Tigernut: An Underutilized Source of Dietary Fiber

Abstract

Dietary fiber can contribute to the prevention or treatment of gastrointestinal disorders associated with poor of dietary fiber intake. They have several physical properties such as capacity to hold water and increases ion binding in the digestive system. There is currently no available data on the daily fiber consumption by Nigerians. An excellent but relatively unknown and underutilized potential source of dietary fiber in the country is the tigernut (Cyperus esculentus L). This paper reviews the potentials of tigernut as an excellent source of fiber in human nutrition.

Keywords: Tigernut, Cyperus esculentus, fiber, human nutrition