10 Health Benefits of Arrowroot

As more research is conducted on ancient diets still popular among select communities around the world, there is an upward trend towards incorporating certain foods into Western diets. The media presents communities with a living standard below that of ‘first world’ countries as primitive and uncivilized. But this is not the whole picture when it comes to health. For example, the US is only the 35th healthiest country in the world, even with all the latest technology and medical advancements.

Written and researched by Tom Hutch R.D., NASM C.P.T.

February 12, 2021

Why this plant is continuing to gain popularity in diets around the world.

As more research is conducted on ancient diets still popular among select communities around the world, there is an upward trend towards incorporating certain foods into Western diets.

The media presents communities with a living standard below that of ‘first world’ countries as primitive and uncivilized. But this is not the whole picture when it comes to health.

For example, the US is only the 35th healthiest country in the world, even with all the latest technology and medical advancements.¹Other sources also rank countries with the best diets in the world to be Chad, Sierra Leone, Mali, Gambia, and Uganda.²

Arrowroot

One such food that has been gaining major popularity over recent years is that of Arrowroot. Native to Central and South America, and the West Indies, the name is likely a mistranslation of what the Arawak people of South America call ‘aru-root’.³ Let’s take a look at the reasons why this tropical plant has been cultivated since 8200 BCE.

1. Bursting with Vitamin B

Actually, it contains a lot of different Vitamin B’s, which are a separate class of water-soluble vitamins. These are important because they are essential for the proper functioning of your cells.

“They help the body convert food into energy, create new blood cells, and maintain healthy skin cells, brain cells, and other body tissues.”⁴

Arrowroot contains vitamins such as niacin, thiamin, pyridoxine, pantothenic acid, and riboflavin⁵, all of which help support the healthy functioning of your metabolism and can aid weight loss when it’s running efficiently.⁶

2. Healthy Digestion

Because the rhizomes of Arrowroot are primarily starch it can firm up your stool and help you to rehydrate.⁷ While this might not sound like something you need right now, just remember that prevention is the best cure.

If you’ve skipped that part and your stomach feels like it’s in a little trouble then arrowroot could be the way to go:

“Studies show it reduces diarrhea and constipation”⁸

3. Better Sleep

Arrowroot is incredibly nutrient-dense and one of these minerals is magnesium. As a supplement, magnesium has been gaining popularity in aiding sleep because it actively engages your parasympathetic nervous system, which is the system responsible for relaxing your brain and body.⁹

Arrowroot is a natural way to increase your magnesium intake and has been proven to help reduce sleep disorders and the occurrence of insomnia.¹⁰

4. Promotes Healthy Growth

As well as being high in magnesium, Arrowroot contains other minerals such as zinc and iron¹¹, which are essential for healthy growth and development in children.¹²

Furthermore, magnesium and zinc are synergistic when taken together. Magnesium helps regulate zinc levels in your body and zinc increases the bioavailability of magnesium.¹³ Win-win!

5. Reduces Cholesterol Levels

High cholesterol is more common than it should be, with over 29 million people over the age of 20 having cholesterol levels over 240mg/dL.¹⁴

Arrowroot causes some reactions in your body that takes steps to reduce your cholesterol.

“Arrowroot boosts bile production, which increases cholesterol uptake by the gall bladder since cholesterol is required for bile synthesis.”¹⁵

Therefore, if you consume arrowroot, your cholesterol levels go down!

6. Increased Immunity

The starch in arrowroot is a potential source of probiotics, which are a type of fiber that feeds your gut bacteria.⁷ Healthy gut bacteria helps with keeping the bioavailability of vitamins and minerals high, whilst also fighting off potential diseases. Healthy gut, healthy body!

7. Balances Blood Pressure

Potassium and sodium are two other minerals found in arrowroot and their ratio can drastically help with blood pressure. The balance between these two minerals is key for healthy blood pressure.

“Too little potassium and too much sodium is bad for the heart and general health.”¹⁶

Arrowroot balances blood pressure and helps to keep blood vessels relaxed while functioning. Arrowroot can be especially beneficial to those who suffer from hypertension.¹⁷

8. Keeps Your Skin Healthy

Rather than eating arrowroot, how about rubbing some on your face? It might sound like a weird suggestion but arrowroot absorbs oils and sebum and promotes natural healing.¹⁸ This can lead to softer and less blemished skin.

Further than this, arrowroot is also a very effective remedy for Athlete’s foot because it is both antibacterial and antifungal.¹⁹ Because arrowroot absorbs moisture it makes it difficult for the fungal infection to grow.

9. Dry Shampoo

So you’ve eaten it, rubbed it on your body and now it’s time to try arrowroot on your hair. Yes, really. Just as it absorbs oils from your skin, arrowroot absorbs the oils from your hair and scalp to leave your hair nice and soft.¹⁸ Arrowroot is becoming a very popular dry shampoo!

10. Keep Your Kidneys Healthy

While arrowroot should not be considered a cure for any kidney-related problems, the high amounts of potassium found in arrowroot do help to keep your kidneys healthy. Potassium helps remove toxins, which improves blood flow and circulation, allowing the kidney’s urinary function to flow healthily.¹⁹

Arrowroot is becoming more and more popular and it can be found in the root or powdered form. Due to it being gluten-free, arrowroot is also used as an effective wheat flour substitute in a range of recipes. Have you tried arrowroot yet?