Background:Beyond nutritional values are the pharmacological potentials of cassava comparative with other staple carbohydrate plant-based foods such as wheat. The knowledge of applicability to diabetes and its cardiovascular complications management seems not just limited but unacknowledged. As a preliminary study, a community’s knowledge of pharmacological value of cassava is investigated.Methods:Descriptive observational study using questionnaire-based “cross-sectional” survey was conducted. 136 Participants completed the survey and 101 respondents were selected for evaluation. Open-ended questions were used qualitatively to generate experience and view cassava values for diabetes and dyslipidemia. While categorical (yes or no) questions were used quantitatively to generate numerical results for diabetes, critical reanalysis of a report data was performed, especially comparing carbohydrate/fiber and fat/fiber ratios of cassava with wheat in view of dyslipidemia.Result:On the positive side, 42% of the participants believe that cassava has medicinal values. This includes 6% (among the 42) who believes that the plant is useful in treating diabetes and 24% who do not know it may be useful in diabetes management. Critical review showed that cassava may contribute up to sixteen times more fiber and four times less digestible sugar, as well as carbohydrate/fiber and fat/fiber ratios being 14 and 55 times less than wheat.Conclusion:There is evidence that relative to wheat flour meal, for instance, cassava contributes less fat and much more fiber. Since fat is pro-obesity, which in turn is pro-diabetic/metabolic syndrome; and fiber is anti-dyslipidemic; cassava has pharmacological values to be appreciated over some carbohydrate plant-based foods.

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Background: The increase in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) experienced more in the developing countries can be attributed to changes in demography (rural to urban migration) and changes in pattern of food consumption. With the increasing incidences in diabetes globally, dietary restrictions and modifications in consumption behaviors still remains the bedrock in the prevention and management of the disease. Specific education to prevent or manage people’s lifestyle in order to combat NCDs such as diabetes are widely available, but assessment of knowledge about dietary fiber and its impact on staple foods consumption is largely unexplored.Methods: This study utilized nutritional education as an intervention strategy to bring about changes in consumers consumption behaviour, changing their perspective in consumption of root and tuber crops in relation to wheat in the study area. The intervention involved public health lecture on the nutrition values of staple carbohydrate root and tuber crop foods (cassava and yam) with focus on their dietary fibre content, relative to wheat.Results: The statistical analysis showed that there is a significant difference in the dietary habits in urban and in rural areas. Intervention resulted in shift in consumption behavior towards indigenous staple carbohydrate food crops. The changes in behavior were more obvious in urban dwellers, especially in favour of cassava consumption.Conclusions: Education or information targeted to correct the consumption behaviour of specific group of individuals stands a chance in impacting and improving their food choices and dietary behaviours.

The objective of the study was to evaluate how diabetes and dyslipidaemia can be managed by increasing the consumption of root and tuber crops such as cassava and yam. Journal literatures based on research reports as well as institutional publications and databases on nutritional values of various foods were reviewed. Critical reviews were also performed to synthesize a comparison between the various foods, especially in terms of their fibre values. The critical review shows that guidelines devoted six pages to protein-energy malnutrition and another seven pages on micronutrients. However, there is no mention of the dietary fibre values of the staple root and tuber food crops. From the narrative review, previous report showed that carbohydrate or fibre and fat or fibre ratios are negligible in the raw products, but highest in wheat flour and higher in yam relative to cassava flour. A further comparative review in terms of proximate analysis of the foods elaborates that unprocessed wheat is high in crude protein, carbohydrate and fibre. Thus, the extent or nature of processing is a key factor. Whether wheat has better health value over root and tuber crops has neither being expatiated, nor cassava and yam acknowledged as having any medical value relative to wheat. Since fat is pro-obesity and pro-diabetic while fibre is anti-dyslipidaemic; the foods based on processed wheat flour may possess the least pharmacological values relative to the indigenous carbohydrate food crops. This report provides indication of medical nutrition therapy potentials of indigenous carbohydrate food crops in Delta state of Nigeria.

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