4 Amazing Benefits Of Tapioca You Never Knew

Tapioca is the starch extracted from the roots of the cassava (Manihot esculenta) plant native to South America. It is a popular gluten-free alternative for people with celiac diseaseⁱ  An immune reaction to gluten in which its consumption can inflame and damage the intestine’s lining. and a staple for millions around the world. This carbohydrate-rich starch is available in the form of flour, pearls, and flakes and can be used to make pudding or bubble tea. It is ideal for people who are on restricted diets. So, how does tapioca actually benefit your health?

In this article, we explore the health benefits of tapioca, its nutrition, possible side effects, and a few simple recipes to try.

Know Your Ingredient: Tapioca

What Is It?
Starch extracted from the roots of the cassava (Manihot esculenta) plant.

What Are Its Benefits?
It may improve digestion, aid in weight gain, promote heart health and boost breast milk production.

Who Can Use It?
It is considered safe for most people for those with pre-diabetes and diabetes.

How Often?
You can consume it daily in moderation.

Caution
Consuming improperly processed cassava products can be dangerous as they may contain cyanogenic glycosides and may also cause konzo, anaphylaxis.

What Is Tapioca?

Tapioca is produced by squeezing the liquid out of ground cassava roots. The liquid is then allowed to evaporate, leaving behind a fine tapioca powder.

Tapioca is used as a thickening agent in soups and sauces as it has a neutral flavor and strong gelling power. There are many tapioca varieties available on the market, including chips, noodles, and wraps. These are used in traditional as well as innovative cuisine. Pearls are the most common form of tapioca, which are opaque when raw but become translucent when cooked in boiling water. You can find tapioca in the gluten-free section of supermarkets and food stores.

So, what nutrients does tapioca provide? Keep scrolling to know more about its vitamin and mineral content.

Tapioca Nutrition Facts

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one cup (152g) of dry, pearl tapioca contains (1):

So is tapioca healthy? Yes, this nutrient-rich profile of tapioca is sure to benefit your health in many ways. We explore its four major benefits in the following section. Keep reading.

Health Benefits Of Tapioca

The starch obtained from the root of cassava benefits your body in many ways. Here are the top advantages you should know about.

1. May Improve Digestion

Trista Best, RDN, says, “Tapioca is quite easy to digest and easy on the gut since it is not inflammatory in nature. This allows it to help mitigate and prevent gastrointestinal issues common to other flours and thickeners.” Besides, the fiber in tapioca may help improve digestive health. A review published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology suggests that dietary fiber intake may increase stool frequency in people with constipation (2). Moreover, high fiber intake may also reduce the risk of distal colon cancer (3).

Additionally, since digestive health is associated with skin conditions like eczema and acne, adding tapioca to your diet may improve your skin health. However, more research is needed to support this claim.

2. May Support Weight Gain

Lisa Richards

, a nutritionist, says, “There are times when weight gain is necessary for an individual whether it be for personal fitness goals or to improve health. Tapioca makes an excellent aid to a diet focused on weight gain”. “A cup of tapioca pearls is over 500 calories and approximately 135 grams of carbohydrates. One of the most beneficial aspects of using tapioca for weight gain is the fact that it will not cause an increase in cholesterol like other means of weight gain tend to do,” she adds.

Trivia

The word tapioca derives from tipi’óka, which means sediment or coagulant in the Tupi language, and refers to the starch sediment obtained during the extraction.

3. May Promote Heart Health

Tapioca contains no saturated fat. Long-term trials found that reduced saturated fatty acid intake may decrease the risk of combined cardiovascular diseases by 21 percent (4). Another study found that the antioxidant flavonoids and alkaloids in cassava help manage cardiovascular complications, including heart disease.  Furthermore, fiber is anti-dyslipidemic – it helps reduce the risk of abnormally high cholesterol levels in the blood. This also contributes to a reduced cardiovascular disease risk (5). However, more studies are needed to understand this phenomenon of tapioca in humans and how it helps the heart and immune system.

4. Is Suitable For People On Restricted Diets

According to research, one in every 141 persons has celiac diseaseⁱ  An immune reaction to gluten in which its consumption can inflame and damage the intestine’s lining. in the United States (0.711%) (6). Tapioca is grain-, gluten-, and wheat-free and is the best option for people with gluten sensitivity. Therefore, it is the best substitute for wheat flour in baking.

Tapioca flour is also often used by those on a paleo diet or an autoimmune protocol dietⁱ  A diet based on the paleolithic era that encourages people to eat unprocessed foods in order to lose weight and prevent heart diseases. . In addition, lactating mothers consume cassava leaf products to boost their breast milk production (7).

5. May Support Healthy Pregnancy

Tapioca is a great source of iron with one cup containing approximately 2.4 mg of the nutrient (8). The recommended daily intake of iron ranges from 8 to 18 mg for adults, depending on their gender and age. However, the intake value significantly increases to 27 mg for pregnant individuals (9). This extra intake is required to provide substantial support during fetoplacental development and increase protection against symptoms of anemia. Hence, it may be beneficial to consume tapioca for pregnancy.

As with many other healthy foods, tapioca too may have some side effects. Scroll down to know.

Side Effects Of Tapioca

There are no documented reports on the side effects of tapioca. However, consuming improperly processed cassava products can be dangerous as they may contain cyanogenic glycosides (that can cause cyanide poisoning) (10). Moreover, several deaths were reported in Nigeria after consuming improperly processed cassava (11). A study by Faro Central Hospital (Portugal) found that it may also cause a neurological disease called konzo that affects regular brain function (12). Cassava may also cause anaphylaxis (serious allergic reaction) in people with latex allergies due to cross-reactivity (13). Tapioca starch does have a high glycemic indexⁱ  A scale that measures rates of carbohydrates in food from 1 to 100, depending on how much they influence the blood glucose level. that can cause a spike in insulin and blood sugar and may therefore be unsuitable for those with pre-diabetes and diabetes.

Trivia

The United States was the largest importer of tapioca ($30.1M) in 2020.

What Is Tapioca Used For?

• Tapioca flour makes gluten-free and grain-free bread, and is often used to make casabe (a type of flatbread). Tapioca can also be eaten as breakfast, dinner, or dessert with different toppings.
• Tapioca pearls are used to make puddings, snacks, or bubble tea.
• Tapioca can be used as a thickener for soups, sauces, and gravies. It has a neutral flavor and does not alter the taste of the original dish.
• You can also add it to burgers, nuggets, and dough to improve their texture and moisture.

Here is how you can prepare tapioca pearls for these recipes:

• Wash the tapioca pearls in cold water.
• Add them to a pot of water and bring to a boil.
• Then, turn down the heat to medium.
• Cook for 10-15 minutes and stir occasionally to prevent the pearls from sticking to each other or the bottom of the pot.
• Once the tapioca pearls are soft and translucent, turn off the heat.

If you wish to add tapioca pearls to your burger patties, nuggets, or dough, do the following:

• Wash the tapioca pearls in cold water.
• Soak in water for 4-5 hours or overnight.
• Drain any remaining water before use.

You can also prepare some delicious recipes with tapioca. In the following section, we list three simple tapioca recipes to try at home.

Tapioca Recipes

1. Tapioca Pudding

What You Need

• Small pearl tapioca – ½ cup
• Large eggs – 2
• Whole milk – 3 cups
• Sugar – ½ cup
• Salt – ¼ teaspoon
• Vanilla extract – 1 teaspoon

Process

1. Combine the tapioca, milk, and salt in a 1½ quart pan on medium-high heat.
2. Stir while bringing to a bare simmer.
3. Lower the heat and add sugar gradually until the tapioca pearls have plumped up and thickened.

(Note: It will take anywhere from 5 minutes to 45 minutes of cooking based on the type or brand of tapioca you are using)

4. Stir occasionally to avoid the tapioca sticking to the bottom of the pan.
5. Beat eggs in a separate bowl.
6. Whisk in some of the hot tapioca very slowly to equalize the temperature of the two.
7. Slowly add the eggs to the remaining tapioca in the pan.
8. Increase the heat to medium and stir for several minutes until you get a thick consistency.
9. Do not let the mixture boil, else the tapioca egg custard will curdle.
10. Cool it for 15 minutes.
11. Stir in vanilla and serve either warm or chilled.

2. Bubble Tea

What You Need

• Black tea – 8 bags (loose-leaf black tea – 3 tablespoons)
• Quick-cooking tapioca pearls – ¾ cup
• Hot water – 4 cups
• Whole milk – to serve
• Simple syrup – to serve

For The Simple Syrup

• Water – ½ cup
• Sugar – ½ cup

Process

1. Steep the tea bags or leaves in four cups of freshly boiled water. Let the tea sit in water until it cools completely.
2. For the syrup: Dissolve sugar in water in a saucepan on medium-high heat (stirring well). Remove from heat and let it cool before transferring to a jar.
3. Bring about four cups of water to boil and add the tapioca pearls.
4. Stir the pearls and wait for them to float.
5. Cook for another 5 minutes. Continue cooking if the pearls are still stiff.
6. Use a slotted spoon to remove the pearls from the hot water. Rinse them with water quickly and transfer into a bowl. Mix the pearls with a few tablespoons of the simple syrup.
7. Strain the tea into a pitcher. Divide the cooked tapioca pearls into four large glasses and add a few ice cubes.
8. Pour one cup of tea into each glass.
9. Add 1½ tablespoons of milk and 1½ tablespoons of simple syrup into each. Stir and taste the milk tea. Add more milk or simple syrup to your taste.

3. Blueberry Tapioca Pie

What You Need

• Sugar – 7 tablespoons
• Tapioca granules – 2 tablespoons
• Fresh blueberry – 4 cups
• All-purpose flour – 1 tablespoon
• Lemon juice – 1 tablespoon
• Pre-made pie crusts – 2
• Milk – 1 tablespoon
• Vanilla ice cream – for serving

Process

1. Preheat the oven to 425^o
2. Combine six tablespoons of sugar, flour, and tapioca granules in a medium bowl.
3. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the blueberries in a large bowl.
4. Stir in the lemon juice.
5. Line an 8-inch (20-cm) metal pie tin with one of the pie crusts.
6. Spoon the blueberry mixture into the crust. Place the other crust on top.
7. Press the edges of the crusts together with a fork and trim any excess dough around the sides with scissors.
8. Brush the milk over the top crust and sprinkle with the last tablespoon of sugar.
9. Cut a few slits in the top to release steam as the pie bakes.
10. Bake the pie for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350^oF and bake for 30 to 35 minutes more until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
11. Cool the pie on a wire rack for at least 2 hours to let the filling set.
12. Slice and serve with ice cream.

How do you store tapioca effectively to avoid spoilage and extend its shelf life? Scroll down to know.

How To Store Tapioca?

Tapioca pearls can last for about 6 to 12 months if left unopened. Tapioca flour stays good for years if sealed tightly. Keep it in a cool, dry area but not in the refrigerator or freezer. If you soak and sweeten tapioca pearls to make boba, consume within four hours.

Discover the hidden treasure of tapioca and unlock its health benefits in the video below! Dive into a world of natural energy, gut-friendly goodness, and gluten-free delight.

Infographic: 4 Surprising Health Benefits Of Tapioca

Tapioca is a carbohydrate-rich starch containing many essential nutrients. This versatile ingredient is a popular gluten-free alternative for people with celiac disease. While it has so many more health benefits, there are some that we’d like to highlight. Check out the infographic below for more details.

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Frequently Asked Questions

Can tapioca help you lose weight?

No. Tapioca does not aid weight loss. Instead, it may help in healthy weight gain due to its high carb content without adding any unhealthy cholesterol.

Is tapioca good for your stomach?

Yes. Tapioca is good for your stomach. It can be included in the low-FODMAP dietⁱ  FODMAP lists food items that can cause intestinal stress. Eating a low-FODMAP diet can help manage gastrointestinal disorders. , and its intake can improve the symptoms of Irritable bowel syndrome (IBSⁱ  A gastrointestinal condition that affects the stomach, causing diarrhea, abdominal pain, constipation, and flatulence. ) (14).

Is tapioca good for high blood pressure?

Even though there is no direct link between tapioca consumption and blood pressure, it is low in sodium and can be a good choice of a staple for people with hypertension.

Is tapioca good for kidney disease?

Processed plant-based foods high in starch, such as tapioca, can be included to simplify the diet for people with chronic kidney disease. However, the portion and frequency of consumption should also be kept in mind when taking tapioca for kidney problems (15).

Is tapioca good for ulcers?

Tapioca is a low-acid food that is less likely to irritate the internal lining of the stomach. Due to this, it can be a safe food to eat when suffering from ulcers. There have been studies conducted on whether tapioca is effective in healing ulcers and are still open for research.

Illustration: What Is Tapioca? Benefits Nutrition And Potential Side Effects

Image: Stable Diffusion/StyleCraze Design Team