maranta arundinacea
Also known as: Arrowroot, West Indian arrowroot, Bermuda arrowroot, araru, ararao, hulankeeriya, garut, ararut, irut, Maranta arundinacea
Overview
Maranta arundinacea, commonly known as arrowroot, is a tropical tuber crop primarily valued for its starch-rich rhizomes. While currently underutilized, it holds significant potential as a carbohydrate source and a functional food ingredient. Traditionally, arrowroot starch has been used in various food preparations. Modern research, encompassing in vitro, animal, and limited human studies, explores its nutritional, pharmacological, and functional properties. The existing evidence base is moderate, with several preclinical studies demonstrating various biological effects, including potential chemopreventive and immunostimulatory properties. However, robust human clinical research, particularly randomized controlled trials, is scarce, limiting definitive conclusions regarding its efficacy and specific applications in human health. Despite this, its role as a safe and digestible starch source with emerging functional benefits is recognized.
Benefits
Arrowroot exhibits several promising benefits, primarily identified in preclinical studies. Its most notable potential is in **chemoprevention**, particularly against cancer. In a rat model of breast cancer, dietary supplementation with arrowroot starch significantly reduced cancer incidence and increased Beclin1 expression, a marker for autophagy initiation, suggesting a mechanism for its protective effects. This evidence, while compelling in animals, requires confirmation in human trials. Additionally, arrowroot has shown **immunostimulatory effects** in both in vitro and in vivo studies, indicating a potential to enhance immune function, though detailed human data are lacking. Secondary benefits, such as antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, prebiotic, antibacterial, immunomodulatory, anti-ulcerative, anti-diarrhoeal, hypoglycemic, hypocholesterolemic, and antihypertensive properties, have been reported in animal and in vitro studies. However, the strength of evidence for these secondary effects is lower, and they necessitate rigorous validation through well-designed human clinical trials. Currently, specific population-based benefits are not well-established due to the preliminary nature of human research.
How it works
The primary mechanism of action for arrowroot's potential benefits appears to involve the modulation of cellular pathways, particularly **autophagy**. In cancer prevention models, arrowroot starch and its extracts have been shown to increase the expression of Beclin1, a key protein involved in initiating autophagy, a cellular process critical for removing damaged components and preventing disease. Beyond this, arrowroot may exert **antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects** by modulating oxidative stress and immune responses within the body. As a starch, it acts as a digestible carbohydrate source, and its potential **prebiotic effects** may influence gut microbiota composition and function. While the starch is primarily digested into glucose, the bioavailability and specific molecular targets of other bioactive compounds within arrowroot require further investigation.
Side effects
Arrowroot is generally considered safe for consumption as a food source. Based on available animal and limited human studies, no significant adverse effects have been reported. There are no documented drug interactions or contraindications associated with arrowroot consumption. However, it is important to note that specific safety studies in vulnerable populations, such as pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, or children, have not been conducted. Therefore, while it is widely consumed as a food ingredient, caution and consultation with a healthcare professional are advisable for these groups, especially when considering its use beyond typical dietary amounts. As with any food product, individuals with known allergies to similar plants should exercise caution, though allergic reactions to arrowroot are rare.
Dosage
Currently, there are no established minimum or maximum human doses for arrowroot due to the limited number of randomized controlled trials. In animal studies focusing on cancer prevention, effective doses involved diets containing 30-60% arrowroot starch by weight. However, these findings from animal models cannot be directly extrapolated to human dosing recommendations. Arrowroot is typically consumed as a starch source in food preparations, and standardized extract dosing has not been defined. Its absorption primarily aligns with typical starch digestion, and no specific cofactors have been identified to enhance its absorption. Given the lack of human clinical data, any therapeutic use of arrowroot beyond its traditional role as a food ingredient should be approached with caution and ideally under professional guidance.
FAQs
Is arrowroot safe for daily consumption?
Yes, as a food starch, arrowroot is generally considered safe for daily consumption within typical dietary amounts. No significant adverse effects have been reported.
Can arrowroot prevent cancer in humans?
Evidence for cancer prevention is currently preliminary and limited to animal models. While promising, human clinical trials are needed to confirm these effects.
How quickly do benefits appear?
In animal studies, effects were observed over weeks to months. Human data on the onset and duration of potential benefits are currently insufficient.
Is arrowroot a good source of carbohydrates?
Yes, arrowroot is a highly digestible starch source, making it a good source of carbohydrates with potential functional benefits beyond basic nutrition.
Research Sources
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9360966/ – This animal study investigated the chemopreventive effects of arrowroot starch on DMBA-induced breast cancer in rats. Results showed that diets with 30-60% arrowroot starch dose-dependently reduced cancer incidence, with the 60% group showing no cancer. The study also found a significant increase in Beclin1 expression, suggesting autophagy induction as a potential mechanism. Limitations include the applicability of animal model findings to humans.
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3279578/ – This research explored the immunostimulatory effects of arrowroot in both in vitro and in vivo settings. The findings indicated that arrowroot possesses properties that may enhance immune function. However, the study was exploratory and lacked a randomized controlled trial design, meaning human clinical data are still needed to confirm these effects.
- http://www.ifrj.upm.edu.my/29%20(06)%202022/02%20-%20IFRJ19814.R1%20(Review).pdf – This systematic review summarized various bioactivities of arrowroot, including its antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and metabolic benefits, primarily based on in vitro and animal model studies. It highlighted that human studies on arrowroot's therapeutic effects are mostly quasi-experimental and small-scale, thus limiting the strength of evidence for clinical applications.
- https://www.ijert.org/arrowroot-maranta-arundinacea-a-versatile-starch-source-and-its-emerging-applications-in-the-food-industry-a-comprehensive-review – This comprehensive review discusses Maranta arundinacea as a versatile starch source and its emerging applications in the food industry. It covers the general characteristics and traditional uses of arrowroot, emphasizing its potential as a functional food ingredient. The review synthesizes information on its nutritional composition and industrial relevance.
