Lotus is an aquatic plant, belonging to the family Nelumbonaceae.
While the flower is used for decorative purposes, the lotus seeds, have
been used as a functional food since ancient times, all over Asia.
The
largest producer of lotus seeds amongst the world is China, but these
seeds are widely utilized in food and medicine in many south-east Asian
countries including Indonesia, Thailand, Nepal, Sri Lanka and India.
The lotus seed plays a vital role in traditional medicine practices;
it is also used as a dry powder in bread dough to add on the functional
properties of bread. As a traditional medicinal component, this lotus
seed is used in the treatment of inflammation, cancer,
diuretics, and skin diseases and for treating many ailments, including
insomnia, palpitations, poor digestion, chronic diarrhea, enteritis, and
cancer.
Nutritionally it has a solid content of carbohydrate,
protein, vitamins including vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin A and E, and
other essential minerals like magnesium, potassium and sodium. They also
contain abundant amounts of phytochemicals, with valuable
anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidant traits.
