The Wonders of Eating Saluyot (Jute)

The Wonders of Eating Saluyot
Did you know that the popular Ilocano vegetable, saluyot (jute leaves), originated in Egypt, and was the source of health and beauty of the Egyptian royalties including Cleopatra? You might as well decide to eat it too, if you want to look young, healthy, and beautiful.

Saluyot thrives almost anywhere, requires little care in cultivation, and can be grown year round. It is a green, leafy vegetable that is rich in: beta carotene for good eyesight, iron for healthy red blood cells, calcium for strong bones and teeth, and vitamin C for smooth, clear skin, strong immune cells, and fast wound healing.

Saluyot is one, if not the most nutritious vegetable in the Philippines. One half cup cooked saluyot leaves (45g) contains 20kcal, 1.3g protein, 0.3g fat, 3.1g carbohydrates, 0.4g fiber, 87.3mg calcium, 22.5mg phosphorus, 1.334μg β-carotene or 222μg Retinol Equivalent (vitamin A), 1.0 mg iron, 0.02 mg thiamin, 0.04mg riboflavin, 0.3mg niacin, and 10mg Ascorbic Acid or vitamin C. moreover, saluyot has an antioxidant activity of 77% or α-tocopherol equivalent (vitamin E) of 48.9. In other words, saluyot contains all the important nutrients needed by the body.

Free radicals are highly unstable by products created as our cells use oxygen. Because they are so unstable, they react easily with many chemicals inside the cells, and these reactions can cause tremendous damage to the delicate cellular mechanisms. When those mechanisms are damaged, the cell may malfunction or die. Biologists tell us that this cumulative cell damage is the cause of many of the common degenerative diseases: arthritis, hardening of the arteries, heart and kidney ailments.

Vitamin A, C and E present in saluyot sponge-up free radicals, scooping them up before they can commit cellular sabotage.

Saluyot can make you look younger. Due to the high antioxidant activity of saluyot, eating it reduces the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines in the face and body. Thus, regular consumption of saluyot can make you appear young.

Saluyot can be prepared into dishes like dinengdeng of the Ilocano, bulanglang, or sauted with bamboo shoots or dried beans. It can be steamed and pureed, mixed with chicken, and prepared into soup like how the Japanese prepare it as molohiya.

Source: FNRI - DOST

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Saluyot (Jute)

Common Names/Local Names:
 
Jute Mallow or Jews Mallow; Jute (English)
Saluyot (Tagalog/ Ilocano); Tugabang (Bisaya)
 
Botanical Description
 
Jute is an erect, grabrous, annual plant or shrub, growing up to 2 meters high.  The leaves are ovate, laceolate, toothed margins.  Flowers are solitary with yellow petals on the axils.  The fruit is a capsule with many black seeds. 
 
Adaptability
 
Jute or Saluyot is cultivated over a wide range of environments.  The plants grow well under hot, wet in the lowland tropics. It is also responds especially to warm, humid weather and is often grown near riverbanks and waste places.  Cold weather and severe periods of drought can kill the crop.  A loam or silty-loam soil and plenty of organic matter is ideal.  It tolerates soil pH of 4.5 to 8.0, but more extreme pH conditions will reduce the availability of iron in the soil.
It is a short day plant, hence, short production suffers because of flowering during the months of November to February.
 
Uses/Importance
 
Jute mallow, jews mallow or jute is famous for its sturdy natural fiber but there are cultivars that are cultivated as a leafy vegetable. The leaves are used fresh or dried.  They can be stored after drying and used later on during periods of scarcity.  The leaves become mucilagious when cooked, a trait of this crop, which highly appreciated.

Nutrient Value
 
The leaves of saluyot are rich source of iron, protein, calcium, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate  as shown in Table 1.

Table 1.  Nutritional values of saluyot (Boiled/100 grams edible portion)
 

Nutrients	Boiled
Moisture (%)	80.4 84.1
Food energy (cal.)	43 - 58
Protein (g)	4.5 5.6
Fiber (g)	1.7 2.0
Total Carbohydrates (g)	7.6 12.4
Ash (g)	2.4
Calcium  (mg)	266 - 366
Phosphorus  (mg)	97 - 122
Iron  (mg)	11.6
Sodium (mg)	12
Potassium (mg)	444
Vit. A (I.U.)	6,390
Thiamine (mg)	15
Riboflavin (mg)	28
Niacin (mg)	1.5
Ascorbic acid (mg)	95

 
 
References
 
A.C. Sas. 1984. Plants and Health. p 10.
M.C. Palada and L.C. Chang, AVRDC International Cooperators Guide. May 2003, pub #03-552
PCARRD Technoguide 1985 pp 18-19.