In everyday life, called yam is a tuber (cormus) of the plant yam
(Pachyrrhizus erosus). Yam plants belong to the tribe of legumes or Fabaceae.
Yam is a tuber vegetables that come from the roots resemble potatoes, but it's
great as brown turnip. In America these plants are known as xicama or jicama.
In English, the yam tuber known as yambean. In Indonesia, the tuber known as
yam or jicama, whereas in Java called Besusu.
Yam is usually consumed in the fresh form alone or as part of a salad,
pickles, preserves, salads, cocktails, or juice. When eaten raw, it has a mild
flavor with a crunchy texture, not like raw pears. Yam can be eaten raw,
sprinkled with salt and lime juice. The addition of honey and lemon juice into
the yam is believed to prevent ulcers. Yam also be used in stir-fry to serve as
a side dish. For adults it is recommended to take 2 to 3 cups of vegetables to
eat every day.
Besides as food, yam tuber traditionally also very well known in the
world of beauty, which as a beauty mask for whitening and refreshing the skin.
Yam is not just a skin whitening, antioxidants exist in food is to be able
to prevent anticancer and other degenerative diseases. Can also be used to help
overcome hemorrhoids and fever. In today's modern life, masks yam has been
marketed in the form of powder or paste ready to use.
Yam
Morphology
Yam is an annual plant that can reach lengths of 4-5 m, while its
roots can reach 2 m. Spread and twisted trunk, with fine hairs that point
downward.
Pinnate compound leaves leaf litter 3; stemmed 8, 5-16 cm; wide egg
round leaflets, with a pointed end and a large-toothed, hairy on both sides;
child leaves a big tip, lozenge, 7-21 × 6-20 cm.
Flowers gathered in bunches at the end or in the armpit leaves, alone or
in groups of 2-4 bunches, up to 60 cm long, brown hair. Tube bell-shaped petals,
browned, about 0.5 cm long. White crown bluish purple, bald, ± 2 cm long. Stalk
flattened, with the tip slightly rolled; anthers form a ball, under the tip of
the stalk pistil, stalk pistil beneath the stigma beards. The pods form a line,
flattened, 8-13 cm long, hairy, 4-9 seeded grains.
Yam
Cultivation
Historically, the plant yam comes from the Central and South America, in
particular Mexico area. Yam plant was originally considered as drugs by the
Aztecs, mainly due to the benefits of the seeds. Furthermore, by the Spanish,
yam spread to the area of the Philippines. Arrival of the Spanish to Asia in the 17th
century that had a big hand in spreading the yam plant, up to the rest of Asia
and the Pacific. Yam plants into Indonesia from Manila via Ambon. Starting from
Ambon, yam then cultivated throughout the country. Yam production centers today
is Java, Madura, and in some other areas, particularly in the lowlands.
Varieties are widely cultivated in Indonesia is the elephant yam and Badoer yam.
The difference between the two types is the yam harvest time. Elephant yam
varieties can be harvested when the plant enters the age of four to five
months. Badoer yam varieties have a longer harvest time. This type can only be
harvested when the plants aged seven to eleven months. In practice cultivation,
yam plants are often planted on the sidelines of the pepper plant. This is
because the roots of yam plants have the ability to symbiosis with Rhizobium
which can tie up nitrogen from the air. With a wide range of climatic
conditions, particularly the wet tropics, yam can adapt and grow well. The
existence of yam plants that can fix nitrogen makes the supply of nitrogen for
plants pepper fulfilled, so it does not need the addition of nitrogen from the
outside (in the form of urea).
Yam tubers can not stand low temperatures, so easily damaged. Therefore,
the tubers should be stored in a dry place a maximum temperature of 16 °C.
Storage of tubers at the appropriate temperature and humidity will make yam
hold up to about 2 months.
Yam
Chemical Content And Pharmacological Effects
According to the literature, the pharmacological effects of yam tubers
are sweet, cool, cool, cool and nutritious. Chemical content yam is
pachyrhizon, rotenon, vitamin B1 and vitamin C. yam tubers contain protein,
phosphorous, iron, vitamin A, B1 and C. The yam leaves contains saponins and
flavonoids. While the seed yam contains saponins, flavonoids and essential
oils. Yam contains vitamin C, flavonoids and saponins which is a natural
sunscreen to prevent skin damaged by free radicals. Additionally, phenolic
substances in yam quite effectively inhibit the formation of melanin, so that
the pigmentation due to hormones, sunlight, and acne scars can be prevented and
reduced. Although the edible tuber, yam plants containing organic toxins are
fat soluble that rotenone in large numbers. It is concentrated in the top of
the leaves, stems but the rate is much lower in the roots. Several studies have
found that it is associated with the development of Parkinson's disease.
However, the roots are peeled will be safe for human consumption, including
among children. Rotenone works at the cellular level, by inhibiting some
metabolic enzymes such as dehydrogenase in mitochondria. This poison is often
used to kill insects or fish. Part of yam seeds and leaves contain toxins.
Therefore, to avoid poisoning the amount of use of the two parts of the plants
need to be considered.
Yam is naturally high in fiber, while the fiber is important for a
healthy diet and can help reduce levels of blood pressure, prevent and relieve
constipation. However, too much fiber in a short time can cause
gastrointestinal side effects. It is specifically can cause abdominal pain and
constipation can be if a sudden increase in fiber intake in the diet. To reduce
the likelihood of this happening, especially when low-fiber diet at first, do
it gradually to increase fiber intake. Dietary fiber soften with cooking, will
make the fiber more digestible.
Yam
Nutrient Content Of Substances And Phytonutrients
Bulbs is the most widely consumed of yam plants. The inside of the bulb
contains sugar, starch, and oligosaccharides known as inulin. Uniquely, inulin
can not be immediately diasup by the body as a source of sugar, but need to
process further breakdown by the enzyme inulinase. Inulin nature is very useful
for applications of products for people with diabetes mellitus as well as being
low-calorie diet. Yam tubers are often consumed because they give a fresh
effect. This effect arises because the water content in the tubers are quite
high, around 86 to 90 percent. The high water content can replace body fluids,
so that we feel refreshed. In addition, the yam also contains high mineral. The
minerals contained in the yam is the most dominant phosphorus, iron, and
calcium.
In a study of 100 grams of yam containing the nutrient content as
follows: 0.04 mg Vitamin B1, 20 mg Vitamin C, 0.04 mg Vitamin B1, 0 IU Vitamin
A, 85g Water, 55 kcal Energy, 1 mg Iron, 1.4 g protein, 0.2 g fat, 12.8 g
carbohydrates, 15 mg calcium, 18 mg phosphorus.
The main content of yam is water, which is 85 grams per 100 grams of
tubers. Energy levels are quite low (55 kcal/100 g) allows the yam to be
consumed as food that is good for implementing a low-calorie diet and diabetes
mellitus. The content of vitamin C are fairly high (20 mg/100 g), allows the
yam is used as a potential source of antioxidants to counteract free radicals
attack the causes of cancer and degenerative diseases.
Yam Benefits
According to the literature that records the experience from generation
to generation from various countries and regions, these plants can cure
diseases as follows:
a. Treating
Hemorrhoids.
b. Treating
Fever.
c. Diabetes
Mellitus.
d. Treating
Thrush.
e. Menopause
Effects (For Natural phytoestrogens).
f. Blood
Cholesterol Levels.
g. Stomach
Acid interference.
h. Beriberi
Disease.
i. Keep
The Immune System.
For the treatment, yam can cope with various diseases such as diabetes,
fever, eczema, ulcers, and hemorrhoids. In addition to bulbs, other plant parts
that can be used as medicine are the roots, seeds, and stems. For people with
diabetes, can be shredded yam, filtered, and then taken twice daily melting
section.
Although yam has a pharmacological effect as a remedy for various
ailments such as fever, skin diseases, and abdominal pain, this plant is also
dangerous because it contains a toxin in the seeds and leaves. Use of seeds and
leaves part needs to be aware in order to avoid poisoning. Not only in the
field of health and food, yam is also applied to the field of cosmetic
industry. The roots or tubers yam cold powder used as an ingredient for skin
care, thus becoming the face look more fresh, smooth, and white. Benefits as
cosmetics, make yam identical with skin whitening effect. Yam in the form of
herb mask, since time immemorial it has been believed to sublimate, whiten, and
remove spots or stains on the face.
The main content of the yam is vitamin C, which in the yam tubers are
vitamin C content of 40% and the rest is water and fiber. This is one of the
yam tuber with the highest vitamin C content. To that end, yam can routinely
consume sufficient vitamin C daily.
Similarly to the skin, vitamin C at yam is needed to regenerate skin
cells, repair damaged skin cells and replacing them with new cells. Regenerate
skin properly will avoid premature aging are usually marked with wrinkles and
dark circles around the eye area. Yam use for beauty is often treated as a mask
and scrub to get rid of scars and black spots on the skin of the face and body.
From the description of the yam above, many benefits that impact both on the
skin, include:
1. Eliminate
the black stains on the face.
2. Provide
cooling effect.
3. Whiten
face.
How to make a mask of yam not difficult. Here are the steps. Prepare yam
and wash thoroughly. Peeled and shredded. Squeeze the grated and the capacity
of the water in the bowl and discard the waste. Let stand a few minutes before
the results of juice. Let it settle to the bottom of the container. Discard the
remaining water and sediment grab it. The precipitate that is used as a yam mask.
When sediment much, the rest can be stored in containers hygienic bag after dry
deposition and powder.
How to use a yam mask. Clean your face first. Apply precipitate yam on
face and neck using a mask to help brush evenly. Let stand about 30 minutes or
until the mask dries. Once dry, clean and dry face mask with a soft towel or
that has been moistened with warm water.
How To
Select And Store Yam
Yam generally available at any time on the market. Choose a color yam
with firm, round and of medium size. Avoid wrinkled yam, or tubers with a
cutting surface, cracks and skin bruising.
Once at home, yam can be stored like potatoes and also have a very good
shelf life and keep well in a cool, dry, dark place for about 2-4 weeks. Exposure
to temperatures below 10 °C will change color and texture. Also, storage extend
the conversion of starch into sugar, which makes it less used in savory dishes.
Yam is often used in cooking as a crunchy texture even when exposed to
heat. Yam can be sliced into stick-shaped, because it will not discolor when exposed to air. Yam
is also delicious made for a refreshing snack simply sprinkled with chili
powder, lemon or lime. Yam can also be stir-fried or grilled, like radishes to
soften but retain their natural flavor.
