Yes, teff is a good source of vitamins. It’s packed with several essential vitamins, including B vitamins like thiamin, riboflavin and niacin. Teff also contains important vitamins A, C, and E. These three vitamins are known for their antioxidant properties, can help protect the body from free radical damage, reducing inflammation in the body and decreasing chronic disease risk. Teff is also a great source of minerals, including iron, manganese, magnesium and phosphorus. Magnesium helps the body produce energy while Iron helps create red blood cells and carry oxygen throughout the body. Together, these vitamins and minerals help support healthy muscular and nervous system functioning.
Introduction
Teff, a type of small grain originating in Ethiopia and Eritrea, has gained much popularity among individuals seeking a wholesome and nutritious food source. With its high nutrient content, specifically the vitamins found inside it, teff provides numerous health benefits. Vitamins are molecules that cannot be synthesized by humans; as such, they must be obtained through dietary intake. As a superfood, teff is packed with vitamins vital for human bodily function, which are outlined in this research paper.
Vitamin A
Consuming teff supplies the body with vitamin A, an essential micronutrient necessary for maintaining good eye sight, healthy skin, normal growth and development, and protection from certain diseases. More specifically, vitamin A helps support immune system functioning and encourages the lining of mucous membranes to prevent infections and promote wound healing in the body. Teff contains carotenoids, compounds synthesised in plants that convert into provitamin A when digested by humans. When consumed, provitamin A converts into retinol or other forms of Vitamin A which plays an important role in many biochemical processes within the human body.
Due to its incredible nutrient advantages, peeling off the germ and bran layers from teff can significantly reduce the amount of vitamin A present in the remaining part of the grain. Therefore, optimum levels of vitamin A can only be attained if the full-grain variety of teff is applicable. In terms of vitamin A quantity per serving, any 150 gram serving of teff provides around 877 IU of vitamin A. This accounts for 35 percent of the Daily suggested Value based on a 2,000 calorie diet for adults.
Vitamin B: Folate (B9)
Folate or vitamin B9, is considered an integral water soluble component within teff. Like vitamin A, folate performs crucial roles in supporting physical and mental well-being. Namely, folate regulates gene expression and assists in the production of proteins and red blood cells, both vital process of metabolism. It also prevents neurological problems like dementia, strokes and birth defects, while supporting muscle health.
Due to its numerous health benefits, folate quantitatively surpasses all other B vitamins found in teff. Any given 100 grams of uncooked teff contains 6.49 mg of folate, approximately 324% of the Daily Suggested Value (DV). This indicates that consuming just half a cup of teff can provide more than three times the daily recommended value of essential Vitamin B9.
Vitamin B2/Riboflavin
Besides providing substantial quantities of vitamin B9, researchers have ascertained that teff contains notable amounts of another B vitamin known as riboflavin or vitamin B2. Specifically, only about 105 grams of dry teff will yield .13 milligrams of riboflavin or 7.3 percent of the DV mentioned above.
As one of the water-soluble vitamin components present in teff, riboflavin helps foster the most optimal metabolic rate for producing energy and working towards reliable digestion. The entire nervous and digestive systems largely depend upon muti-faceted energy produced by several vitamins and minerals, and riboflavin happens to play an forefront role in these activities. Additionally, Riboflavin supports strong hair follicles and protects various internal organs and tissues against illnesses associated with a lack of nutrition.
Conclusion
In conclusion, teff flour, while mainly a carbohydrate source, guarantees several notary pledges of vitamins including, yet not limited to, vitamin A, folate, and riboflavin. All three members of the B family boast properties beneficial for weight loss, increased energy levels, lean muscle, organ health, immunity and skin texture. Thus, incorporating teff into regular diets can help improve overall health, guaranteeing a better future inhabited by positive habituated beings.
Vitamin B1 | 0.18 mg | |
Vitamin B2 | 0.03 mg | |
Vitamin B3 | 0.91 mg | |
Vitamin B6 | 0.1 mg | |
Vitamin B9 | 0.018 mg |