg of Potassium, which is essential for overall health, electrolyte balance, and can help to reduce heart disease. Increasing dietary potassium, in addition to reducing excess sodium, is especially beneficial for people at risk for high blood pressure.

3. Decrease blood cholesterol. Along with normalizing blood triglyceride levels, these root vegetables affect the way that the body metabolizes fats due to their high levels of probiotics.

4. One cup provides a quarter of your daily iron. A great vegetable source of iron, these veggies are a great way to increase your iron intake especially since it has no fat and only 109 calories per cup.

5. Rich in protein. Not only does this wonderful root contain more protein than most other root vegetables, it’s particularly high in the sulfur-containing essential amino acids taurine, methionine, homocysteine and cysteine. These sulfur-containing amino acids are important for maintaining the flexibility of connective tissue as well as allowing the liver carry out detoxification.

Our favourite way to enjoy Jerusalem artichokes in our household has been to slice them up raw and pickle them. Fermented foods are amazingly beneficial for gut health (see previous post), so fermenting Jerusalem artichokes which naturally possess gut healthy qualities in their raw state, will add super-concentrated amounts of gut healthy goodness to their already healthful properties!

And don’t I always say it?... All good health begins in the gut!

Try some of these wonderous, and under-utilised vegetables this week, and maybe they’ll become a popular vegetable in your home too!

In love and health,

Deena x