Water chestnuts Nutrition & Calories - Complete data of all nutrients
Introduction
We all confuse water chestnuts with chestnuts and are curious are the same or have differences? Well, today, we’ll discuss water chestnut nutrition and discover what they are.
What Are Water Chestnuts?
Water chestnuts, also known as Chinese water chestnuts, are aquatic vegetables that grow in marshes, ponds, paddy fields, and shallow lakes. Water chestnut is not a nut but a vegetable with a thick brown peel and an inner crisp white flesh high in water content.
Nutrition
The nutritional values are for Chinese raw water chestnuts.
Calories
Water chestnuts are considered low calories food.
100g of Chinese row water chestnut provides 97 calories.
The serving size (28.35 grams) of water chestnut provides only 27 calories accordingly.
Vitamins
Water chestnuts have a moderate amount of vitamins. It is high in Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, and Vitamin B6.
Water chestnuts also have a moderate amount of folate, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin E, and Vitamin C.
Water chestnuts completely luck Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, and Vitamin K.
Vitamin coverage chart
Minerals
Water chestnuts are rich in minerals. They have a high amount of potassium (584 mg per 100g) and copper (0.326mg per 100g).
The amounts of manganese (0.854 mg per 100g) and phosphorus (99 mg per 100g) in water chestnuts are moderate.
Water chestnuts fall in the range of 10% of foods as a source of potassium, containing 4. times more of it than a cucumber.
Water chestnuts also have low calcium, magnesium, zinc, selenium, choline, iron, and sodium.
Mineral coverage chart
Carbohydrates
Water chestnuts have a low carbohydrate content. They provide 23.94 g carbs per 100g, which is 1.2 times less than the carb content of rice.
Net Carbs
The central part of total carbs in water chestnuts is net carbs.
However, they contain a tiny fiber; 3g dietary fiber per 100g.
Protein
Water chestnuts have a low amount of protein; 3 grams of protein per 100g and 0.7g per serving size accordingly.
Water chestnuts have tryptophan, threonine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, valine, and histidine in low amounts.
Fats
Water chestnuts are low in fat. They contain 333 times fewer fats than cheese; way too little amount, right?
Water chestnuts have tiny amounts of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats. They contain no trans fats, which are the worst type of fat for your overall health.
Fat type information
Cholesterol
Water chestnuts contain no cholesterol, making them suitable for people with heart diseases.
Flavonoids
According to the study, water chestnuts contain flavonoids, such as anthocyanin, isoflavones, and flavonols, with potent antioxidant activities. These antioxidants protect your cells from free radical damage linked to various chronic diseases; they can also inhibit the α-glucosidase enzyme.
Water chestnuts may be effective against several types of cancer. According to the study, flavanoids can effectively block the growth of these cells [1].
Non-starch polysaccharides
According to research, water chestnuts are high in non-starch polysaccharides, contributing to antioxidation. Besides, insoluble non-starch polysaccharides are effective laxatives, such as cellulose and hemicellulose. These compounds can lower plasma cholesterol levels while also helping to normalize blood glucose and insulin levels, making these polysaccharides a part of dietary plans to treat cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes [2].
Phenolics
Water chestnuts have a high total phenolic content. Gallocatechin gallate, epicatechin gallate, and catechin gallate are the main phenolic compounds in water chestnuts. They also contain anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, and isoflavones in low amounts.
These compounds have potent antioxidant properties and have been shown to protect against free radical-related diseases such as CVD and cancer [1].
Puchiin
Puchiin is a bacteriostatic substance found primarily in water chestnuts. It has been known for a long time and is considered the second plant-derived antibacterial substance after penicillin.
Puchiin has potent antibacterial properties and functions similarly to penicillin in aiding immune function. Although puchiin has been reported for a long time, the qualification and quantification of antibacterial activity-contributed components remain limited [1].
Sterols
Water chestnut consumption daily significantly reduced total and LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels. According to the study, water chestnuts contain brassicasterol, coprostanol, and beta-sitosterol. Beta-sitosterol can lower blood cholesterol levels because it competes with cholesterol absorption in the body [1].
Acidity
Water chestnuts are alkaline. The pH value of water chestnuts falls from 6.7 to 8.2. The acidity of water chestnut can also be measured by looking at its potential renal acid load or PRAL value. Water chestnuts have a PRAL value of -10, making them an alkaline-promoting food. The lower this number is, the more alkaline the food produces inside the body.
Comparison to similar foods
We compared water chestnuts to other foods in our database and highlighted which one contains more macronutrients.
Water chestnuts have a lower glycemic index, sodium, and saturated fat content than chestnuts.
Water chestnuts have higher vitamin, mineral, and protein content than jicama.
Water chestnuts are lower in glycemic index, sodium, and saturated fat than radish.
Water chestnuts are lower in sugars, saturated fats and richer in vitamins than watercress.
References
Important nutritional characteristics for Water chestnuts
Mineral chart - relative view
Vitamin chart - relative view
Macronutrients chart
Fiber content ratio for Water chestnuts
All nutrients for Water chestnuts per 100g
| Nutrient | Value | DV% | In TOP % of foods | Comparison |
| Calories | 97kcal | 5% | 74% |
2.1 times more than Orange
|
| Protein | 1.4g | 3% | 82% |
2 times less than Broccoli
|
| Fats | 0.1g | 0% | 93% |
333.1 times less than Cheese
|
| Vitamin C | 4mg | 4% | 31% |
13.3 times less than Lemon
|
| Net carbs | 20.94g | N/A | 31% |
2.6 times less than Chocolate
|
| Carbs | 23.94g | 8% | 31% |
1.2 times less than Rice
|
| Cholesterol | 0mg | 0% | 100% |
N/A
|
| Vitamin D | 0µg | 0% | 100% |
N/A
|
| Iron | 0.06mg | 1% | 94% |
43.3 times less than Beef
|
| Calcium | 11mg | 1% | 74% |
11.4 times less than Milk
|
| Potassium | 584mg | 17% | 10% |
4 times more than Cucumber
|
| Magnesium | 22mg | 5% | 54% |
6.4 times less than Almond
|
| Sugar | 4.8g | N/A | 48% |
1.9 times less than Coca-Cola
|
| Fiber | 3g | 12% | 27% |
1.3 times more than Orange
|
| Copper | 0.33mg | 36% | 24% |
2.3 times more than Shiitake
|
| Zinc | 0.5mg | 5% | 69% |
12.6 times less than Beef
|
| Phosphorus | 63mg | 9% | 73% |
2.9 times less than Chicken meat
|
| Sodium | 14mg | 1% | 83% |
35 times less than White Bread
|
| Vitamin A | 0IU | 0% | 100% |
N/A
|
| Vitamin A RAE | 0µg | 0% | 100% | |
| Vitamin E | 1.2mg | 8% | 44% |
1.2 times less than Kiwifruit
|
| Vitamin B1 | 0.14mg | 12% | 41% |
1.9 times less than Pea
|
| Vitamin B2 | 0.2mg | 15% | 46% |
1.5 times more than Avocado
|
| Vitamin B3 | 1mg | 6% | 69% |
9.6 times less than Turkey meat
|
| Vitamin B5 | 0.48mg | 10% | 60% |
2.4 times less than Sunflower seed
|
| Vitamin B6 | 0.33mg | 25% | 37% |
2.8 times more than Oat
|
| Vitamin B12 | 0µg | 0% | 100% |
N/A
|
| Vitamin K | 0.3µg | 0% | 84% |
338.7 times less than Broccoli
|
| Folate | 16µg | 4% | 52% |
3.8 times less than Brussels sprout
|
| Trans Fat | 0g | N/A | 100% |
N/A
|
| Saturated Fat | 0.03g | 0% | 90% |
226.7 times less than Beef
|
| Monounsaturated Fat | 0g | N/A | 96% |
4899.5 times less than Avocado
|
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.04g | N/A | 91% |
1097.1 times less than Walnut
|
| Omega-3 - EPA | 0g | N/A | 100% |
N/A
|
| Omega-3 - DHA | 0g | N/A | 100% |
N/A
|
| Omega-3 - DPA | 0g | N/A | 100% |
N/A
|
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NUTRITION FACTS LABEL
Serving Size ______________
Health checks
Water chestnuts nutrition infographic
References
The source of all the nutrient values on the page (excluding the main article and glycemic index text the sources for which are presented separately if present) is the USDA's FoodCentral. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.