Smallanthus sonchifolius
Yacon is a perennial herb growing 1.5 to 3 m tall with dark green celery-like leaves. Each plant forms an underground clump of 4 to 20 fleshy large tuberous roots. In South American herbal medicine systems the tubers are taken raw as a diuretic for kidney and bladder problems while they decoct the leaves for cystitis, hepatosis, and nephrosis in Bolivia. In Peru, the leaves are prepared into a warm poultice and used externally for myalgia and rheumatism. In Brazil the leaves of the plant are brewed into a tea as a natural remedy for diabetes. These leaves can assist in controlling hyperglycaemia by lowering blood sugar levels in the body. Yacon leaves allow the body to use insulin more effectively by lowering the body’s cells resistance to insulin. Medicinally, Yacon has been used for diabetics and those with digestive problems. Dried Yacon leaves have also been used as a tea with hypoglycemic properties and are commercially sold as such in Brazil. The hypoglycemic action of Yacon leaves has been demonstrated in a laboratory study with normal and diabetic rats by researchers in Argentina. Because it contains a type of sugar that isn’t metabolized, it is certainly an appropriate sweetening substitute over regular sugar for diabetics and dieters.
The Yacon root or tuber is a rich source of fructooligosaccharides. These compounds help giving the tuber its sweet flavor. For this reason, Yacon shows much promise as a food for diabetics and as a base for a low calorie sweetener. These oligofructans have been recently classified as “prebiotics.” Since they are not digested in the human gastrointestinal tract they are transported to the colon where they are fermented by a selected species of gut micro-flora (especially Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus) and help to balance gut flora and aid digestion. One laboratory study suggests that the prebiotic effect of Yacon tuber extracts during the fermentation process enhanced the natural production of beta-glucans which act as non-specific immunostimulants. In addition to these sweet compounds, Yacon tubers are also rich in free fructose, glucose and sucrose as well as inulin and starch. Both the tuber and the leaves of the plant contain chlorogenic, ferulic and caffeic acids which are known to provide an antioxidant effect. Several sesquiterpene lactones can be found in the leaves of the Yacon plants which have evidenced antibacterial and antifungal actions in laboratory tests.
References:
The Austalian New Crops Newsletter.
http://www.newcrops.uq.edu.au/newslett/ncnl1221.htm
Raintree Nutrition Inc. http://www.rain-tree.com/yacon.htm
Andes Health. http://www.andeshealth.com/page/863573
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