Yuca (Cassava) Nutrition Facts
Yuca (cassava) is a “whole food” source of carbohydrate. Unlike wheat and most grains of today, yuca is unprocessed, free of chemicals, pesticides, and preservatives, and is not genetically modified. It comes just as nature intended it. You can’t get any better than that! And it’s so much fun to work with!!
Yuca is naturally gluten-free, grain-free, Paleo, Vegan, Whole30 approved, and safe for those following an Autoimmune Protocol! I think that says a lot about the virtues of yuca! It’s an incredibly versatile root vegetable that can do anything that wheat or potatoes can do (and maybe even better) that fits into most anyone’s healthy lifestyle. While safe for those with Celiac or gluten sensitivities, it’s so yummy that everyone in the crowd will be happy to eat it. Grain will never be missed again!
USDA Nutritional Composition
There are many varieties of yuca grown throughout the world, and its exact nutritional composition can vary depending on the age of the plant, the geographic location grown, and environmental conditions within which it’s cultivated (1.) The yuca that is available in the United States is sweet yuca. We will use the USDA guidelines to look more closely at its nutritional composition.
After noting yuca’s nutrients keep reading – there is more to it than meets the eye!
According to the USDA, 1 cup (206 g) of raw cassava/yuca contains:
- 330 calories
- 78.4 grams carbohydrates (26% DV) – Be sure to continue reading below to truly understand how to understand this number with regard to yuca.
- 3.7 grams of fiber (15% DV)
- 3.5 grams of sugar
- 2.8 grams protein
- 0.6 gram total fat (1% DV) (.2 grams saturated/.2 grams monounsaturated, .1 monounsaturated)
- 42.4 milligrams vitamin C (71% DV)
- 3.9 micrograms vitamin K (5% DV)
- 0.2 milligrams thiamine (12% DV)
- 0.1 milligrams riboflavin (6% DV)
- 1.8 milligrams niacin (9% DV)
- 0.2 milligrams vitamin B6 (9% DV)
- 56 micrograms folate (14 percent DV)
- 33 milligrams calcium (3% DV)
- 6 milligrams iron (3% DV)
- 43.3 milligrams magnesium (11%DV)
- 55.6 milligrams phosphorus (6% DV)
- 558 milligrams potassium (16% DV)
- 28.8 milligrams sodium (1% DV)
- 0.7 milligram zinc (5% DV)
- 0.2 milligrams copper (10% DV)
- 0.8 milligram manganese (40% DV)
- 1.4 micrograms selenium (2% DV)
(Percent Daily Values (%DV) are for adults or children aged 4 or older, and are based on a 2,000 calorie reference diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower based on your individual needs.)
Raw yuca is an excellent source of vitamin C (71% DV!), and a good source of manganese, potassium, magnesium, and B vitamins. In our mineral deplete world, it’s also nice to know that yuca provides some copper, zinc, calcium, and iron. Yuca is high in carbs and not particularly high in protein.
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You may be thinking, “Why would I want to add something to my diet that has so many carbs??”
In our world where “carb” has become a nasty 4-letter word, this is an excellent question.
Let’s take a closer look at yuca’s carbohydrate count – 78.4 grams in 1 cup!
There is no denying that yuca is an energy dense carbohydrate. This is one of the main reasons it’s such an important staple food for over 500 million people in the developing world (2.)
But don’t let its high carb content deter you from eating yuca! There is much more to know about the yuca carb story than can be seen by simply looking at the number of grams in a cup!
Here are some key points to consider.
1. While high in carbs (even higher than potatoes) yuca has fewer carbs than wheat, rice, yellow corn, or sorghum (3)! While it may not be advisable to eat yuca every day for optimal nutrition, the same is true for the typical grains that most Americans eat multiple times in a single day! Yuca is an excellent, non-inflammatory, whole plant source of starch. We all need some healthy source of carbohydrate daily and yuca is a great choice.
2. Boiled yuca has a low glycemic index!
The glycemic index of boiled yuca is 46 (values below 55 are considered low.) For comparison purposes, the glycemic index of whole wheat bread is 71, corn flakes is 81, baked white potato is 72.5, and baked sweet potato is 61 (4.) Yuca is looking pretty good!
Having a low glycemic index means that a food releases glucose into the bloodstream at a slow, steady rate without causing blood sugar spikes. In addition to keeping blood sugar stable, low GI foods have been shown to help lower and control triglyceride levels, as well as help with weight loss and the maintenance of a healthy weight (5.) Its low glycemic index has led the Philippines’ Department of Science and Technology to recommend yuca for diabetics.
As someone who is pre-diabetic when not following a diet void of added sugar and most grain, this is really important to me! I eat yuca a few days a week and my blood sugar has stayed within the normal range – all while eating delicious flatbreads, pizzas, empanadas, etc! Yuca has been a real game changer for me!
According to the CDC, approximately 84 million American adults (more than 1 in 3) are pre-diabetic – and 90% don’t even know it! Lifestyle behaviors such as eating a low glycemic healthy diet, exercising, and managing stress have all been suggested as ways to decrease one’s risk of getting pre-diabetes and Type 2 diabetes (6.)
3. Not all of the calories and carbs count when eating yuca (7)! Yes! I really just said that! Only 77.9% of the starch in cooked yuca is digestible (8, 9.) About 17-20% of the starch in yuca is amylose – a type of starch called resistant starch. This starch acts in many ways like fiber within the body, and research has been demonstrating numerous health benefits.
Resistant starch got its name because it resists digestion throughout the small intestines. It makes its way all the way to the large intestines undigested. It is here where it becomes food for beneficial probiotic bacteria, thereby supporting colon health (10,11, 12.) Within the large intestines it ferments into short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as butyrate, which provide numerous potential health benefits including:
- promoting the growth of good bacteria and inhibiting the growth of bad bacteria in the gut (13.)
- improving the integrity of the gut lining, which keeps toxins from entering the bloodstream and guards against numerous potential conditions including fatty liver, heart disease, and autoimmune disease (14, 29.)
- decreasing inflammation in the gut, thereby supporting colon health (15, 16, 17, 29, 30.)
- reducing the risk of developing gastrointestinal disorders, colon cancer, and cardiovascular disease (18, 19, 20, 29.)
- lowering the blood-glucose response to food and improving insulin sensitivity in people with Type 2 Diabetes (21, 23, 24.)
- making us feel full faster and reducing fat storage (22, 24, 25, 28.)
- improving cholesterol and triglyceride levels (24, 26, 27) and increasing absorption of minerals.
- enhancing the absorption of magnesium (31.)
While sources suggest that we should strive to consume around 20-30 grams of resistant starch per day (32, 33) most Americans get approximately 3-8 grams (34.) To avoid possible symptoms such as abdominal pain or flatulence (which is a natural by-product of the fermentation process in the colon,) start with small portions and work your way up to the recommended daily intake. Adding resistant starch to one’s diet may provide useful feedback as to the healthiness of one’s gut – with increased discomfort, diarrhea or constipation following consumption as indicators that one’s gut needs support to regain its full integrity (32.) Consultation with a Functional Medicine practitioner may be needed for individualized assessment and guidance on how to improve one’s gut health.
There’s a lot of new, exciting research currently being done to fully understand the role of resistant starch for our health. Current nutrition labels rarely take resistant starch into account, but that may all be changing in the near future.
While yuca is a carb, it’s considered to be a healthy, non-inflammatory source of carbohydrate. It’s not only delicious, but also beneficial to our well-being.
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Disclaimer– In Crazy for Yuca I write about my own personal health and diet journey. My experience and recipes are not to be considered expert advice or suggestive that anyone follow any particular diet protocol. Each person’s body and medical issues are individual and need to be evaluated by a medical professional. If you have any concerns due to your specific diagnoses, please consult your doctor before eating yuca.
