Nutritional values of tigernuts
Tigernut is a highly nutritious food. It is a unique combination of minerals (magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, iron, potassium, calcium, copper), vitamins (C, E, B6, B9 – folic acid, B1 – thiamine), antioxidants, unsaturated fatty acids, proteins, and carbohydrates. It is also rich in fiber, and a large part of its carbohydrates consists of resistant starch, which plays an important role in the cleanliness and health of our digestive system.
Just like everything in life, tigernut and its nutritional values should be viewed in a broader context. Nutritional charts scientifically and chemically confirm the composition of tigernuts, but what that means for an individual depends on many interconnected factors. There are many variables that influence the caloric value of tigernuts and, as with everything, the rule applies: "not all tigernuts are created equal."
The first and most fundamental difference in the nutritional values of tigernuts lies in their variety, growing region, and cultivation method. There are several tigernut varieties, and their nutritional values are significantly influenced by climate temperature and humidity, soil type, harvest time, drying duration and method, whether the crop is organically farmed or not, and many other factors invisible to the consumer.
Tigernuts are now cultivated on several continents, but the most significant production takes place in Africa and Spain. Tigernuts originated in Africa and were introduced to Spain in the 18th century. Due to high temperatures, lack of water, and sandy soil, African tigernuts tend to be smaller, drier, harder, and less nutritious. In contrast, Spanish tigernuts, grown in a wetter climate and clay soil, are larger, softer, and more nutrient-dense. The most well-known area lies north of Valencia. Their organic cultivation ("green agriculture") is regulated by the Chufa de Valencia council, which issues certifications confirming that tigernuts with this designation are guaranteed to be from organic and fair-trade agriculture.
The TIGERNUT brand is committed to providing customers with the highest possible quality. Therefore, all TIGERNUT products – whether NATURAL or processed into other products such as BARS, GRANOLAS, SPREADS, CHOCOLATE-COATED TIGERNUTS, BREAKFAST PORRIDGES or vegan PLANT “MILK” – are made from tigernuts with the Chufa de Valencia designation of origin. To remove their slightly bitter peel and ensure their broad product usability, we have them peeled. While peeling changes their nutritional values, it is precisely this new peeling technology that has enabled the rediscovery of tigernuts and their versatile use in food and health nutrition.
The nutritional values of tigernuts listed in calorie charts can serve as a guide, but they are not absolute facts. Their bioavailability depends on many factors. Therefore, we should not take caloric values as binding but rather as informative – a scientific and chemical confirmation of the elemental composition of food. You will learn more about why this is so further down.
“All your life you hear: It’s just calories. If both of us eat the same thing, the outcome will be the same. But that’s not how it works.” — Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut
“When we see the calorie value on the label, we assume everyone absorbs that exact amount of energy from the food.”
But of course, that’s not true.
If you gave the same apple to three different people, each would react differently.
Each digests it differently. Each absorbs different nutrients.
Each absorbs a different amount of energy.
Instead of measuring the apple, we should measure the people who ate it.” — Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut
“We talked about constant counting. We don’t mean calories, but the types of fruits and vegetables you eat each week. A good goal is 20 to 30.” — Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut
The most important factor in how the body utilizes the nutritional value of tigernuts is WHO CONSUMES THEM, because every person absorbs different amounts of nutrients and energy from the same food. This is an absolute fact that many people focused on calorie counting may not realize.
“Not every person is the same. Not every body is the same.” As we’ve already said, we don’t need to be scientists, chemists, nutritionists, or doctors. We just need to understand a simple fact: all experts work with general information, which doesn't have universal applicability. Each of us is a unique being, living in a unique reality that exists only for us. “We don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are.” This difference also applies to our body. While it's true that we all have one, a more important truth is that each of us has a unique body with unique processes, shaped by a combination of many invisible factors (mind programming, beliefs, thoughts, feelings, emotions, level of consciousness, personal frequency, perspective, genes, upbringing, quality of relationships, physiological stress...) and visible ones (diet, hydration, physical activity, length of sleep...).
One fearful thought can change the entire biology of the body. That’s why the key to nutrition isn’t about counting calories, but about reducing the intake of foods and drinks with added refined sugars, avoiding overeating, eating the most varied diet possible, focusing on whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and especially tigernuts, learning to listen to your body, and becoming a conscious observer of your thoughts and feelings.
“There is no single superfood or one piece of advice that will fix everything at once.”
It’s more about building a relationship with your digestion.
You can tune into your body through science and knowledge, or simply by focusing on how you feel.
It's more about listening to your body and noticing how you feel in it.” — Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut
“When you eat something, reflect on how you feel an hour and a half or two hours later—when the food has entered your bloodstream.”
Your body is the expert you should be listening to.” — Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut