Bamboo shoots have a range of health benefits, being high in protein, amino acids, iron, dietary fibre and vitamins.
But while up to 35 million tonnes of shoots are produced in China each year, only a third are harvested for consumption.
It is one of the world’s oldest and fastest growing plants, but bamboo could also play a key role in providing a sustainable and nutritious food source to the growing global population, according to a team of Chinese scientists.
Bamboo shoots, in particular, have an abundance of health benefits, including a high protein content “similar to cow’s milk” which is also higher than many grains, according to a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Trends in Food Science & Technology.
The researchers have been studying this “underestimated natural resource “ as a possible food staple of the future, according to the team led by Wu Liangru, corresponding author of the paper and a researcher at the China National Bamboo Research Centre.
Peoplesmind
