What's in it Wednesday? | Yacon Root | Shakeology

What's in it Wednesday?

Yacon Root | Shakeology

For this weeks What's in it Wednesday, I'm going to go over Yacon Root!

Yacon root is grown for its crunchy tuberous roots and used as a food and natural sweetener. It comes from the Smallanthus sonchifolius plant native to South America. This perennial plant can easily be identified by its small, yellow, daisy-like flowers surrounded by dark green leaves. It can grow over 2 meters in height and happens to belong to the same family as sunflowers. It’s also pest-free and drought resistant so it can be easily grown almost anywhere all year round. Yacon roots taste sweet and crisp and are defined as a sort of winter delicacy in spite of being a vegetable.

The health benefits include:

Blood Sugar Levels & Diabetes:

So many people around the world have begun to use yacon because of its anti-hyperglycemic effects. The fructooligosaccharides (sugar) in yacon mean that the body doesn’t absorb any simple sugars. In fact, it decreases the amount of glucose production in the liver which causes a change to lower fasting glucose rates. For people suffering from diabetes, this is very important. Research is being done on yacon’s potential to increase insulin sensitivity in the body, which would be another benefit for diabetics or for people at risk of developing the disease.

Blood Pressure:

There are several heart-healthy benefits to yacon including the high levels of potassium. Potassium is a vasodilator, meaning that it relaxes blood vessels and reduces strain on the cardiovascular system. This creates an increased blood flow and oxygenation to the parts of the body that need it most, and reduces the chance of developing a condition like atherosclerosis, or from suffering from heart conditions like a heart attack or stroke.

Cholesterol Monitoring:

Yacon is important for people who need to monitor their cholesterol. Research indicates that consuming yacon results in a general decrease of fasting triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein levels. In other words, the fructooligosaccharides in yacon help lower lipid levels which prevent the accumulation of “bad” cholesterol. This aids in the prevention of a wide variety of heart concerns, including coronary heart disease. A study published in April 2009 in “Clinical Nutrition” confirmed that LDL cholesterol levels were reduced in people after daily yacon consumption.

Weight Loss Aid:

This benefit has been widely debated but various researchers claim that eating yacon can help you lose weight. Because it is not composed of starch but fills you up, and has a very low level of calories, it is thought to result in overall weight loss. This is thought to be caused by the slight laxative effect of yacon (perhaps due to its fiber content) and the increased fullness that people feel after eating this sweet plant.

Digestive Health:

Just because the body can’t absorb these fructooligosaccharides (sugars), doesn’t mean that the healthy bacteria in our gut don’t find it delightful. Yacon contains prebiotics which stimulate the growth and health of the microflora in our bodies. When our probiotic bacteria are well-taken care of and healthy, our body can maximize its intake of vitamins and minerals. By improving the absorption levels of our food, we are able to get more “bang for our buck” when we eat any other foods. Aside from aiding in bowel movement regularity, yacon reduces constipation, bloating, and other more serious gastrointestinal conditions, such as gastric ulcers and colon cancer.

Cancer Prevention:

Research has shown that the compounds found in yacon can have a preventative effect on the growth of cancer cells. While this research is still somewhat in early stages, there is no downside to this possible side effect of adding yacon to your diet!

*Watch for "What's in it Wednesday?" every Wednesday at 7:30 PM EST over at Facebook.com/RachelFaulFitness!

Stay tuned for next week! :)