A Starchy Mexican Root Vegetable
Jicama(Pachyrhizus erosus) is a root vegetable similar to a potato.
Research suggests jicama has multiple health benefits, including potential digestive support and disease prevention.
This article discusses jicama, its nutritional value, health benefits, and different ways to eat it.
Jamie Grill/Tetra Images / Getty Images
Jamie Grill/Tetra Images / Getty Images
Jicama: A Fruit, Seed, or Vegetable?
It is sometimes called a Mexican turnip or yam bean.
Nutritionists often recommend these low-GI food options to people with diabetes or to anyone who monitors theirblood sugar levels.
Supports Healthy Digestion
In addition, jicama supports healthy digestion through its fiber content.
Should Anyone Not Eat Jicama?
Like any food, there is the potential for anallergic reactionto jicama in certain people.
Itching around the mouth and other skin reactions have been documented in these cases.
In addition, be careful to consume only the flesh of jicama.
Remove the vegetables tough outer skin with a vegetable peeler or knife before eating it raw or cooked.
If desired, try it with salt, lime juice, and chili powder.
You might addit to a veggie trayor as a carrot substitute with salsa, hummus, or other dips.
Raw jicama could also be presented as a traditional salad topper, in coleslaws, or with coldshrimp salads.
Cooked
Just like potatoes and other root vegetables, jicama is tasty when cooked.
When it’s whole and unpeeled, jicama can be refrigerated and stored for one to two weeks.
Research suggests jicama’s nutritional benefits may span digestive support and disease prevention.
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