Subject: Re: [permaculture] [Fwd: [SANET-MG] Jerusalem Artichokes, An Overlooked Market
Date: Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:16:56 -0500
On Fri, 4 Apr 2008 18:40:38 +0000, you wrote:
>
>
>Re: artichokes, I'm wondering whether or not they have been "overlooked"
>because they simply don't make a very good food source.
>
>I remember reading an article in the British Journal of Medicine talking
>about how inulin, the main chemical in Jerusalem artichokes, is not
>digestible by the human gut. This is presumably why Jerusalem artichokes are
>"great" for dieters, so the promotional emails go, but I doubt that many
>people realize that they are "great for dieters" in the same sense that
>eating sawdust or any other non-digestable organic substance is "great".
>
>Part of me is always hoping that Jerusalem artichokes really are a great
>food, and that somehow I've misunderstood something about the varieties that
>are out there or how it behaves in the human gut. I kind of doubt that a
>different variety of J.a. magically avoids this problem, since the problem
>has to do with the basic way the plant stores its energy, rather than some
>incidental feature that could be bred out of it. Nevertheless, if anyone who
>knows more about the plants or nutrition can weigh in here, I'd really
>appreciate it.
I *think* you are misunderstanding somewhat. I believe that Jerusalem
artichokes don't raise blood sugar very much, but I don't think they are
actually indigestible.
Pat
-- Northern Pennsylvania http://www.entire-of-itself.blogspot.com/
'Every one of us can do something to protect and care for our planet.
We should live in such a way that makes a future possible.'
- Thich Nhat Hanh