Exploring the Benefits of Water Chestnut or Singhara

Ashu’s Curiosity

“If you eat seasonal foods like Singhara in Winter then you do not need to worry about health and immunity.”

This is the common statement of Ashu’s grandmother who considers that these seasonal foods are loaded with nutrients and necessary to strengthen the immune system.

Ashu knows some basic health benefits of Singhara or water chestnut. But he wants to know more about why this black root vegetable is considered an essential food during winter times.

Even he has seen his mother using water chestnut flour during fasting and preparing chapati and desserts.

He now wants to know more about water chestnuts and Know Ur Diet is a platform where he can get detailed information about the health benefits of water chestnuts. Let us see what he finds:

What are Water Chestnuts (Singhara)?

Water chestnut is an aquatic vegetable that is an integral part of various cultural cuisines, especially Asian cuisines. Not only nutritious, water chestnut is loved for its crisp texture and juicy and sweet flavour.

Scientifically it is called Eleocharis dulcis.  One major misconception is that we consider it a nut but in reality, water chestnuts are edible corms of the aquatic plant. This aquatic plant is usually cultivated near ponds or in shallow agricultural fields. Edible corms of this plant are consumed in varying ways throughout the region.

Water chestnuts are part of root vegetable family and should be considered in fruits & vegetables category.

Interesting fact about Water Chestnut

In Chinese culture water chestnuts are more than just a nutritious food. They consider them a symbol of prosperity and good fortune. Due to this, During the Chinese Lunar New Year, delicacies prepared with water chestnuts are commonly prepared and eaten as a blessing and family bonding.

Water chestnut is also called Bat nut and Buffalo nut because of the appearance or shape of the fruit. The black shape of Singhara resembles a bat and the bull’s head.

Water Chestnut Nutrition Value

Here, we will see how much nutritional content and calories one can get by consuming 100g of water chestnut:

Health Benefits of Water Chestnuts

Due to the presence of various nutrients, Water chestnuts have several health benefits that can help you to maintain a balanced diet. Following is the list of some benefits:

Antioxidant-Rich

One of the good reasons for you to have Water chestnuts in your daily diet is that it is rich in antioxidants. Some of those antioxidants are ferulic acid, Epigallocatechin gallate and catechin gallate.

Ferulic acid is a helpful antioxidant against inflammation. It is especially effective to prevent the visibility of new blood vessels under the skin layers. Epigallocatechin gallate is also a compound that has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.

Controls Blood Pressure

If you are a person suffering from Hypertension then you should include water chestnuts in your meal. Thanks to their antihypertensive properties, water chestnuts can reduce the risk of high blood pressure.

This food is good for shielding against strokes and organ failures. Due to the high content of Potassium, water chestnuts are effective in controlling blood pressure levels.

Pacify Gut-related Issues

Singhara or water chestnuts are a great source of fiber. This makes them helpful in tackling digestive problems. Fiber is associated with the proper digestion of food and the smooth movement of food through the large intestine.

Also, water chestnuts are high in water. This can prevent you from constipation and IBD. Even in Ayurveda, Singhara is considered a cure against bloating, gas and indigestion.

Immunity Booster

Loaded with micronutrients like Vitamin C and Vitamin B6, water chestnuts are great immunity boosters. Antioxidants in the Singhara help in eliminating the free radicals in your body. This process is important to reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

Due to their immune-enhancing properties, water chestnuts help to fight infection, reduce inflammation, and fast recovery from illnesses.

Good for Skincare

Taking care of skin during winter is a big issue for most of us. We mostly prefer moisturisers and face wash carrying Vitamin C. The reason is simple, Vitamin C is essential for the production of collagen, a compound that makes skin smooth and repairs damaged skin cells.

Water chestnuts are a great source of Vitamin C that should be part of your diet for overall skin health. Secondly, Water in Singhara is helpful in hydrating the body. This makes skin youthful, vibrant and smooth.

Prevents from Type-2 Diabetes

Type-2 Diabetes is dangerously prevalent among adults and they need to add foods that can help them in tackling their sugar levels. Water chestnut is such a good option because it has a low glycemic index. This shows that Singhara does not create any sudden rise in your blood sugar.

Due to its Antidiabetic properties, Chinese traditional medicines for diabetes are also prepared by using water chestnut as a major ingredient. Also, studies have found that fiber present in Singhara can be helpful in feeling satiated for a longer time.

Aids in Anemia

Being a good source of Iron, Singhara or water chestnut is a good food to combat Anemia. Anemia is a blood disorder of deficiency of healthy red blood cells due to lack of Iron in the diet.

If you are a person suffering from Anemia then you should include a minimum of 50-75g of water chestnuts in your diet to cure the disease.  

Promotes Weight Loss

One of the major reasons you should have water chestnut in your meal is that it can aid in weight loss. Water chestnut calories are low and 100g of it only has 96 calories which is quite low than any other food.

Secondly, water chestnuts or Singhara are loaded with Fiber that makes you feel satiated for a long time. This allows you to lower your calorie intake because you can have a 5-6 hours long break between your meals.

Easy to Make 5 Water Chestnut Recipes

With lots of health benefits, Water chestnuts or Singhara should be part of your meal at least once a day. Here are 5 such recipes for water chestnut that you can easily prepare at home:

Water Chestnut Salad

Nothing can be a healthier recipe than salad and when you add water chestnut in it, the recipe will be more nutritious and richer with flavour.

You can add it to either vegetable salad or fruit salad. You can enjoy it at any meal of the day but you should have it in the morning.

Singhara is high in fiber and low in calories, which means you don’t need to look for a heavy breakfast.

Water Chestnut Soup

We mostly prefer soups at dinners because of their light nature and they hydrate the body for the whole night. You can make the soup more enjoyable and delicious by adding water chestnuts (Singhara) to it.

If you are fasting and want something that fills your stomach without compromising on fasting rituals then you should consider water chestnut soup.

You can add saffron and other veggies to have great flavour.

Water Chestnut Noodles

As we have discussed water chestnuts are an integral part of Asian cuisine, you can find various noodle-based dishes having Singhara as the main ingredient.

One such recipe is Singhara Chow. It is similar to Hakka chow, a Chinese noodle dish with water chestnut in it. You can have it in vegetarian and non-vegetarian form as well.

Water Chestnut Curry

No Indian lunch and dinner can be complete without having a curry dish and Singhara curry would be a great idea for this. A curry that is not only nutritious but also full of taste and flavour.

To make it healthier you can prepare it by using mustard oil rather than any other one.

Also, adding spices like turmeric and cumin seeds will enhance the aroma and deliciousness of the recipe.

Water Chestnut Paratha

Parathas or flatbread is the most common meal throughout India but you can even enjoy paratha with the benefits of water chestnut (Singhara).

For this, you just need to replace the commonly used wheat with water chestnut flour.

The whole process will be the same and you can serve it with coriander or coconut chutney. Being gluten-free, people with gluten intolerance can also have it without any concern.

Side Effects of Water Chestnut

Although, Water chestnuts or Singhara are high in nutritional value and low in calories, then also over consuming them can have side effects. Some of them are:

Stomach Issues

No doubt that any food rich in Fiber is great for maintaining gut health but at the same time over-consumption can upset the stomach. Higher intake can cause bloating, gas, nausea, vomiting and other stomach-related problems. There are even incidents when high intake has caused diarrhoea.

Allergic Reaction

If you are a person who is struggling with nut allergy then you should be cautious while including Singhara in your diet. Some of the symptoms are itching, swelling, hives and even trouble in breathing. If you do not know how your body will respond to water chestnut, you can start by taking small quantities and observing the response.

Medication Interference

There are certain recorded incidents in which people on specific medication have adverse reactions after eating water chestnuts. This is especially concerning for people who are taking blood thinners. Vitamin K present in Singhara can lead to an increase in the risk of bleeding and bruising.     

Conclusion

Ashu has received enough information on Know Your Diet about the health benefits of water chestnuts (Singhara). This seasonal food is loaded with nutrients like Protein, Fiber, Calcium, Potassium, Iron, Vitamin C & Vitamin B6.

There are multiple reasons that you should have Singhara in your diet. Water chestnuts are a good choice for controlling blood pressure, preventing type-2 Diabetes, aiding in weight loss, pacifying gut-related issues and even consuming for better skin health.

At the same time, over-consumption of Water chestnuts can have adverse effects on your health including stomach upset, allergic reaction and medication interference. Ashu is convinced that he will have the recommended quantity of it one time a day for health benefits and avoid the side effects of water chestnuts.