When I saw a press release for Tigernuts grace my inbox I was immediately intrigued. Any sort of health food I am all about learning more about so I decided to contact the owner and get some questions answered so that I could better understand for myself then share the knowledge with you all!
In this Q&A we are interviewing the founders Elizabeth and Penny Sattle. We talk about Tigernuts the brand and the food as well as health in general.
Where did the inspiration for Tigernuts come from?
Biz actually came across Tigernuts during one of her work trips to the US (she owns a marketing and communications business also and does a lot of work in international markets).. We have both been passionate about health for a very long time and decided that Tigernuts needed to be bought to Australia and it would be a really great project for us to work on together.
Tigernuts are actually not nuts, but tiny tubers (root vegetables). Tigernuts were originally cultivated in Northern Africa, and are one of the world’s oldest sources of nutrition. A recent study by Oxford University actually indicates that Tigernuts made up around 80% of Nutcracker Man’s diet between 2.4 and 1.4 million years ago ! Tigernuts have long been used as a food source, and in traditional medicine for early civilizations including the Chinese and Persians. They were one of the earliest domesticated crops, and have even been found in the tombs of Egyptian Pharaohs. The Persians were so fond of Tigernuts that during the Middle Ages, after their expansion across the north of Africa, they introduced the root vegetable to Europe and the Mediterranean.
What is it that makes Tigernuts such a nutritious thing to eat, even considered a superfood?
There are so many things! They are gluten, dairy and nut free. They are also Paleo and Auto Immune friendly. The small tubers are very high in fibre and the #1 natural source of resistant starch. Resistant starch is a prebiotic starch that acts much like insoluble fibre. Resistant starch is not digested in the stomach or small intestine; instead it is passed through to the colon where it acts as food for our bodies friendly gut bacteria (probiotics). Furthermore, Tigernuts contain digestive enzymes like catalase, lipase and amylase. The enzymes combines with Tigernuts’ resistant starch and fibre content aids digestive health, improves insulin sensitivity, lowers blood sugar levels and helps to counteract issues of the bowels. Tigernuts are high in good fats, primarily oleic acid – the good fat found in olive oil and avocado. In fact, the composition of Tigernut Oil is almost identical in composition to olive oil. Tigernuts are also rich in vitamins and minerals including phosphorous, potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, manganese, iron and vitamins E and C.
Tigernuts are great because they have a natural sweetness so they can help you curb that sugar craving without ruining the diet! The high fibre and resistant starch content of Tigernuts also means that they keep you fuller for longer. Tigernuts are quite chewy, which means you have to chew them (obviously) but it also makes them harder to overeat. They are also a great nut-free alternative to nut flours that tend to be provided as gluten free alternatives.
Tigernuts has seen much success, what do you see happening next? Are there any upcoming projects or plans to expand in different directions?
Well we have only been launched a few weeks, but the feedback so far has been amazing. We do have some other products that we are working on at the moment, but that’s top secret info so if I tell you I would have to kill you….(joking!) we will definitely keep you posted though :)
A huge thank you to Terra Firma Foods and Tigernuts for being part of this healthy discussion.
If you want to check out some of the previous Q&A's on Jordy's Fitness you can check out that section of the blog here.
Thanks for reading!
