Etiology of Arrowhead

Arrowhead is also known as broadleaf Arrowhead, duck-potato, Indian potato, or wapato. It is a widely cultivated aquatic perennial plant that is scientifically known as Sagittaria latifolia, belonging to the genus Sagittaria L. (Alismataceae family). It is contemplated to have been introduced from southern Canada despite that it is well known as Kunai in china, Kuwai in Japan, Kiwi in Arabia, Pilblad in Sweden, and Brutblatt in German. Arrowhead comprises thicker round bluish or white tubers that are full of amazing nutrients, minerals, and vitamins.

Fruit

Fruits of this plant are Globoid to sub-globoid in shape, consisting of an intense cluster of achenes that are 1.0 cm long on average. It is often green in color and changes to dark brown as soon as it matures.

Root

The roots are usually thin and white, creating white tubers which are covered along with purple skin at a good distance (0.15 to 0.6 meter deep and 0.3 to 1 m long) away from the plant. Roots are thick, round, bluish, or white; roots can also be in the form of tubers that grow as large as fowl eggs which are about 4.5cm long. It has a similar taste to potatoes and chestnuts. Roots have long been a prominent food source to indigenous people of the Americas. Tubers are removed from the ground by several methods: by a pitchfork, feet, or even a stick, and then float on the surface. Ripe tubers are easily harvested during fall and are easily found floating very freely.

Nutritional Value

Its taste is comparable to potatoes and chestnuts and is filled with vital minerals, nutrients, and vitamins.

Apart from its taste which is comparable to potatoes and chestnuts, the Arrowhead is also a good source of vital minerals, nutrients, and vitamins. Eating 100 grams of Arrowroot consists of 881 mg of Potassium, 1.21 mg of Iron, 197 mg of phosphorus, 0.206 mg of Vitamin B6, 0.135 mg of Copper, 16.14 g of carbohydrate, 0.144 mg of Vitamin B1, 0.285 mg of Manganese, and 49 mg of Magnesium.

Health Benefits of Arrowhead

It is full of nutrients like carbohydrates, protein, dietary fiber, minerals such as Iron, calcium, Magnesium, Copper, phosphorus, and vitamins like thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B3, vitamin C, and a lot more.

• Prevents Diabetes and Regulates Sugar Level

Magnesium helps to control/balance the insulin reaction to blood sugar levels. Proper magnesium supplementation is necessary for diabetic folks as many of them have a magnesium deficiency. The Magnesium contained in this plant helps to regulate blood sugar, thus encouraging appropriate blood pressure.

Apart from that, it is found that hypertension is triggered by magnesium deficiency. It is also vital to include extra minerals, supplements, and nutrients along with Magnesium to avoid all sorts of medical complications.

• Alzheimer’s Disease

Research studies have it that vitamin B1 is beneficial to folks suffering from Alzheimer’s. This is because vitamin B1 mimics a neurotransmitter that is essential for memory. It is supposed that older folks, along with memory problems, may benefit by including vitamin B1 in their daily dietary intake. Vitamin B1 can be gotten by consuming Arrowhead since a cup of cooked arrowhead consists of about 0.144 mg of Vitamin B1, which is 12 percent of the recommended value. Therefore add an arrowhead to your diet to remain protected from Alzheimer’s disease when old.

• Supports Lung and Respiratory Health

Research suggested that eating manganese-rich foods together with minerals like zinc and selenium can help folks experiencing lung disorders, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Oxidative stress is supposed to be a major factor for the smoking-induced chronic type of obstructive pulmonary disease and many other respiratory complaints; therefore, Manganese’s ability to help lower inflammation alongside oxidative stress within the production of SODs makes it advantageous for those in need of lung healing.

• Pigmentation of Hair and Eyes

Copper is the major element of the dark pigment melanin that imparts skin, hair, and eye coloration. Melanin can be produced by melanocytes in the occurrence of the cuproenzyme ‘tyrosinase’, which is gotten from Copper. In this way, intake of copper-rich diet like Arrowhead helps in protecting against graying of the hair, it is always ignored as an antioxidant mineral; it shields the reliability of the cells and makes you look young! Regular intake of copper-rich foods helps to maintain eye color, and along with zinc, it aids to keep one’s eyes well colored in old age also.

• Fatigue

Fatigue is often defined as a sensation of lack of energy and motivation, which can be mental, physical, or both. As we know that iron deficiency is the major reason for fatigue since it is a vital component of hemoglobin. Arrowhead is a brilliant source of Iron; therefore, arrowhead consumption is essential to ward off different reasons of fatigue, which may occur in both females and males. So, the addition of arrowheads in your dishes keeps you healthy and fit.

• Helps Treat Anemia

Anemia is a disorder that originates when your blood lacks enough healthy red blood cells and hemoglobin. Pyridoxine (vitamin B6) contained in Arrowhead is necessary to produce blood hemoglobin, which is later transported by erythrocytes throughout the body to aid transport oxygen to cells and also to mobilize Iron. Arrowhead consumption helps to reduce symptoms of anemia and also prevents it from its future occurrence.

• Lower Risk of Heart Problems

Potassium is the 3rd most ample mineral in the human body and is a strong element in improving health. Taking a good amount of Arrowhead will certainly help to reduce the risk of developing heart issues such as stroke and other heart-related complications since arrowroot consists of a reasonable amount of Potassium. It is vital to be conscious of your potassium intake in case you already have heart issues.

Most potassium-rich diets also include antioxidants and many other minerals in a reasonable amount which helps one’s heart and produce overall wonderful health. Therefore add Arrowhead into your diet every day.

• Bone Formation

Phosphorus plays a vital role in the maintenance and growth of teeth and bones. Together with calcium-phosphorus plays an important role in making bones healthy and helps to repair the normal wear and tear of the human body. Arrowhead has a good amount of phosphorus, so eat Arrowhead frequently to make your bones strong. Recent studies also attributed the proper intake of phosphorus-rich foods with cardiac health; one will be able to protect him/herself from several cardiovascular issues too.  A cup of cooked arrowhead tuber has 197 mg of phosphorus which is approximately 28.14 percent of the daily required value.

Other Traditional Uses and Benefits of Arrowhead

• A poultice of its leaves is used to halt milk production.
• Tea made from the roots of this plant is used as a digestive.
• A poultice of the roots is also used for the treatment of sores and wounds.
• Navajo used the plant to soothe headaches.
• Ojibwa takes the corms (tubers) for indigestion and heartburn.
• Algonquin of Quebec applied the root to treat tuberculosis.

Edible Uses of the Common Arrowhead

The Common Arrowhead has wholesome uses. The fruits, tubers, and seeds are all wholesome. Both the indigenous Americans and the European settlers eat them. The tubers are wholesome and taste just like Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.). If taken raw, they have a distasteful, acrid taste. If taken cooked, they have a good, sweet taste. The tubers are washed at first and are then prepared by frying, boiling for 15 minutes in salty water, or roasting for about 30 minutes at a temperature of 350 degrees. After preparing, they may be peeled. If not eating, they may be sliced, dried, or mashed and stored for the winter season. These tubers are harvested from the late fall until the commencement of early spring. They are best stored by removing them from the wetlands with rakes, hoes, or bare feet. The removed tubers float to the surface. Pulling the plants may likely cause the plants to break at their roots. Some Americans raided Beaver or Muskrat dens for their cached tubers. However, they regularly replaced the tubers gotten from their dens with other foods to soothe the Great Spirit. Clark and Lewis’s Corps of Discovery noticed and subsisted upon the plant along the Columbia River during their prolonged expedition to the Pacific Coast. Chinese immigrants during the late 19th Century in San Francisco grew the plant for subsistence.

How to Eat

• Tubers can be sundried and ground into a powder. The powder can then be used as gruel or combined with some cereal flours and used to prepare bread.
• American Indians cut the boiled roots into thin segments and then twine them on ropes to dry in a similar way as apples.
• Either root raw or cooked is excellent when roasted. The texture is similar to potatoes and tastes like sweet chestnuts.
• Tubers of Arrowhead were highly valued by the Ojibwa and other tribes.