We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Here’s our process.
Taopica is a starch sold as flour, flakes, or pearls that’s low in nutritional value. People may use it as a gluten-free wheat alternative.
Tapioca is a starch extracted from cassava root. It consists of almost pure carbs and contains very little protein, fiber, or other nutrients.
However, there’s a lot of controversy about it. Some claim it has numerous health benefits, while others say it’s harmful.
The cassava root is relatively easy to grow and a dietary staple in several countries in Africa, Asia, and South America.
Tapioca is almost pure starch and has very limited nutritional value (1, 2).
However, it’s naturally gluten-free, so it can serve as a wheat substitute in cooking and baking for people who are on a gluten-free diet.
Health benefits of tapioca
Tapioca doesn’t have many health benefits, but it is grain- and gluten-free.
What about resistant starch?
Resistant starch has been linked to a number of benefits for overall health. It feeds the friendly bacteria in your gut, thereby reducing inflammation and the number of harmful bacteria (8, 9, 10).
It may also lower blood sugar levels after meals, improve glucose and insulin metabolism, and increase fullness. These are all factors that contribute to better metabolic health (11, 12, 13, 14, 15).
Cassava root is a source of natural resistant starch. However, tapioca, a product obtained from cassava root, has a low content of natural resistant starch, likely because of processing (16, 17).
Research is lacking on the health benefits of chemically modified resistant starches versus natural resistant starches.
In addition, given the low nutrient content, it’s probably a better idea to get resistant starch from other foods instead, such as cooked and cooled potatoes or rice, legumes, and green bananas.
When processed properly, tapioca does not seem to have many negative health effects.
Most negative health effects come from consuming poorly processed cassava root.
Furthermore, tapioca may be unsuitable for people with diabetes since it’s almost pure carbs.
What Is Tapioca? / Easy Tapioca Pudding Recipe
FAQ
Is tapioca good for you to eat?
What is tapioca made from?
Why is tapioca a ball?
What are the little balls in tapioca?
What is tapioca made of?
Tapioca is a dried product and usually sold as white flour, flakes, or pearls. Tapioca is starch extracted from a tuber called cassava root. It’s usually sold as flour, flakes, or pearls. How is it made? Production varies by location but always involves squeezing starchy liquid out of ground cassava root.
What is tapioca & how does it work?
Here’s how to get started working with it. What is tapioca? Tapioca is the name of the extracted starch from the pulp of the cassava root. Cassava is a popular tuber native to South America, but can be found in many other places with tropical climates, such as Thailand and Nigeria.
Is tapioca a starch?
Tapioca is a starch extracted from cassava root, a tuber native to South America. The cassava root is relatively easy to grow and a dietary staple in several countries in Africa, Asia, and South America. Tapioca is almost pure starch and has very limited nutritional value ( 1, 2 ).
What is tapioca flour?
The most common form of the ingredient is tapioca flour. It’s made from the starch extracted from the cassava root and has tons of uses. In baked goods, tapioca helps bind together the ingredients and improve texture. It can add chewiness and tenderness to breads (like Brazilian cheese bread !) and crispness to a pizza crust.