Chufa Nuggets Against Colon Cancer

   In many countries chufa is used to prevent and treat strokes and is useful for infertility and diabetes. More studies are demonstrating how chufa, an incredible delicacy, enhances optimal health. And it is a powerful plant that is used to help colon cancer patients. Many people struggle who live in African countries, such as Ghana, Nigeria, and Ethiopia, where modern medicines like chemotherapy and cancer drugs are not available. In these countries, people with cancer, like colon cancer, benefit by regularly eating chufa.

   Chufa nuggets help prevent heart attacks, improve blood circulation, and decrease thrombosis. Soluble glucose prevents cancer and studies show that it can reduce the risk of colon cancer. These G-d loving “weeds” reduce colon cancer by feeding the friendly bacteria which are passed by other foods. And its powerful starch adds great digestive functioning and insulin sensitivity.

   Reports from well-known American institutions: the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute, suggest that the ingestion of certain plants can help slow the growth and proliferation of cancer cells. Other studies have shown that herbs help healthy cells fight against malignancy and can prevent the onset of cancer. Chufa has climbed to the top of the list.

   Botanically chufa is called Cyperus esculentus and belongs to the Cyperaceae family. It is also commonly known as earth almonds, tiger nuts, chufa nuggets, yellow nutsedge. In South Africa, they are called Zulu nuts. In the southern part of Nigeria, the Hausa people call it chufa aya. The Yoruba people in west Nigeria call it ofio, and the Ibo people in south-east Nigeria, call it akiausa. Three varieties around the world (black, brown, and yellow) are cultivated. Among these, yellow and brown, are readily available in the market.

   Farms in the USA call the “weed” chufa–its famous name from Spain. A similar word in Hebrew is “chuppah” which is the “wedding canopy”; and ironically, chufa was well-known in ancient Egypt when Joseph, the viceroy, raised the farm communities and, we believe, he told his brothers, in the Bible, to take chufa delicacies to his father.

   Chufa’s small, wrinkled nuggets have a delicious flavor, sweet and nutty, and are especially popular worldwide. Its milk, which can be easily pressed from chufa nuggets, is called “horchata de chufa” in Spain. And in Nigeria the milk is kunun aya, sold on streets and markets everywhere. Its oil is used for many reasons, to consume and deploy. It is more potent than the best olive oil, and it never goes off.

   Chufa nuggets are also very rich in amino acids like arginine that may improve coronary blood flow. In addition, the arginine that chufa contains may improve insulin sensitivity, that can aid in the prevention and treatment of diabetes and may promote weight loss. Thus, arginine is also a key to how chufa nuggets can improve the health of the heart and cardiovascular system. By encouraging the production and release of nitric oxide, arginine causes blood vessels to relax and dilate, decreasing blood pressure and reducing the risk of many conditions related to high blood pressure, including stroke, blood clots, and heart disease.

   Chufa also helps prevent erectile dysfunction and muscle cramps (see our article Chufa–The Ultimate Aphrodisiac, and the Chufa chapter in the book “Food for Love, 2nd Edition”).

   Chufa nuggets can be consumed in many ways: raw (a little tricky to chew when raw), roasted, added to salads, smoothies, cooked into many different recipes, powdered into flour and used in baking, and other ways as well. You can be assured of a full complement of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, amino acids, fiber, and much more. You can enjoy the health, healing, protection, and functionality this remarkable tuber provides.

   Chufa nuggets are loaded with insoluble fiber, resistant starch, vitamins (especially Vitamin E), minerals, and antioxidants. Its amount of Vitamin C and Vitamin E helps prevents heart disease and cancer.

   The insoluble chufa fiber that moves through the gastrointestinal tract without being digested adds bulk to the stool, improving regularity and digestion and promoting better intestinal health. The chufa starch, giving its delicious and unique flavor, resists absorption until in the intestines. Chufa is a “prebiotic,” food for healthy gut flora. Chufa nuggets also have enzymes, which help break down other foods in the GI tract, significantly improving intestinal health and digestion. Chufa nuggets are indeed one of the healthiest foods on our planet.

   The way chufa nuggets can improve blood circulation complements the actual content of its monounsaturated fats. They are known to reduce the levels of bad cholesterol, which we call LDL fat. Chufa also increases the levels of good cholesterol (HDL). And chufa is high in protein.

   Chufa nuggets are also rich in antioxidants, which offer enormous health benefits. By reducing the number of free radicals throughout the body, antioxidants help reduce or eliminate stress-related cellular degradation, whether caused by aging, disease or medical conditions, environmental factors, or emotional stress.

   Chufa nuggets slow our aging processes, and its milk has long been considered a kind of health and longevity tonic. The slowing of cellular damage does indeed keep the body younger, making the body look more youthful as well, often having remarkably noticeable effects on the hair and skin.

   More importantly, its antioxidants protect and promote the healing of vital organs and systems throughout the body, including the cardiovascular system, the kidneys and liver, the sexual and reproductive systems, and, perhaps most significantly, the brain and nervous system.

   Chufa nuggets’ antioxidation of brain cells directly fights against the loss of cognitive functioning due to age, disease, trauma, or other factors and can even reverse the loss of memory, recall, reaction speed, operational intelligence, concentration, and the ability to learn. And their antioxidant effects of the nervous system led to the possibility of using chufa nuggets to treat neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. (See our article “Chufa Helps Us Prevent and Recover Strokes.”)

   And among many other benefits of these delicious tubers, they are known to fight infection and boost the immune system. Chufa nuggets can be a possible cure for ailments resistant to antibiotics. It also makes them an ideal food for recovering from surgery, a severe illness, an accident, or other trauma, especially given their rich nutritional complement and antioxidant agents.

   Chufa nuggets are incredibly safe and have little or no side effects, interactions, or other problems. That said, their high levels of insoluble fiber (eating massive amounts) may cause a reaction in some people, including gas and even abdominal cramping. Start slowly and build up your level of consumption over time.

   Chufa nuggets may decrease blood pressure. You should not overeat them if you have severe heart conditions, such as people with low blood pressure, or anybody using blood-thinning medications without first checking with your doctor. Chufa nuggets should not be used from two weeks before to two weeks after surgery. (See our article “Chufa Helps us Prevent and Recover Strokes.”)

   If you have a severe medical condition or illness, you should always consult with a qualified doctor or healthcare provider before using chufa nuggets or any herbal or pharmaceutical product, as should women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

   Finally, chufa nuggets are used all over Africa and Asia as a great child “formula,” primarily for children older than six months. You should first consult a qualified doctor or healthcare provider if you need to use chufa as a formula for babies.

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Rabbi Joseph Shapiro