Chinese water chestnut or water chestnut scientifically known as Eleocharis dulcis is an edible tuber that belongs to the sedge family of Cyperaceae and is native to Asia (China, Japan, India, Philippines, etc.),
Australia, tropical Africa, and various islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It is grown in many countries for its edible corms. Chinese water chestnut may be mistaken for the European type (Trapa natans)
and another Chinese water chestnut (Trapa bicornis) which have dense floating leaves and produce a horn-shaped nut. These are not economically important and can become weeds. Bush Nut,
Chinese water chestnut, Edible Spike Rush, Ground Chestnut, Spike Rush, Water Chestnut and Water Nut are some of the popular common names of Chinese Water chestnuts.

Fruit

Water chestnut is a tuberous, aquatic perennial vegetable most likely grown for its edible, dark brown tubers (corms) than it is grown for ornamental purposes. Water chestnut is not a nut at all,
but an aquatic vegetable that grows in marshes, underwater, in the mud. Water chestnut is a small, round gladiola bulbs vegetable about 2-4 cm in diameter that has a thin brown skin and a crunchy,
juicy, sweet and fragrant white flesh. It has a fresh, delicate taste and mild flavor like a blend between apple, chestnut and coconut and crunchy texture ideal for stir-fried and sautéed vegetable dishes
or simply raw in a salad. It holds an important place in Oriental cuisines. Because of its amazing taste Chinese water chestnut is a popular ingredient in Chinese and Southeast Asian cuisines as well.

Nutritional Value

Apart from their fresh, delicate taste and mild flavor, water chestnut is a good source of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Consuming 124 gram of water chestnuts offers 0.404 mg of Copper,
0.407 mg of Vitamin B6, 29.69 g of Carbohydrate, 0.248 mg of Vitamin B2, 0.41 mg of Manganese, 724 mg of Potassium, 0.174 mg of Vitamin B1 and 0.594 mg of Vitamin B5.

Health benefits of Water Chestnut

It has sweet mild flavor and crunchy texture. Due to high nutrition content, it becomes an excellent food source. Due to its medicinal properties it is used in Ayurvedic medicines.
The health benefits of water chestnuts are discussed below:

1. Proper Growth

Water chestnuts contains sufficient amount of Copper which is vital for normal growth and health. Thus, it is very important to include this mineral in balanced levels in your regular diets.
It is supportive in the protection of the skeletal, cardiovascular and nervous systems. Normal and healthy growth of organs and tissues, as well as their proper oxygenation from an ample
red blood cell concentration, would be impossible if your body is lacking copper. A copper deficiency is seen in many countries, and is reflected in the number of birth and growth defects
in children of those nations.

2. Protects Eye Health

Poor diet or nutrient deficiencies are actually fundamental reasons of countless eye diseases. Research has shown that that taking vitamin B6 along with other vitamins, like folate,
can help with the prevention of eye disorders and loss of vision. Vitamin B6 rich food like water chest nut is one of the best options for getting sufficient amount of vitamin b6
since it has 0.407 mg of vitamin b6 which is 31.31% of the daily recommended value. Vitamin B6 is considered to help slow the beginning of certain eye diseases as well as age-related macular degeneration.

3. Provide Energy

Almost all regular activities need energy. Even walking or breathing needs energy. The main source of energy required for your daily requirements comes from glucose.
The source of glucose is from the starches and sugars you consume. Starches and sugars get broken down to simple  with help of insulin during the process of digestion.
Glucose is then enters the cell wall. The extra sugar available from food gets stored muscles, liver, or other parts of your body. This then gets converted in fat later.
Water chestnut consists of 29.69 g of carbohydrate which is 22.84% of the daily recommended value
4. Prevents Alzheimer’s disease

Vitamin B1 found in water chestnut is supposed to slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. People suffering from this disease have benefited when treated
with vitamin B1 supplements of 100 mg per day. There are placebo-controlled trial researches that are ongoing to determine more about the mechanism by which this occurs.

5. Helps Wound Healing

Research has shown that vitamin B5 found in water chestnut help in treating skin reactions from radiation therapy and may speed up wound and cut healing.
It is also known to delay the appearance of premature aging, like wrinkles and dark spots on the skin.

6. Helps Maintain Dental Health

Phosphorus is essential for maintaining teeth and gum health. Calcium, vitamin D and phosphorus all play an important role in the formation and maintenance
of dental health by supporting tooth enamel, jaw-bone mineral density and holding the teeth in place, too — thus, these minerals and vitamins can also help heal tooth decay.
7. Helps PMS Symptoms

Taking a vitamin E supplement 2-3 days before and 2-3 days after a menstrual period help to reduce anxiety, cramping and cravings that are related to PMS.
Water chestnut consists of considerable amount of Vitamin E that help to decrease pain severity and duration, and it can reduce menstrual blood loss.
It does this by balancing your hormones naturally and it helps to keep your menstrual cycle regulated.