Will you be surprised (and maybe curious) if you come across tiger nuts on your favorite store shelf? What about tigernut’s oil? I hope I grab your attention here because that is in fact my goal. While this small “nut” is becoming more and more popular in the western world, the derived oil is still an exceptional product due to its rarity. Tiger nuts are considered a superfood due to their nutritional profile. Kamalu at the federal university of technology in Nigeria concluded that according to the phisio-chemical properties of tiger nut oil, it is of excellent use in the cosmetic, food and pharmaceutical industries. In this article we will review the amazing and sometimes surprising benefits of this oil.
What to expect: what does it look like?
Before jumping on how to use tiger nut oil, let’s spend some words on its characteristics. When I first discovered this oil, the first question that came into my mind was: what does it look like? And then I had several more such as what it smelled like? Does it have a sweet aftertaste like the nut does? Well, here comes the tea.
My very true opinion on the oil is: it looks A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!! I like to think of it as liquid gold with a brown hue. The oil also has a wonderful nutty flavor and smells like…well, you need to try it! Find it here. I can nonetheless say it’s a pleasant one. It is one of the most impressive oils I have come across so far (and at Julia’s organic, I had my share of testing different oils for the brand) not only because of the way it looks but also because of its properties. Tiger nuts oil is highly resistant to oxidation due to its high vitamin E content. That means it has a long shelf life and won’t go rancid easily (if you still have some left after your first use!).
Tiger nuts oil in the kitchen.
The oil is obtained via a cold pressed method to maintain all its properties. Its composition is surprisingly similar to virgin olive oil. Ganiru, food blogger at the Pretend Chef, uses it mostly for stir fry, deep fry as its smoke point is even higher than olive oil’s. She highly recommends this oil for cooking because it’s more resistant to chemical decomposition at high temperatures.
Another great use in the kitchen of tiger nut oil is using it along with tigernut flour to make a delightful nut free tigernut butter. Check out the recipe at Michelle Hoover’s anti-inflammatory recipes blog.
Tiger nut oil on hair and skin.
Tiger nut oil is rich in vitamin E, oleic acid with anti aging, moisturizing effect on the skin. Its anti-inflammatory properties are of great help in skin conditions such as dryness, eczema, psoriasis.
That being said, there is one benefit I am most surprised about, yet excited. A 2014 study showed that tiger nut oil has an anti hair growth effect comparable to alexandrite laser photo epilation. In fact, the oil’s flavonoids have antiandrogenic activity on androgenic hair. Because of this property, the oil can be used on the armpit skin or wherever one wants to slow down hair growth. Cosmetologists advise applying the oil days before a depilation session to moisturize and seal hydration into the skin. Following the treatment, continue to apply the oil on the skin for soothing purposes and to slow down hair regrowth. You could also use tiger nut soap to potentiate the effect.
Order tiger nut oil here to make your own homemade waxing oil. The recipe is simple: mix the oil with a few drops of clary sage essential oil to boost its effect and apply on the armpits as a deodorant/ regrowth preventer.
Tiger nut oil in the food security issue.
A 2013 study showed tiger nut oil blends in addition to being good for biodiesel engines, would also be suited to engines not specifically designed for biodiesel use. The same study keeps on stating that tiger nut oil compares very well with biodiesel from other oil sources. The researcher Ofoefule concludes the paper advising tropical countries to grow tigernut at a larger scale as it would facilitate the use of tigernut for biodiesel production and hence alleviate the global concern for food security.
Conclusion
Tigernut oil is a versatile and healthy oil with many uses, both Culinary and Cosmetic. Its high oleic acid content makes it an excellent moisturizer, while its antiseptic and antibacterial properties make it a great adjuvant in managing skin disorders such as eczema and psoriasis. It is also being studied for potential use as a biofuel.
References
Kamalu C (2008). Extraction and Characterization of Tigernut oil retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331701895_EXTRACTION_AND_CHARACTERIZATION_OF_TIGER_NUT_OIL
Mohammed G. (2014). Topical Cyperus rotundus Oil: A New Therapeutic Modality With Comparable Efficacy to Alexandrite Laser Photo-Epilation
Retrieved from https://academic.oup.com/asj/article/34/2/298/289577?login=false
Ofoefule U. (2013). Biodiesel Production from Tigernut (Cyperus esculentus) Oil and Characterization of its Blend with Petro-diesel retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277775741_Biodiesel_Production_from_Tigernut_Cyperus_esculentus_Oil_and_Characterization_of_its_Blend_with_Petro-diesel
