Making sure that your child consumes the right foods all the time is probably one of the toughest and most challenging jobs on earth! One of the healthiest and easy ways to make those fussy heads eat their veggies is to sneakily include yucca roots in their diet. Yucca is a starchy root vegetable that grows in sub-tropical climates. It contains good amounts of proteins, minerals, fibre, vitamin K, vitamin C, folate, and potassium. Some of the easiest ways to include yucca root in your child’s diet are to mash them into a paste and include them in curries or use them as soup thickener, stir fry them with other tasty vegetables like broccoli and carrots, or simply fry them in minimal oil to make them look and taste like crisps.
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Here are some of the vital benefits of your children eating yucca root regularly:
1. Increases energy levels
Yucca contains high proteins and fibre, among other healthy ingredients like vitamins and minerals. These help the carbohydrates and glucose burn down easily and produce energy to help your child pull off their days happily by remaining active throughout.
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2. Replenishes the tissues
The vitamin C, fibre, proteins, amino acids, and fibre contents in yucca roots help in replenishing and re-growing the tissues of your child’s developing body. The proteins present in yucca roots, namely lysine, leucine, isoleucine, and valine, are well known for repairing and strengthening the tissues in the body.
3. Strengthens bones
Childhood is the prime period for proper orthopaedic development. It is vital to see that your child gets the required quantity of calcium for proper bone and enamel health. Surprisingly yucca roots contain pretty high levels of vitamin K, which is unknown to most people. Vitamin K helps in improving bone mass and density by improving the body’s ability to effectively absorb calcium.
4. Lowers cholesterol levels
In the current social setting, junk food has become a hot favourite for kids. Eating fatty foods from restaurants even once every week might add to the existing cholesterol levels of your child. Make sure that you balance it by making them eat healthy for the rest of the days. Yucca roots contain a handsome quantity of proteins and fibre, which reduce the ‘bad’ cholesterol. A research conducted in the Philippines has revealed that yucca roots decrease the level of LDL, which is potentially harmful.
5. Prevents constipation
As yucca root contains a good amount of fibre, it acts as an excellent digestive agent. The fibre breaks down the complex enzymes into simple forms so that the excreta can easily pass through the intestines and the bowel is cleansed regularly. Most children take time to adjust to their morning bowel cleansing routines. Proper digestion of food might make it easier for them to manage their bathroom time appropriately.
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6. Controls weight
Obesity is another evil health destroyer that lurks behind most children nowadays, due to a major change in their lifestyles as compared to lifestyles of children even a decade ago. As a parent, it is important for you to monitor your child’s BMI. Include yucca roots in their diet to control weight. It contains ‘amylase’, a complex carbohydrate, which requires time to break down and hence increases satiety. Eating a bowl of yucca-infused veggie stew will keep the child full for hours, hence they will not demand post meal snacks!
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7. Regulates blood sugar levels
High level of blood sugar is another thing to worry about in this age of parenting. Phew! The fibre and folate present in yucca root breaks down the glucose in the blood and transforms it to energy, which is burned by playing. In this way, the child’s blood sugar level can be kept under control.
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8. Prevents anaemia
Yucca root contains iron, which helps in the production of red blood cells and proper flow of blood throughout the body. Iron also helps increase the production of two vital components in the blood – haemoglobin and myoglobin, both of which help carry the blood to the tissues.
9. Boosts functioning of the brain cells
Children are always on the lookout for unleashing new knowledge learning new activities. For proper learning, they need healthy foods to boost their brain cells. Yucca root contains vitamin K, which nourishes the brain cells and prevents neuronal damage.
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10. Improves skin quality
During this period of playing outside, your child might contract skin diseases from the high pollution all around. Yucca root has ‘photoprotective properties’ that save your child’s skin from being damaged by the UV rays of the sun. According to researcher, eating a bowl of yucca can prevent dandruff, rashes, infections, and can heal sores. Now you can let the little one go out and play without worrying much about potential skin issues!
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11. Boosts overall immunity
As a child grows in the early years, it is vital to provide them with all the nutrients that will boost their immunity. The child as this stage is preparing to survive all odds. Yucca root contains a wide range of vitamins, proteins, and minerals, which help in boosting your child’s overall health conditions and strengthen their immunity. The fibre in yucca promotes the growth of probiotics that kill harmful bacteria. A small bowl of yucca root soup can work wonders for your child’s development.
With most children nowadays choosing junk foods over the healthier options, it has become even more difficult for parents to make them eat right. But with yucca root infused in their regular and highly demanded tasty foods, you can help the little ones grow into healthy youngsters with larger aspirations and the energy to achieve their best!
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