Is Arrowroot powder raw?

[watersole]

Found a smoothie recipe that required arrowroot powder. Was wondering if this is raw?

And speaking of thickeners, what about lecithin? I bought a really good raw pie from Whole Foods, and there was lecithin in the ingredients.

If either of these are indeed good for raw, where would I find them?

Christine

[Shona]

Why would a smoothie recipe call for arrowroot? It is a thickening agent, but doesn't it need to be cooked to work?

Personally, I would just omit it from the recipe. It seems kind of odd to me.

Shona :)

[Sweet lips]

Perhaps because it contains calcium.

Arrowroot was used by the Arawaks to withdraw the toxins from poison arrow wounds. Today, this New World plant is used as a natural source of calcium and in the treatment of indigestion, diarrhea, and urinary infections.
Arrowroot is a white powder extracted from the root of a West Indian plant, Marantha arundinacea. Arrowroot is also known as Obedience Plant, Bamban, Bermuda, Bermuda Arrowroot, and Maranta. Arrowroot was first discovered and identified on the island of Dominica in the West Indies. Arrowroot is indigenous to the West Indies, where native people, the Arawaks, used the powder. The Arawaks used the substance to draw out toxins from people wounded by poison arrows. It is believed that the name Arrowroot is derived from this practice. Native Americans in both North and South America apply Arrowroot as a poultice for snakebites, insect bites, and sores. The common name Arrowroot includes the species Maranta nobilis and Maranta allouya, which are used interchangeably with Maranta arundinacea. It looks and feels like cornstarch. Arrowroot is most commonly grown in Brazil and Thailand. The Arrowroot plant is an herbaceous perennial, with a creeping rhizome with upward-curving, fleshy, cylindrical tubers covered with large, thin scales. The flowering stem reaches a height of 6 feet, and bears flowers at the ends of the branches that terminate the long peduncles. They grow in pairs. The numerous, ovate, leaves are up to 10 inches in length, with long sheaths often enveloping the stem. The starch is extracted from rhizomes less than a year old. They are washed, pulped in wooded mortars, stirred in clean water, the fibers wrung out by hand, and the milky liquor sieved, allowed to settle, and then drained. Clean water is again added, mixed, and drained, after which the starch is dried. Arrowroot is an excellent source of carbohydrates and digestible calcium. It is a mild laxative but also helps relieve diarrhea caused by stress. Arrowroot also soothes irritated mucus membranes and is used in the treatment of colic, indigestion, and urinary infections.

Lecithin powder Made from soybeans, lecithin is a healthful and invaluable culinary ingredient. Lecithin is utilized throughout the food industry as an emulsifier, thickener, stabilizer, moisturizer, and mild preservative. It is often present in vegan or low fat cooking as an alternative to fat in baked goods, and improves moisture and texture at the same time. It may be added to a variety of baked items including breads, cakes, casseroles, and cookie dough as an anti-caking, pan release, and moisturizing agent. Bakers also employ lecithin for its ability to help dough rise, create uniformity and suspension in the batter, and to lessen the dough’s tendency to be sticky while kneading. In addition, lecithin is commonly used for its emulsifying properties in mayonnaise, margarine, shortening, salad dressing, and other water-oil combinations. For the same suspending and emulsifying properties, it is added to various sauces, gravies, soups, nut butters, and gravies. Lecithin is an important ingredient in chocolate, caramels, confectionary coatings for spattering control, to prevent crystallization, and as an emulsifier. In addition, lecithin is a wetting, dispersing, and emulsifying tool for powdered products, such as cake mixes, cocoa powder, and instant powder mixes.



Medicinal Applications

Lecithin is a naturally occurring phospholipid, and is an excellent source of choline. Lecithin physically is made in our liver, and is necessary for every cell in our bodies. Without choline, the membranes of our cells would harden, which would prevent nutrients from entering and leaving the cell. Lecithin also helps cholesterol deposits from forming in our blood vessels, and is involved in the process of moving cholesterol through our bodies. Soy lecithin chemically binds with cholesterol, and in this manner reduces the amount of cholesterol in the bloodstreams, and may lower cholesterol levels. It also assists with the neurotransmitters crucial for memory, muscle control, and brain function. Research suggests that lecithin may be helpful for repairing liver damage, and protecting against liver damage. In addition, lecithin may assist with the following:



● Improves memory and cognitive functions

● Menopause and post-menopausal conditions – (contains estrogen like compounds)

● Poor nutrition and anemia

● Diabetes

● Neurologic disorders

● Cardiovascular health

● Improves energy and physical performance

● Assists with the absorption of Vitamins A, D, E, and K

● Psoriasis

● Gallstones

● Eases digestion

● Promotes overall health and physical performance


Because of its many health and cosmetic benefits, lecithin is truly an amazing ingredient. Lecithin may be easily added to your culinary or cosmetic recipes. The web site where this is from recommends that you try this wonderful product yourself, as it may prove to be a key ingredient for your overall health and well-being.

Precautions:

Lecithin may cause mild gastrointestinal upset, loose stools, or diarrhea.

[watersole]

Thank you both for the responses, especially Sweetlips extra long response! Thank you so much for all that info. Helped me out alot.

:)

Christine