YACON LEAF – POWDER Smallanthus sonchifilius

Yacon leaf contains a rich myriad of vitamins and minerals. In South America, tea from the yacon leaf has long been used as an herbal remedy for diabetes and high blood pressure. Research indicates that yacon leaves are effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. The yacon leaves oligofructose properties act similar to insulin in the body and reduces the burden on the pancreas. Studies also suggest that yacon leaves are beneficial for those with hypertension. By thinning the blood Yacon can lower blood pressure by 5 to 10 percent. It can also lower cholesterol and discourage clot formation. Yacon leaves also stimulate the body to break down fatty cells while boosting the metabolism. For this reason organic yacon leaf powder has gained increased popularity as a diet aid.

Yacon is a perennial herb native to the Andes Mountain Range in Central America at elevations of 900 to 3000 meters. Dating back to the period of the Incas, it has been cultivated extensively around the region for consumption and medicinal purposes. The wonderful benefits of yacon then discovered by ancient Peruvians and confirmed by modern science have gained increased popularity in Japan, Europe and North America.

ANCIENT MEDICINE FOR MODERN TIMES

Yacon refers to the plant Smallanthus sonchifolius (of the family Asteraceae) which is also synonymous with polymnia edulis and polymnia sonchifolius. It is native to South America, and is cultivated in countries such as Colombia and Ecuador for both nutritive and medicinal uses. It is sometimes paired alongside Maca due to their similar places of origin and both being tuber vegetables used as dietary supplements.

YACON LEAF HERBAL PROPERTIES AND ACTIONS

The yacon’s oligofructose properties were discovered. by ancient Peruvians but it was also found that if the leaves are used in tea, it has the effect of avoiding the peaks that you have when eating sugary or starchy food, when your blood sugar level goes up violently, one of the biggest problems of diabetics, who have high blood sugar levels and whose bodies do not produce or properly use insulin, a hormone that would normally be released to process food.

It appears that the tea lessens the (sugary) peaks.

Other Benefits

Research has proven that it is beneficial for those with hypertension. By thinning the blood Yacon can lower blood pressure by 5 to 10 percent. It can also lower cholesterol and discourage clot formation. Although yacon has a reputation for being a diabetes associated product, it is also used to reduce hypertension problems.

Yacon roots themselves had not been proven to have the same palliative effect as the yacon leaves. Even so, yacon is now popularly associated in Peru with diabetes, though other benefits such as its laxative quality and ability to help prevent colon cancer and osteoporosis are less well known.

Other Uses

Yacon is a root vegetable that looks like a potato, that grows underground, and it has a very high inulin content..the Inulin is a non-assimilable sugar so products sweetened with yacon are suitable for diabetics. Yacon is intensely sweet, with as much as 4,000kg of inulin resulting from a hectare of production.