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

Our raw yacon root powder is good for digestion, stimulates positive colon health, acts as a prebiotic that feeds friendly bacteria such as acidophilus and bifidus, and helps with the absorption of calcium and vitamins. Though packed with sweetness, the sugar in yacon is mainly in the form of fructooligosaccharides, which cannot be absorbed through the intestines. This means yacon is both naturally low-calorie and low in mono and disaccharides. Use it as you would powdered sugar or maple sugar crystals on foods, in recipes, with cacao (chocolate treats), and to sweeten beverages. Yacon powder has very little influence on the curve of glucose tolerance and is dramatically less glycemic than any other powdered natural sweetener that we have found.

Because of our raw, yacon root powder, sweetness has never been so healthy! There is hope for everyone on a low-sugar diet. Imagine a non-glycemic, natural, raw, organic, low-calorie sweet treat that is positively good for you. Move over stevia, here comes Nature’s healthiest sweetener — Yacon root powder!

Yacon root powder is mild, tastes delicious, and is not overly sweet as stevia can be!

More on Fructooligosaccharides:

The root of yacon is considered the world’s richest natural source of FOS (fructooliosaccharides). 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.

Our yacon root products are tested to contain 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, a marketing strength for dieters and diabetics. 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 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.