14 BENEFITS OF TAPIOCA FOR HEALTH - NUTRITION - 2025

The properties and benefits of tapioca are numerous: it is rich in carbohydrates, proteins, and minerals, it is an important source of fiber, it provides a low amount of fat, it prevents cardiovascular diseases, it helps fight anemia, it improves metabolism and others that I will explain to you below.

Tapioca is the starch that is extracted from the root of the cassava (also called cassava), a perennial woody shrub with tuberous roots of the Euphorbiaceae family. Despite the fact that this species is native to northern Brazil, today it is cultivated in all parts of the world.

In addition to being used in the gastronomic area as a food thickener, there are many benefits that characterize this food as a great ally of health.

Tapioca benefits and nutritional properties

1- Lowers cholesterol levels

Tapioca is characterized by being an important source of fiber and starch. Recent studies have shown that this food has an important effect on lipid metabolism, since it lowers the levels of LDL or bad cholesterol.

Cholesterol is a substance similar to fat and essential for life. The body needs it to make hormones, bile acids, vitamin D, among other substances.

However, the increase in cholesterol in the blood and its deposit in the arteries can be dangerous and cause atherosclerosis, a narrowing or hardening of the arteries due to the deposit of cholesterol on their walls.

If this disease is not controlled, that is, if LDL cholesterol levels are not reduced, it can lead to the death of the person suffering from it.

2- Helps to regain body weight

Due to its high content of complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, tapioca is considered a very energetic food.

This product cannot be absent from the diets carried out by those who suffer from eating disorders who for various reasons cannot gain weight.

Also because it is an energy food, the consumption of tapioca is recommended for people who practice sports.

The consumption of tapioca is ideal for children and adolescents who are in the growth stage, since it provides all the necessary nutrients for optimal and healthy growth.

3- Improves digestion

Tapioca is a very easily digestible food, and therefore it is recommended for people with digestive problems.

It is recommended in cases of chronic or acute gastritis or ulcers, since it is a food that is very well tolerated and provides astringent and emollient properties.

4- Helps prevent diabetes

Diabetes is a disease characterized by low insulin production, resistance to it, or both. Scientific studies have shown that taking tapioca could prevent the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Type 2 diabetes is due to ineffective insulin use and accounts for 90% of diabetes cases worldwide.

Over time, diabetes can damage the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves. It also increases the risk of suffering from heart disease and stroke, diabetic retinopathy and kidney failure.

5- Improves skin and hair

Tapioca is an important source of vitamin B and is extremely beneficial for hair and skin care.

Among the properties of vitamin B we can mention the most outstanding:

• Vitamin B2 helps maintain healthy skin and prevent acne breakouts.
• Vitamin B 5 has the ability to reduce oil formation and therefore reduce acne formation. It is also very popular due to its ability to keep the skin moist.
• Vitamin B and its derivatives are used in anti-aging products. They also protect against the sun's UV rays that cause skin cancer.
• Vitamin B 1 serves as a skin lightening agent.
• Vitamin B helps reduce redness, peeling, and other skin irritations.

6- Prevents heart disease

Tapioca contains zinc, magnesium and copper, which are a very important source of energy for the proper functioning of the body. It also contains potassium, a fundamental component in the production of cellular fluids.

The presence of these minerals makes tapioca perfectly regulate heart rate and blood pressure.

Lack of potassium can have serious heart consequences, such as muscle paralysis and heart rhythm disorders.

7- Improves cellular metabolism

Tapioca is an important source of vitamin B6, which has a fundamental role in cellular metabolism, since it acts as a factor in the formation of amino acids.

It also participates in the metabolism of lipids, glucose, nucleic acids and in the formation of steroid hormones.

This vitamin is essential for the proper functioning of the immune system and for the formation of neurotransmitters.

8- Protects and improves the state of the bones

Tapioca is rich in vitamin K, calcium and iron, so it plays a fundamental role in the optimal development of eggs.

It is known that bones lose density with age, significantly increasing the risk of conditions such as osteoporosis and arthritis. Tapioca works by protecting the bones from these damages, thus preventing the development of these diseases associated with age.

Vitamin K is involved in bone metabolism since osteocalcin, the primary protein of the bone matrix, requires this vitamin for its consolidation.

9- Helps fight anemia

One of the most valuable contributions of tapioca is its iron content. This mineral is essential for the proper functioning of the body, as it contributes to the formation of new red blood cells.

Together with copper, a mineral also contained in tapioca, iron increases the number of red blood cells, thus preventing certain conditions such as anemia.

Tapioca improves blood and oxygen circulation to maintain a healthy body.

10- It is a food suitable for celiacs

Many are the problems that people who suffer from celiac disease must face. Not only because they must learn to live with the disease, but because they must drastically change their eating style.

Tapioca, in addition to being a nutritious and healthy food, is characterized by being completely gluten-free, making it suitable for people with celiac disease.

11- Prevents cancer

Scientific studies have shown that tapioca is rich in linamarin, a substance that converts into hydrogen cyanide. Apparently, when cancer cells absorb this component, they automatically destroy themselves.

Tapioca is rich in antioxidants and in this way protects DNA from free radicals that are responsible for the development of cancer.

12- Strengthens the immune system

The high content of vitamin C in tapioca helps to strengthen the immune system and make our body more alert to the threat of viruses and bacteria.

The body does not make vitamin C on its own. Therefore, it is important to include many foods that contain this vitamin in the diet.

Vitamin C is perfect for the proper functioning of the immune system and to fight premature aging and cancer, among other diseases.

13- Protect vision

Tapioca has a high content of vitamin A. This vitamin protects our eyes, preventing them from being easily damaged and this implies a possible rapid and irreversible loss of vision.

14- Delays aging

Tapioca is rich in vitamins A and C. In this way, it slows down the aging process of the skin and cells.

These vitamins are responsible for the formation of the retina, so they have a very important role in the proper functioning of vision. It also helps in the fight against signs of aging such as wrinkles, as well as being useful in reducing stretch marks, or signs of peeling of the skin.