By Sylvia Adjoa Mitchell

The future is coming, and it is green. One of the fastest-growing, extraordinary, but surprisingly underutilised and overlooked plants in Jamaica is bamboo. The most common bamboo species locally is Bambusa vulgaris.

In this article, we will consider the nutritional and medicinal properties of bamboo. All the parts of the bamboo plant (seeds, leaves, rhizome, culm shavings, roots, and shoots) have some sort of medicinal benefit. For example, the leaf has antioxidant, antibiotic, and anticancer properties.

Importantly, all the items shown in this article are produced in Jamaica.

DENBIGH SHOWCASES BAMBOO AS FOOD

In 2016, at the Denbigh Agricultural and Food Show, five innovative and edible bamboo shoot dishes were introduced to the public for the first time: Sweet and Sour Edible Bamboo Shoots, Curried Edible Bamboo shoots, Jerked Edible Bamboo Shoots, Shake and Baked Edible Bamboo Shoots, and Brown Stewed Edible Bamboo Shoots. If kept frozen, these products will last for six months. I can attest that they were very tasty.

Bamboo shoots are used in many exquisite culinary preparations like pickles, vegetables, soups, salads, vinegar, and several other forms in various countries. The international trade in edible bamboo shoots is over 275 million USD and growing. Some Jamaicans are no strangers to eating bamboo and are harnessing its potential, and getting healthy and wealthy in the process!

BAMBOO LEAF TEA

Bamboo leaf is a useful ingredient in animal feed. It should be no surprise then that the leaves make a fine tea for us as well. The main active compound found in bamboo is a mineral known as silicon dioxide, or silica. Bamboo is one of the few plants, alongside horsetail herb and stinging nettle, that are rich in silica; however, bamboo leaves have 10 times more silica than these two herbs.

The leaves are also a rich source of other minerals such as selenium, iron, copper, zinc, and manganese. This helps to strengthen the hair, skin, nails, bones, and teeth and may prevent Alzheimer’s as the silica can block the uptake of aluminium. 

 Bamboo leaves possess nutrients and bioactive compounds, including antioxidants such as phenols, flavonoids, and vitamins C, and E. They play a part in scavenging free radicals in the body known to cause cell damage. Bamboo leaves have also been found to possess antiviral activities against the influenza virus and HIV by blocking viral attachment in the body. Antibacterial activity has also been found.

BAMBOO CHARCOAL

Bamboo charcoal can be made in the same way as wood charcoal is made but requires specialized training. It’s included here under the food section because bamboo charcoal burns clean without smoking, making it ideal to use for cooking if needed. Well recommended for barbecues!

BAMBOO VINEGAR IS A GOOD FERTILISER

In the process of making charcoal, vinegar is made. Several charcoal manufacturers have made bamboo vinegar recently, including myself during an Environmental Foundation of Jamaica project. Bamboo vinegar has been shown to improve growth rate of vegetables as it works as an antibacterial agent; it is also a good fertilizer. 

Its antibacterial properties make it ideal for use in food and drink processing, as well as in water purification in sewage treatment plants. 

BAMBOO ACTIVATED CHARCOAL

Bamboo charcoal, and even moreso, activated charcoal, has a high surface area.   Just a single ounce of activated charcoal has 396,900 sq ft of surface area which can be used to trap odours and excess moisture! It is therefore used for a wide range of purposes, including water filters, air purification for removing toxins and odour in the atmosphere; and in toothpastes and cosmeceuticals; etc.

BAMBOO KETCHUP

Bamboo ketchup was introduced to the market by Chevaughn Bowen, a Jamaican entrepreneur and a graduate of the International University of the Caribbean (IUC). The product is produced by Jamdun’ Food Processing in Kingston.

Bowen, who won a Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association prize in 2010 for his hot and spicy barbe-fry sauce, said “young people who have innovative business ideas should ensure that they are written and placed in the marketplace for development.”

We encourage you to go explore and learn more about the versatile and amazing bamboo plant, which we’ve started showing you today has many more purposes other than making furniture. 

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Dr. Mitchell is a Senior Lecturer, Medicinal Plant Research Group, The Biotechnology Centre, UWI, Mona. Jamaican-raised & naturalized, she is African-born with English ancestry. Contact sylvia.mitchell@uwimona.edu.jm or 876-545-2646.

Freedom Come Rain Disclaimer: Articles carried by FCRain Newspaper, similar in nature to the one above, are for informational purposes only. Kindly be aware that your health is your own responsibility.