Chisom
Okpa, a traditional Nigerian food that is popular in the eastern parts of Nigeria, is not only a tasty but also nutritious. It is made with Bambara flour (Vorandzeia subterranean (L.) thouars) from ground dried Bambara nut/beans.
Also known as Bambara groundnut, simply Bambara nut, or Jugo Beans, okpa has different species. It comes in small pods, which you crack open to release the hard seeds, which could be ground with special heavy duty industrial grinders.
Enriching, okpa has the following health benefits:
Reduces danger of stomach cancer: The antioxidant properties of the fatty acids in the Bambara groundnut have the capacity to suppress the production of carcinogenic substances in the stomach. It therefore, prevents damage to the mucus lining of the stomach, and irritation caused to the same due to the carcinogenic substances. It helps in lowering the risk of stomach cancer.
Antimicrobial action: Bambara groundnut milk is more easily acceptable as compared to the milk from other legumes in its species. It is rich in probiotics – microorganisms, which have been claimed to provide health benefits to the humans and animals.
Rich radix of lysine: The human body cannot produce lysine, hence, it has to be dependent on external supplements of the same. Bambara groundnut is generously gifted with this essential amino acid, which is also a building block of proteins.
Maintains healthy bone: Lysine also helps in the absorption of calcium for the proper growth of the bones in the body. It helps in the genesis of collagen, which is very essential for connective tissue formation, such as tendon, skin, cartilages and bones.
High in protein: The Bambara groundnut flour is very high in protein. It is used to treat and cure a lot of disorders and diseases as a traditional therapeutic treatment.
Fights Kwashiorkor: Bamabara groundnut plays an important role to provide the protein nourishment in the rural areas of many continents for the children. This helps those children to defeat Kwashiorkor