Topinambour in diabetes mellitus type 1 and 2: how to cook, recipes for dishes

Jerusalem artichoke or earth pear is a tall plant, during the flowering period it resembles a sunflower, and its fruits are deformed potato tubers. Our gardeners do not hold it in high esteem, because once planted, it is difficult to get rid of, and it grows very quickly. But if people knew the whole truth about its healing qualities, they would prefer potatoes, carrots, beets and other garden crops to it. Jerusalem artichoke is especially useful for diabetes.

How to use Jerusalem artichoke for diabetes?

The most useful Jerusalem artichoke for diabetes is raw, so all its described properties are preserved. You can, after peeling the tuber, simply cut it into slices and eat it (it has a pleasant sweetish taste), or you can prepare salads and combine it with various ingredients usually used in them. In general, there are various options for dishes from Jerusalem artichoke: it can be boiled, baked, fried (not recommended for diabetics) and even dried.

Recipes for cooking dishes with Jerusalem artichoke for diabetes

To preserve as many vitamins and minerals as possible in Jerusalem artichoke, you can use the following recipes:

• grate the fruit on a coarse grater, add grated carrots, apple, season with olive oil. Lemon juice will give a more pronounced taste;
• cut cucumbers and Jerusalem artichoke into thin slices, chop herbs, drizzle with vegetable oil;
• in winter, combine grated tubers with sauerkraut or pickled cucumbers, sprinkling with sunflower oil;
• wrap the peeled fruit in foil and bake in the oven. You can serve dietary fish or meat with this side dish;
• in first courses, replace potatoes with Jerusalem artichoke: boil water, put in onions, carrots, and Jerusalem artichokes, previously chopped and sautéed in sunflower oil. Add cereals to taste (rice, oatmeal, barley) and a small cube of butter, and chop up some greens.

Jerusalem artichoke leaves

Jerusalem artichoke is a waste-free healing raw material. It turns out that its leaves contain many useful substances that can have a healing effect on diabetes.

The leaves promote wound healing, accelerate skin regeneration, have antifungal, antioxidant, antitumor activity and other medicinal effects. [ 1 ] That is why they are used to cleanse the liver and blood, lose weight, constipation, gastrointestinal diseases, radiculitis, osteochondrosis, weakened immunity. All these diseases are companions of diabetes.

They are used to prepare infusions, alcohol tinctures, teas, decoctions for internal use, and are also added to water for baths.

Jerusalem artichoke syrup

Pharmacists also did not pass by this unique plant - a storehouse of useful substances and produced a natural syrup, which uses only water and Jerusalem artichoke. It is prepared by evaporating the root juice. It has the same advantages as the tubers. Sweet taste due to inulin.

It is used as a sweetener for dishes. It is added to teas, compotes, and baked goods. Apart from individual intolerance, it has no contraindications. The syrup has a general strengthening effect, the prebiotics in its composition normalize the intestinal microflora, and help to improve the functions of the digestive system.

Jerusalem artichoke tablets

There are also other forms of medicines made from Jerusalem artichoke. Dried Jerusalem artichoke is ground into powder and then pressed into tablets. The pharmaceutical market is home to biologically active supplements called Inulin, Dolgolet, Neovitel, the sugar substitute Topinat, and the medicinal product Topinex.

Dried Jerusalem artichoke

Various methods of preparing Jerusalem artichoke do not worsen its composition. There are many recipes that involve dried fruit. To obtain it, you need to wash the tubers well (peeling is not necessary), cut into slices, dip in a solution of citric acid, blot with a paper towel and dry on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper in the oven at a temperature of 100 ° C, like apples or other fruits, while the door should be slightly open. From them you can prepare:

• Jerusalem artichoke tea - pour boiling water over a handful of dried cloves, let it brew for a bit, do not add sugar;
• infusion - 2 tablespoons of raw material are placed in a thermos overnight, poured with a liter of boiling water. Use half an hour before meals, 50g three times a day.

The benefits and harms of Jerusalem artichoke

The chemical composition of Jerusalem artichoke will answer the question of whether it can be eaten with diabetes. Let's start with vitamins:

• A or retinol - participates in immune processes, normalizes metabolism, stimulates the production of collagen and elastin, slows down aging;
• beta-carotene or provitamin A - with its help the body receives the vitamin described above, the properties are similar;
• PP - nicotinic acid, without it, oxidation-reduction processes in the body do not occur, regulates the activity of the nervous system, has a beneficial effect on digestion and the functioning of the heart, blood vessels, and takes part in the synthesis of hormones;
• B1 - thiamine, necessary for various types of metabolism: carbohydrate, water-salt, fat, protein, energy; involved in hematopoiesis; improves brain activity, mood;
• B2 - riboflavin, needed to supply energy to tissue cells, performs antioxidant functions;
• B6 - pyridoxine, plays an important role in protein and fat metabolism, it is rightfully considered a storehouse of enzymes. Many diseases associated with disorders of the pancreas, including diabetes, require additional amounts of it;
• B9 - folic acid, without which hematopoiesis, cell growth, cardiovascular activity, and the normal state of the nervous system are impossible;
• C - ascorbic acid, everyone is aware of its benefits, because it is the most famous antioxidant, helping to overcome diseases and prolong youth;
• E - tocopherol, a protector of cell membranes, an assistant in the absorption of vitamin A, normalizes hormonal levels, especially necessary for women, as it plays an important role in reproductive function.

This list alone is enough to include tubers in your daily menu. And they also contain many macroelements (potassium, phosphorus, chlorine, calcium, sulfur, sodium), microelements (iron, zinc, iodine, copper, manganese, fluorine, molybdenum, etc.) and all the amino acids. [ 2 ], [ 3 ], [ 4 ]

What harm can Jerusalem artichoke cause? Apart from increased gas formation, it is difficult to even name anything. Its small drawback is easily eliminated by adding caraway or coriander to the prepared dish.

Medicinal properties of Jerusalem artichoke for diabetes

Jerusalem artichoke tubers mainly contain two types of carbohydrates, inulin and sugars (fructose and glucose). The main carbohydrates in the aerial biomass are cellulose and hemicellulose. The sugar content of Jerusalem artichoke tubers has been reported to be about 4–5% of dry weight.[ 5 ]

For diabetics, this crop is valuable due to its high content of inulin (80%) - a carbohydrate that slows down the absorption of glucose from food. With prolonged use, its level in the blood decreases, metabolism is normalized, and the body's defenses increase. In addition, Jerusalem artichoke has a low glycemic index and caloric content.

Other medicinal properties of Jerusalem artichoke include moderate choleretic action, the ability to cleanse from salts of heavy metals, toxins, radionuclides, and improve intestinal microflora. It has been established that inulin from Jerusalem artichoke has prebiotic potential. [ 6 ], [ 7 ]

Jerusalem artichoke may improve insulin sensitivity because its main component inulin reduces the synthesis of triglycerides and fatty acids in the liver and lowers their levels in the blood [ 8 ], [ 9 ], [ 10 ]. In addition, it reduces fasting blood glucose levels in healthy individuals [ 11 ], which may be due to its fructan and coumarins such as ayapine and scopletin. [ 12 ]

Contraindications

Jerusalem artichoke has virtually no contraindications, except perhaps in rare cases of individual intolerance.

Storing Jerusalem artichoke in winter

Jerusalem artichoke is a completely unpretentious plant both in terms of cultivation and storage. There will be no problems if you have a cellar or a cold basement, where the temperature does not exceed 4-5 ⁰ C. Moreover, it is not necessary to dig it all up at once. You can prepare the required amount for the winter, and in the spring, extract completely undamaged tubers from the ground. Another way is to store in the refrigerator, the average shelf life is 3 weeks, freezer (3 months), dry (no more than a year), preserve or buy at the market every time.

Reviews

A unique phenomenon - there is not a single negative review about Jerusalem artichoke. All diabetics note its positive effect on the glycemic state, and its fairly neutral taste does not cause food rejection. It does not become boring as the same dish, because at different times it can be an appetizer, a first course, a side dish, a compote or tea.