David Wolfe on Yacon Syrup Sustainably Grown - Pesticide Free

Discovery!

The best low-glycemic sweetener ever has been found!

Imagine a non-glycemic, natural, raw, low-calorie sweet liquid treat that is positively good for you. Move over stevia and agave! Here comes Nature's healthiest sweetener — yacon root syrup!

Use yacon root syrup as you would honey, agave, stevia, or maple syrup on foods, in recipes and to sweeten beverages.

Fresh pressed from the yacon root, this syrup is a gift from nature that has been enjoyed for centuries in the Andean highlands of Peru.

Our yacon syrup has the following properties and benefits:

1. Regulates friendly intestinal flora, especially improves the growth of bifidobacterium
2. Reduces constipation
3. Helps to reduce the risk of developing colon cancer
4. Improves calcium and magnesium absorption, helping to strengthen the bones
5. Improves vitamin absorption, especiallly for B Vitamins
6. Helps manage cholesterol, triglycerides, and fat metabolism in general
7. Boosts the immune system in a similar way to aloe vera
8. Contain glyconutrients
9. Ideal for low-calorie and weight-loss diets
10. Ideal for low-sugar diets
11. Ideal for cancer-fighting diets
12. Non-cariogenic (does not cause cavities)
13. Contains superfood-level antioxidants
14. Standardized to 30% FOS (fructo-oligosaccharides)
15. Rich in antioxidants
16. Helps reduce symptoms of blood sugar disorders (hypoglycemia, diabetes type 2, etc.)

Though packed with sweetness, the sugar in yacon is mainly fructooligosaccharide, which cannot be absorbed by the body. This means yacon is both naturally low-calorie and low in mono and disaccharides (less than 1 gram per serving of the sugars that rapidly elevate blood sugar levels). Yacon root syrup has little influence on the glucose tolerance curve and is dramatically less glycemic than honey, agave, or maple syrup.

Yacon is a distant relative of the sunflower with edible tubers and leaves. It is commonly grown and consumed from Columbia to northwest Argentina. Locally, the tuber is often chopped and added to salads, and are also consumed boiled or baked. Yacon roots contain important quantities of potassium and antioxidants.

Because of its sweet taste, yacon roots are eaten like fruit in South America. The yacon root is considered the world's richest natural source of FOS (Fructo-oligosaccharides). Most other roots and tubers store carbohydrates as starch — a polymer chain of glucose. Yacon stores carbohydrate as FOS — a polymer chain composed mainly of fructose. This FOS can be considered a subgroup of inulin because it has a similar molecular structure, but with shorter fructose chains.

Tests were conducted at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in Peru in July 2004 to test how yacon syrup affected blood glucose levels. The participants were 60 non-diabetic men and women between the ages of 20 and 60. Each group fasted for at least eight hours before ingesting the different sweeteners. Three groups were given different samples of yacon, one group was given bee’s honey, another group was given maple syrup, and the last was given anhydrous glucose.

The group ingesting yacon syrup had hardly any difference from before and after. The results showed that yacon had very little effect on glucose levels, while the other sweeteners showed a significant rise in glucose levels and a slow decline back to normal.

More on How Yacon Syrup Works:

Our yacon syrup contains approximately 30% FOS and low proportions of simple sugars (e.g., glucose, fructose, and sucrose). The human body has no enzyme to hydrolyze FOS, so (even though it tastes sweet) it passes through the digestive tract unmetabolized, providing few calories. Yacon also acts as a prebiotic. The undigested portion of yacon serves as food for "friendly" bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species, in the small intestines and the colon. Clinical studies have shown that administering FOS can increase the number of these friendly bacteria in the colon while simultaneously reducing the population of harmful bacteria. Other benefits noted with FOS supplementation include increased production of beneficial short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate, increased absorption of calcium and magnesium, and improved elimination of toxic compounds. Preclinical studies indicate an increase in bone density after consumption of FOS. In addition, the beneficial effects of FOS on the presence of Bifidobacterium suggest an improved absorption of vitamins, such as those in the B complex.

Yacon Syrup has a rich flavor which evokes the tastes of dark honey and molasses. Offering enhanced absorption of nutrients and a boost to our immunity, sweetness has never been so healthy!