Know2eat

Cassava

Manihot esculenta

What cassava has been studied for

1 association assessed — none with dependable human evidence behind them yet. Strongest first.

  • 1 Insufficient
4 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About cassava

A starchy tropical root and a staple energy source for hundreds of millions of people, also the source of tapioca. It must be processed before eating, and both bitter and sweet cultivars are grown.

Also known as Yuca, Manioc, Tapioca root, Mandioca

Blood Sugar & Metabolic Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Insufficient

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Blood glucose response

Blood Sugar & Metabolic Health
Insufficient evidence

Cassava is sometimes promoted as a low-glycaemic alternative to grains, and resistant starch formed on cooling is offered as the reason. Human trials are few and inconsistent, and boiled cassava eaten hot produces a substantial glucose rise.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

1 source

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Cassava

Ask about Cassava

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories160 kcal8%
Protein1.36 g3%
Total fat0.28 g0%
Carbohydrate38.1 g14%
Fibre1.8 g6%
Total sugars1.7 g—
Water59.7 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.074 g0%
Monounsaturated fat0.075 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.048 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.032 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A1 µg0%
Vitamin C20.6 mg23%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E0.19 mg1%
Vitamin K1.9 µg2%
Thiamin (B1)0.087 mg7%
Riboflavin (B2)0.048 mg4%
Niacin (B3)0.854 mg5%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.107 mg2%
Vitamin B60.088 mg5%
Folate27 µg7%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Choline23.7 mg4%
Minerals
Calcium16 mg1%
Iron0.27 mg2%
Magnesium21 mg5%
Phosphorus27 mg2%
Potassium271 mg6%
Sodium14 mg1%
Zinc0.34 mg3%
Copper0.1 mg11%
Manganese0.384 mg17%
Selenium0.7 µg1%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene8 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash0.62 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Cassava, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 169985).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • soakedReduces cyanogenic glycosides

    Prolonged soaking, and better still grating followed by fermentation and pressing, brings linamarin into contact with the plant enzyme linamarase so that the cyanide is released and lost before the food is eaten. This is the step that makes bitter cassava safe.

  • boiledReduces cyanogenic glycosides

    Boiling in ample water with the water discarded removes a large share of the residual cyanogens from sweet cassava. It is much less effective on bitter varieties, which need processing before cooking.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Avoid

    Cyanogenic glycosides — cassava must be properly processed

    Cassava contains linamarin, which releases hydrogen cyanide when the tissue is damaged. Raw or inadequately processed cassava has caused acute cyanide poisoning and, with chronic exposure on protein-poor diets, the irreversible paralytic disorder konzo and tropical ataxic neuropathy. Bitter varieties carry far more than sweet ones. Peeling, grating or soaking, then thorough cooking with the water discarded, is not optional — it is what makes the food safe.

  • Worth knowing

    Never eaten raw

    There is no traditional preparation anywhere in the world that involves eating raw cassava, and that is not culinary conservatism. Boiling alone is adequate for sweet varieties; bitter varieties require prolonged soaking, fermentation or grating and pressing first.

  • Worth knowing

    Energy dense and low in protein

    Cassava is close to pure starch with very little protein. Diets that lean heavily on it without other protein sources are associated with both undernutrition and the worst outcomes of cyanide exposure, since detoxifying cyanide consumes sulphur amino acids.

  • Worth knowing

    High glycaemic load

    Boiled cassava produces a large glucose response for a given portion. Anyone managing blood glucose should count it as a starchy staple in the same category as rice or potato rather than as a vegetable.