As I was restlessly scanning the TV for a show worth watching a while ago, I came across GMA 7’s Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho which featured peculiar food with “medicinal” value. One segment that sparked my curiosity was about “Yacon”.
I first heard the word or the rootcrop yacon from my father last week. . It looked liked an elongated sweet potato. He described its taste as sweet and turnip-like. My father raved about the tuber’s apparent “medical benefits” ranging from its being good for diabetics, regular bowel movement and arthritis. This is according to his friend who introduced yacon to him.
Immediately after viewing the Kapuso segment, I googled for the keyword yacon. These are the data I have gathered so far. Yacon is scientifically known as Smallanthus sonchifolius. In Ecuador it's called jíquima. In Peru and Bolivia it's known as llakuma. In the Philippines, the tuber is rarely known. According to one site, the plant was first brought into the country in 1998.
To my surprise, I found out that the plant is a distant relative of the sunflower family. All the while, I thought it was a variety of sweet potato or yam. Furthermore, another website describe that unlike the sunflower, yacon is not grown for its seeds but mostly for its edible roots, which is naturally sweet but low in calories. It can be eaten raw, just like a fruit. Some even claim that once the roots have been dried in the sun, they become sweeter.
Read Yacon’s Nutritional value and Medicinal value and be the judge:
It is recognized as a health food due to its nutritional and medicinal value. The yacon tuber contains 86-90% water and certain traces of phosphorus (22%), glucide (11.1%), protein (0.8%), fiber (0.6%), lipids (0.6%), and cellulose (0.5%). One yacon tuber is also complete in other essential elements such as iron, calcium, sodium, potassium, carotene, magnesium, and Vitamins A, B1, B2, and C.
Among the rootcrops, yacon has the lowest calorie content (54 cal). It is more than twice lower in calories than sweetpotato (123 cal) and relatively less than potato (77 cal), and taro (60 cal) This makes yacon a perfect nutritious diet food. Yacon is high in oligofructose (also called fructo-oligosaccharide), a dietary sugar which the human body is unable to metabolize, hence its potential use for diabetics and body weight control. Moreover, researchers found that an increased intake of oligofructose is associated with the improvement of gut health because of the stimulation of the beneficial bifidus bacteria in the colon.
Aside from its naturally nutritious content, yacon also provides a lot of medicinal benefits to those who suffer from diabetes, obesity, constipation, insomnia, arthritis, hypertension and kidney diseases, to name a few. Since yacon is not yet as popular as other rootcrops, findings and studies on its actual health benefits are limited. And like any supplementary food, yacon does not promise immediate results but as health food, its characteristics are meant not only to maintain good health but also to improve it.
Yacon is high in inulin, a fructose sugar, making it a sucrose-free food for the diabetics. It stores carbohydrates in the form of inulin and not in the form of starch, which is common in other rootcrops.
Yacon is also good for constipation due to its high fiber content that assists in digestion. The high moisture content in yacon also makes it a good blood purifier.
The leaves and roots of yacon can be both used for their medicinal value particularly for the diabetics. Both are rich in inulin which helps normalize the blood glucose. For the root to take its full healing effect, it must be first kept for 10 days before consuming it, so that it reaches its full level of sweetness. Then, simply peel it, cut into thin slices, and eat it raw. Its healing effect is initially noticeable within approximately 7-10 days.
Meanwhile, the leaves are best consumed after drying them naturally in the shade. The dried leaves are then cut into suitable sizes and boiled in water, just like a regular tea. Researchers recommend diabetics to drink at least two cups of this tea daily. After approximately 4-5 days, initial results are already noticeable.
The information is very promising especially for the diabetics and elderly. However, there are no clear human studies or findings that will substantiate the claims. Personally, I find the explanation and description of the plant plausible. If indeed the medicinal value of yacon is confirmed and sufficiently researched, this is a welcome development as it could create a new agricultural industry as well as a organic source of medicine.
Visit related sites:
About Yacon!
Yacon: The apple of the earth
Philippines Organic Yacon
Mangosteen, which is scientifically known as Garcinia mangostana, tastes like an underripe strawberry, with hints of sweet orange. Although difficult to describe, the taste is an instant sensation (as opposed to acquired) for most people and commonly rated as the best of any fruit amongst those who have tried it. It is also known as “Asia’s Queen of Fruits”.
