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Plant Source Foods
Published in Chuong Pham-Huy, Bruno Pham Huy, Food and Lifestyle in Health and Disease, 2022
Chuong Pham-Huy, Bruno Pham Huy
Yam (Dioscorea sp.) is an herbaceous perennial plant of the monocotyledonous family Dioscoreaceae. There are many different varieties of yams. They are cultivated for the consumption of their starchy tubers and are the staple food in West Africa, Southeast Asia, Oceania, and the Caribbean regions (62). Yam is considered to be the most nutritious of the tropical root crops. It contains about four times as much protein as cassava, and is the only major root crop that exceeds rice in protein content (62). Yam is rich in amino acids especially sulfur-containing amino acids like cysteine and methionine. Overall, essential amino acid content is higher in yam than in sweet potato. Yam is also a good source of vitamins A and C, and of fiber and minerals, except calcium. Yam is low in antinutrients such as oxalate, phytate and trypsin inhibitor (62). Yam tubers have various bioactive components, namely, mucin, dioscin, dioscorin, allantoin, polyphenols, choline, diosgenin, and vitamins such as carotenoids and tocopherols (58). Mucilage of yam tuber contains soluble glycoprotein and dietary fiber.
Roots and Tubers
Published in Christopher Cumo, Ancestral Diets and Nutrition, 2020
As noted, many people confuse yams and sweet potatoes even though they are different types of angiosperms (flowering plants). For example, African American authors Richard Nathaniel Wright (1908–1960) and Ralph Waldo Ellison (1914–1994) called sweet potatoes yams, an error the USDA abetted by permitting retailers to brand Puerto Rican sweet potatoes as yams.213 Sweet potatoes are eudicots, whereas yams are monocotyledons (monocots). These clades evolved separately during roughly the past 130 million years ago.214 Despite superficial similarities to sweet potatoes, yams are more related to onion, leek, shallot (Allium ascalonicum), garlic (Allium sativum), and chives (Allium schoenoprasum), all monocots. Despite dissimilar appearances, yams are more related to wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, and other grains because—again—all are monocots than to sweet potatoes.
Cultural aspects of feeding: some illustrations from Indian and other cultures
Published in Southall Angela, Feeding Problems in Children, 2017
Kedar. Nath Dwivedi, Jeremy. Woodcock
The Igbo people who live in the eastern part of Nigeria, and the Yoruba people of the southwest and central areas eat dumplings made from gari and flour made from the cassava root. They also eat pumpkins and yams, which are less sweet than Western yams and more similar in taste to potatoes. Yams are eaten as the accompaniment to stews and soups, and Nigerian stews are typically spiced with peppers and chillies, eaten with rice, yams, cassava and corn.
Augmentative and alternative communication for Aboriginal Australians: Developing core vocabulary for Yolŋu speakers
Published in Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 2022
Rebecca Amery, Julie Gungungbuy Wunungmurra, Parimala Raghavendra, Gurimaŋu Bukuḻatjpi, Rachel Dikul Baker, Farrah Gumbula, Ruth Barker, Deborah Theodoros, Howard Amery, Libby Massey, Anne Lowell
The first key component of the metaphor related to the composition of the research team and the ways that we worked together, each sharing different knowledge, listening, learning, and reflecting with each other through research action. Yolŋu family members living with MJD, elders, cultural advisors, linguists, and a speech pathologist – all of whom brought their experience and knowledge about living with MJD, Yolŋu language, and core vocabulary – followed both Yolŋu and Balanda ways of doing research so that the words that were included would suit Yolŋu living with MJD. This resonates with the Yolŋu wisdom and practices involved in harvesting yams, learning with experienced people, together as a family:That knowledgeable person knows where there are yams, and if it’s the right season, looking at the color of the leaves and where the sand is soft to dig. That wise person knows where to go, how far, what to bring, what to look for. They already know where the yams are. They go there to get yams. (Julie, Yolŋu researcher)
Dietary Intake and Cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Critical Review of Epidemiological Studies
Published in Nutrition and Cancer, 2022
Galya Bigman, Linda Otieno, Sally N. Adebamowo, Clement Adebamowo
Four studies examined dietary intake and colorectal cancer risk (4/19) (16, 17, 21, 22). Of these, two studies focused on intakes of high fiber diets from plants and grains (17, 22) among rural Nigerians (17) and Zimbabweans (22). In Nigeria (17), soluble fiber diet (e.g., yam, cassava, potatoes, bread, bitter leaf, carrots), and insoluble fiber diet (e.g., maize, millet, corn) were compared. In Zimbabwe (22), ‘Traditional African’, ‘Urbanized’, and the ‘Processed foods’ eating patterns were examined. Both studies concluded that high intakes of fiber from predominantly plants and grains were associated with reduced risk of colorectal cancer. In Zimbabwe (22), it was also shown that red and processed meats diet did not increase the risk of colorectal cancer while in Kenya (21) it did. The same study in Kenya (21) showed that fermented dairy products of any kind (e.g., locally, commercially) were not associated with colorectal cancer.
Fungal and mycotoxin occurrence, affecting factors, and prevention in herbal medicines: a review
Published in Toxin Reviews, 2022
Jingsheng Yu, Meihua Yang, Jianping Han, Xiaohui Pang
The processing procedure in herbal materials is commonly used to improve the efficacy of herbal materials. Meanwhile, processing method also affects AF production. Odongo et al. (2018) indicated that processing methods, including cooking and fermentation, inhibited the growth of fungi in the medicinal plant Solanum scabrum. Raila et al. (2009) indicated that as the drying airflow intensity of was increased, the mycobiotic contamination was suppressed. However, the processing condition does not always decrease the level of mycotoxins. As a result of its healthcare function, yam has gained popularity in China and other countries. Omohimi et al. (2019) compared the differences of the AF contents between the processing and the post-processing stages of yam. The result showed that the AF level in fresh samples was lower than that in processed samples. Furthermore, the highest AF level was observed in processed yam flour. A similar study by Akpo-Djènontin et al. (2018) has reported the high AF contamination in herb powders. Except for processing methods, packaging materials influence the AF production. A report by Darko et al. (2018) indicated that the zero-oxygen hermetic packaging suppressed AF production. Fu et al. (2018) compared the effect of four packaging materials (polyester, aluminum, polyamide, and polyethylene) on AF contamination, and the result showed all these materials had an inhibitory effect on AF accumulation. Based on previous studies, AF production was affected by processing methods and packaging materials.