Bamboo can provide a new source of protein ‘similar to cow’s milk’: Chinese study

Bamboo shoots have a range of health benefits, being high in protein, amino acids, iron, dietary fibre and vitamins
But while up to 35 million tonnes of shoots are produced in China each year, only a third are harvested for consumption

Science

Victoria Bela

Published: 6:00pm, 22 Mar 2024

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It is one of the world’s oldest and fastest growing plants, but bamboo could also play a key role in providing a sustainable and nutritious food source to the growing global population, according to a team of Chinese scientists.

Bamboo shoots, in particular, have an abundance of health benefits, including a high protein content “similar to cow’s milk” which is also higher than many grains, according to a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Trends in Food Science & Technology.

The researchers have been studying this “underestimated natural resource” as a possible food staple of the future, according to the team led by Wu Liangru, corresponding author of the paper and a researcher at the China National Bamboo Research Centre.

“Bamboo offers the potential for sustainable food resources and creates opportunities for trade and export, which can contribute to the growth of local economies,” the researchers wrote in the paper.

Outlining the health benefits, they said bamboo shoots provide seven of the nine essential amino acids needed by humans. In fact, bamboo shoots’ amino acid content is higher than other vegetables like carrots, celery and cabbage, while the shoots also contain more iron than spinach and pumpkin.

The shoots are also a great source of carbohydrates like dietary fibres, have a low fat content and are a good source of various vitamins, according to the paper.

As a crop, bamboo is fast-growing, plus has multiple uses including as food and timber. Photo: Shutterstock

Studies have found that bamboo shoots have the potential to prevent obesity, diabetes and cancer, and provide antioxidant and antimicrobial benefits, the scientists said.

“Antioxidant activity is one of the most important functionalities of bamboo shoots,” they said, explaining that the food contains compounds that are known to scavenge free radicals – which cause cell damage and are linked to ageing.

“[Bamboo shoots are] rich in protein, dietary fibre, minerals, vitamins and a variety of biologically active substances,” Wu said.

The shoots – which feature a creamy yellow and hollow interior – can be prepared in a variety of ways including pickled in salt, fermented, dried, canned, frozen, made into juice and powder, and cooked fresh like other vegetables.

Bamboo can also be processed into different components to make “functional food ingredients” like dietary fibre, which are added into foods such as baked goods and yogurts to provide fortification, the researchers added.

While many around the world may see it as simply the food of the giant panda, bamboo actually has a long history in Asia as both a culinary and medicinal ingredient.

It is mentioned in the ancient Chinese dictionary, Erya, which dates as far back as the late 4th century BC, stating that, “bamboo shoot, the bud of bamboo, can be dishes”.

Now, an increasing demand for bamboo shoot products is being seen, the paper said, with a 40 per cent rise in trade value recorded between 2007 and 2018, the main export volume being canned shoots.

It is an industry that is ripe for expansion.

01:38

Autonomous drones fly through Chinese bamboo forest

China is the world’s largest bamboo producer, with around 6.4 million hectares of bamboo forest. But of that, less than 6 per cent is dedicated to producing shoots and around 24 per cent for combined timber and shoot production.

An estimated 25 to 35 million tonnes of shoots are produced in China each year within this forest area, yet only a third is harvested for consumption, the paper said.

The rest are “left rotting on the mountain” due to an existing oversupply and low prices, which leave little incentive for farmers to harvest the shoots, Wu said.

But, if China’s shoots were fully harvested, and if there was a global increase in bamboo production, the world could produce as much as 150 million tonnes each year, Wu said, which would go a long way towards feeding the growing global population.

Bamboo production is not without its issues, though.

About 70 per cent of the world’s bamboo forests are in Asia, with other bamboo grown in Africa and South America.

In the 48 countries in Africa where bamboo grows, accounting for around 12 per cent of the global crop, a lack of awareness of its benefits means the processing of shoots there is underdeveloped.

In total, there are 1,640 different species of bamboo found worldwide, but not all of those have edible shoots.

Of the 800 species found in China, only 153 are edible, and of those, only 56 are of a “high quality”, according to the researchers.

Chinese employees in a Hangzhou factory sort bamboo shoots for export. Currently only one-third of China’s bamboo forests are harvested. Photo: AFP

Plus, around 70 per cent of a bamboo shoot is inedible waste. However the paper said a growing number of researchers are examining how to turn shoot shells into functional ingredients to further capitalise on the plant.

“Despite their potential, the utilisation of bamboo shoots in the current food industry faces limitations,” the paper said, adding that these would need to be addressed for bamboo to become adopted as a global staple food.

Wu said that the plant also has a short shoot period, which makes it hard to harvest before the shoots become woody.

Bamboo shoots can become woody and rigid quickly after being harvested, so they are processed to make them shelf stable – which decreases their nutritional value.

Fresh bamboo shoots also contain toxins, which are reduced through processing, but the researchers said testing should be conducted before products are sent to market, and international standards should be created to ensure safety.

Further research also needs to be done on the long-term impact of eating increased amounts of bamboo shoots, especially through the use of functional ingredients.

However, the team wrote that bamboo shoots are “an underestimated natural resource in the international scenario, have great potential to become a mainstream food worldwide and contribute to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals”.