Pap is a popular Nigerian breakfast meal made from fermented corn. It is called ” Ogi” by the Yoruba and ” Akanmu” by the Igbo and there are three types based on the type of corn used to make it.
They are the yellow pap made from yellow corn, the white pap made from white corn and the brown pap made from guinea corn.
Traditionally, the grain is soaked in water for up to three days before sieving to remove husks.
The filtered cereal is then allowed to ferment for up to three days until sour. Subsequently, it is boiled into a pap or cooked to make a creamy pudding.
Akamu is a nutritious meal which is a good source of carbohydrate, B vitamins, folic acid, phosphorous, potassium, vitamins A and C, chromium, zinc, magnesium and many others.
It is a meal that can be enjoyed alone or eaten with other foods like bean cake (akara), bean pudding (moi- moi) and beans porridge.
In case you have been planning to remove Ogi from your diet, here are 5 health benefits
1. It is a good source of energy
It is a good source of carbohydrate and it digests easily. This meal is highly recommended for athletes.
2. It reduces the risk of high blood pressure
Pap is highly rich in potassium and has zero sodium content. High potassium level in the blood reduces blood viscosity and pressure. Therefore, people having high blood pressure are advised to include pap in their diet.
3. It replaces lost body fluid
Loss of body fluid can increase the workload on the kidneys. Taking pap helps to keep the body hydrated, replacing the fluid lost because of its high water content.
4. It digests easily
It helps to pass out unwanted elements in the body through urine. Notice that whenever you take pap, you tend to urinate a lot. Its texture makes it very easy to digest and a perfect food for convalescing individuals. It does not stress the digestive system.
5. It increases breast milk in lactating mothers
Pap is a highly recommended meal for nursing mothers because it assists them to increase the flow of their breast milk.
Taiwo Seun-Akinola.
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