Duckweed Health Benefits: From Diabetes to Anaemia, Healthy Reasons to Have This New Superfood

Superfoods or foods that are considered to have exceptionally high nutrient content in variety are touted to be included in your diet with the aim to weight loss and improve overall health. Some of the most popular superfoods include berries, avocados, kefir, salmon, kale etc. that have changed the way we perceived healthy foods. More and more foods keep adding to the list of superfoods and the most recent food that has made the cut mankai duckweed. The aquatic plant strain of duckweed is excessively high in protein and also contains other impressive health benefits. The plant is known to control glycemic index post carb consumption and this discovery makes the duckweed one of the best foods for diabetics, for whom food choices are limited. The benefit of Mankai duckweed in terms of its glycemic control was researched by a team of researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) has determined. Hila Zelicha, a registered dietician (R.D.) and PhD student in the BGU Department of Public Health and her research was just published in Diabetes Care, the official journal of the American Diabetes Association.

Duckweed aka Lemnoideae is also water lenses in a more common term. We still don't know how much will these leaves cost once they commonly become available in form of shakes, but if you are Looking for List of Superfoods for 2019? Here Are Cheap & Easily Available Indian Alternatives to Expensive & Overrated Superfoods. Duckweed has been know to be extremely rich in several nutrients and has been a part of Southeast Asian diets for over hundreds of years. The superfood is called "vegetable meatball" in many regions due to its high-protein content which is more than 45% of the dry matter. It is deemed quite difficult to for vegans to find out plant-based sources of protein, so here are 7 High-Protein Vegetarian Foods For A Plant-Based Diet. Duckweed includes the complete protein profile of eggs and also contains all nine essential and six conditional amino acids. Besides, "Mankai is also rich in polyphenols, mainly phenolic acids and flavonoids (including catechins), dietary fibres, minerals (including iron and zinc), vitamin A, vitamin B complex, and vitamin B12, which is rarely produced by plants," as per the study.

Health Benefits of Mankai Duckweed:

Diabetes

The study had participants drink duckweed shakes and they showed a much better response in a variety of measurements including lower glucose peak levels; morning fasting glucose levels; later peak time; and faster glucose evacuation. This makes the superfood perfect for the diabetics.

Appetite

As per the study, participants who drank the mankai shakes reported feeling more full than participants who drank yoghurt shakes. This means that the superfood can make you feel fuller and resist untimely cravings. This, in turn, can help stop unwanted weight gain.

Nutrition Content

Duckweed is rich in dietary fibre, vitamins A, vitamin B complex and vitamin B12 and vital minerals like iron and zinc. Moreover, it is also a perfect source of protein. The nutritional profile of duckweed makes it an absolutely healthy ingredient.

Plant-Based Protein

The study determined that mankai duckweed may be used as an amazing alternative to plant-protein source, especially for diabetes. This kind of protien may also aid effective weight loss, especially for vegans.

Iron-Deficiency

This study also determined that iron from Mankai was efficient in treating iron-deficiency anaemia in anaemic rats to the same degree as the common treatment.

Mankai duckweed, in the research, was used in the form of a shake and was compared to yoghurt. Therefore, trying the superfood out in the form of a drink, initially would make more sense.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 08, 2019 05:43 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).