Our super herb of the week is Yacon. Yacon, also known as the Peruvian ground apple, is a native of South America that is a relative of the sunflower. It’s primarily grown and cultivated for its tuberous roots. Fresh yacon tastes slightly sweet similar to watermelon. Meanwhile, it has a crunchy texture much like an apple.
It has been enjoyed as a food source by people in the Andes for thousands of years. South American’s typically add the tubers to salad and stir fry or roast the yacon as a vegetable. It’s also used as a wrap like grape leaves. Others brew it to make herbal tea. You can also purchase yacon syrup and powdered yacon to be consumed as a supplement.
Some health benefits of yacon include it’s ability to:
- Regulate blood sugar levels: A study published in the journal Nutrition and Diabetes in 2013 stated that the fructooligosaccharides in yacon causes the amount of glucose production in the liver to decrease and also causes a shift to lower fasting glucose rates.
- Lower bad cholesterol: The fructooligosaccharides in yacon also helps to lower lipid levels and prevent the accumulation of bad cholesterol.
- Help with weight loss: Commonly called the ‘diet potato,’ according to examine.com due to yacon’s fructooligosaccharide (FOS) content it is said to benefit gut health. The FOS also has a prebiotic effect as well as a minor appetite suppressing effect in the obese.
- Improve the health of the liver: The March 2008 issue of “Food and Chemical Toxicology published a study which showed that a combination of yacon and silymarin improved cholesterol and blood sugar levels in patients with metabolic syndrome. Participants consumed 2.4 grams of yacon and 0.8 grams of silymarin a day for 90 days. Results were that the combination supplement improved cholesterol levels and prevented fat accumulation in the liver.
- Boost digestive health: According to healthbenefitstimes.com yacon possess prebiotic materials which stimulates growth as well as health of microflora in body. Yacon also has a slight laxative effect which lowers bloating, constipation and other gastrointestinal conditions.
With all the wonderful health benefits that yacon has to offer there’s no wonder that it has been around for thousands of years. Besides that, it is equally as good as a food source. Whether as menu item or supplement yacon is a super food well worth the try.
Have you tried our super food of the week, yacon, for any of its health benefits? How effective was it?
