I heard tigernuts are sweet. I'm diabetic - can I eat tigernuts?

Tigernuts contain prebiotic fibre that cannot be processed by the stomach. Unlike many carbohydrates, this fibre is safe for diabetics and can in fact help balance blood sugar.

Arginine, an amino acid found in tigernuts, may help up your body’s insulin production and sensitivity. This may be another way that eating tigernuts helps regulate your blood sugar.

Yet another potential benefit of tigernuts for diabetics is that eating tigernuts may reduce the enzymes in your gut that digest carbs. This might mean that less sugar might be taken in by your gut, although further research is necessary to fully substantiate this.

References

(1) Ekeanyanwu et al, “The Phytochemical Composition and Some Biochemical Effects of Nigerian Tigernut (Cyperus esculentus L.) Tuber”, Pakistan Journal of Nutrition, 2010, https://bit.ly/2uWVSGV.

(2) Umeda et al, “Arginine-induced insulin secretion in endoplasmic reticulum.” Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 2015, https://bit.ly/2KohiaI.

(3) Sabiu et al, “KINETICS OF MODULATORY ROLE OF Cyperus esculentus L. ON THE SPECIFIC ACTIVITY OF KEY CARBOHYDRATE METABOLIZING ENZYMES”, African Journal of Traditional, Complementary, and Alternative Medicine, 2017, https://bit.ly/2Ko5Coj.