nigeriahow
Have you eaten soup spiced with locust bean before? If your answer is no, then you are denying yourself a whole lots of health benefits. It is not easy to look at, and the smell is unpleasant but consumers say it is at best when well fermented.
Locust bean, commonly referred to as iru by Yorubas, ‘ogiri’, ‘dawa dawa’ by Igbos, is a local seasoning or condiment used in soups and stews. Locust Bean is the single, most significant ingredient guaranteed to take your soups, stews or mixed vegetables from just okay to great. Here are some reasons why you should add locust beans to your diet from now on.
Locust Beans
Local research has shown that locust bean helps to promote good sight and drives away hypertension and diseases conditions like stroke and diabetes.
It also contains tannins, astringent substances found in many plants. Foods rich in tannins are often recommended for treatment of diarrhoea.
The portion of carob that is made into locust bean gum contains soluble fibre in the galactomannan family. Like other forms of soluble fibre, it has shown potential benefit for enhancing weight loss and controlling blood sugar levels.
The trampled bark of the locust bean tree is employed in wound healing and serves as one of the ingredients used in treating leprosy.
The fermented locust bean seed is used in controlling cholesterol level.
It aids digestion.
The water and alcoholic extracts of fermented locust bean is used to reduce blood sugar.
It is used in the management of bacterial infections.
