You stir the steaming vegetable dish in your bowl. Hmmm. Delicious! Just like you imagine it: sliced bamboo shoots, grated sticky corn, and tossa jute swimming in a coconut milk.

Tossa jute. Sound foreign? Simply put the term means saluyot (Tagalog) or tugabang (Cebuano). Science calls it Corchorus olitorius. Saluyot also know as natural jute or Jew’s mallows.

Saluyot dates back to the Old Testament times. Job 30:4 of the Hebrew Bible says, “Who cut up mallows by the bushes, and juniper roots for their meat.” And do you know what? History reveals that one of Cleopatra’s secrets of beauty and health came from saluyot!

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) call saluyot as one of the most nutritious vegetables. And to the Ilocanos, saluyot is their simple secret behind long life, good health and youthful looks.

To build resistance against the threat of swine flu and fortify defenses against communicable diseases, the Department of Health (DOH) encourages every Filipino to eat plenty of saluyot, malunggay and banana. The recommended daily consumption for saluyot is 3 servings or 1 1/2 cups cooked.

Here are saluyot’s components that help lengthen life span.

• Proteins – for growth and repair of muscles, bones, skin, tendons, ligaments, hair, eyes and other tissues.  Assist body to resist infection.
• Folate – aids in making of normal red blood cells, DNA and RNA.
• Riboflavin – assist in the digestion and absorption of fats, carbohydrates and proteins.
• Phosphorus – for strong bones and skeletal structures, maintenance and repair of cells and production of energy needed for muscle contractions and nerve impulses. It also involved in genetic transfer of heredity traits.
• Potassium – for normal water balance in the body, muscle growth, nervous and brain functions.
• Thiamin – helps the nervous system and the muscles can function well and help in the flow of electrolytes in and out of nerve and muscle cells, as well as aid in the production of hydrochloric acid which is necessary for proper digestion.
• Niacin – for protection against fatigue, high “bad” cholesterol and blood vessel wall plaques.
• Iron – helps cure anemia.
• Fiber – to keep intestinal tract in good health.
• Calcium – that makes strong teeth and bones.
• Ascorbic Acid – to smoothen and clear skin, make the immune cells strong, and speed up wound healing.
• Vitamin E – to slow down the aches and pains associated with aging, control infertility and increase stamina.
• Beta carotene – to help repair the body’s cell and improve eyesight.
• Vitamin A – helps in the proper formation of skin cells and mucous membranes.
• Vitamin C – to improve blood circulation. Lowers the risk of cataracts and other eye disorders.

By Arlene May Corpus, Health & Home Magazine (July – August 2010 issue)