Agidi or Eko is a popular Nigerian food made with cornflour. Agidi or Eko is called cornmeal or corn starch in English. It is quite tangy and can be eaten with almost every soup from Pepper Soup, Efo Riro, to Egusi, to Okro. It can also be eaten with moin moin, Akara, agidi jollof or okpa.
It is sold in many local markets in Nigeria and is an affordable, easy-to-prepare food. It is very similar to akamu or ogi, but it has a slight difference in its preparation.
Well, like your favorite Nigerian health blog, we have researched and compiled some health benefits of agidi, so you can get to know the benefits you can derive from consuming this food. Let’s begin with the nutritional contents of agidi.
Nutritional Contents in Agidi
Agidi is mainly made up of corn, and like all cereal grains, and corn is primarily composed of carbohydrates. It also contains a fair amount of fiber and protein. The main vitamins and minerals in agidi are vitamin B5, B6, copper, potassium, manganese, zinc, phosphorus, and magnesium. There are two main antioxidants present in corn, which are: lutein and zeaxanthin.
It is also a naturally gluten-free food in Nigeria.
The calories in one serving of Agidi is about 211 calories.
5 Health Benefits of Agidi
From the nutritional value of Agidi or Eko, we can see that it is packed with some important nutrients. Now let’s find out some of the health benefits of agidi based in it nutrient composition.
1. Good for Eye Health
Remember, the two antioxidants I mentioned were present in corn, lutein, and zeaxanthin. These two antioxidants may prevent cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which are two common ocular problems in Nigeria.
The reason could probably be because both lutein and zeaxanthin consist of a large part of the macular region of your eyes. In fact, one medical study found out that people who consumed a high amount of food with lutein and zeaxanthin, had a significantly lower chance of getting age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and other eye diseases.
2. Good for weight loss
Despite comprising of mainly carbohydrates, agidi is a great Nigerian weight loss food. It ha a moderate amount of calories and a decent amount of fiber, which makes it a great food to add to your weight loss diet.
If you want to incorporate Agidi to your weight loss diet, you can eat it with highly proteinous Nigerian snacks like moin moin, akara, or okpa. However, it’s not advisable for diabetic patients to eat Agidi.
3. Improves digestive health
Foods that are high in fiber are known to be good for the digestive system. Agidi is full of fiber, and hence it can improve the digestive system and is also easy to digest.
4. Healthy food for toddlers
Agidi is an incredible food you can use when introducing your toddlers to solid food. It contains a lot of vital vitamins and nutrients, and also has a good amount of carbs, which supplies energy. Other reasons why Agidi is great to toddlers is because it is very affordable, easy to digest, and readily available.
5. Healthy food for pregnant women
Agidi is a good source of vitamins and minerals, one of which is very useful to pregnant women. Folic acid is a must in your diet if your pregnant. This is because it ensures the efficient use of protein and prevents the risks of birth defects.
Bottom Line
Agidi or Eko is a popular food in Nigeria. It contains so many important vitamins and minerals. The health benefits of agidi include it’s the ability to improve eye health, aid weight loss, and improve digestive health.
