The neighborhood Bodega has a rack of medicinal herbs that were used by ancient cultures...and still in use today.
Soursop, moringa, cats claw, etc. I took a video but it was too big to upload 🥺
I purchased a bag of yacon leaf.
I had used yacon syrup in the past as a sweetener but never knew people took this medicinally.
The package didn't purport to cure anything, but advised searching the Internet to find out 😂
My internet search revealed the following:
Yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius), is a native Andean plant, that has been used in traditional folk medicine for diabetes and digestive disorders.
It's contains iron, calcium, potassium and fiber.
The root is high in fructooligosaccharides (FOS), an indigestible form of fructose, that is beneficial for the colon and feeds good bacteria, improving the intestinal flora balance. It's considered a prebiotic, helping to prevent colon cancer, improve intestinal transit, and prevent constipation.🙌
Its hypoglycemic properties reduce and regulate blood glucose levels, which, in turn, helps to balance cholesterol. It is advisable to consume it as a hot beverage (in warm water) for these benefits.
Yacon contain antioxidants that help stop cell aging and strengthen the immune system.
I added some of the leaves to my chicken broth that I made this morning 🌞
Properties:
Diuretic
Antioxidant
Cardioprotective
Hepatoprotective
Hypoglycemic
Immune booster
#diabetes
#antioxidant
#hypoglycemia
#foodismedicine
#antiaging
#yaconleaf
#immuneboosting
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There are so many of these supplements that you can add to your diet, but it's so hard to choose which ones to go with.
I believe less is more and whole foods should be the focus for staying in balance.
But it's easy to get out of balance.
This yacon plant is cultivated as a food. The mecinal and nutritional benefits are a "side effect" .
Think of it as another healthy food choice...not a supplement.
As a comparison: I drink a glass of warm milk in the evening to promote a sound sleep... but the side effect is that it promotes strong bones, prevents osteoporosis.
Yacon leaves, when steeped with water and served as a tea, seem most suitable for people with high blood sugar....the side effects of drinking the tea, would be anti oxidant (anti-aging) benefits.
My hunch is the leaves would be great for people who are diagnosed as being prediabetic.
To experiment , Drink 1 cup a day for a week and observe sugar cravings. If it's working, one will notice less desire for sweets and naturally restore balance (I have no idea how long it would take... depends on one's starting point of balance and present diet...and th diet likely needs some tweaking if the present state of balance is high blood sugar).
Or simply steep some leaves with your chai or coffee (they are naturally sweet) as a preventative when you feel like it.
I eat way too many sweets, so I'm always looking for help with balancing that out.... 😂
Eating the yacon root (in a salad or added to a Stew), would provide the other benefits - colon cleansing, digestive health.
It has a nice woody apple flavor so if you find the root at a local market, check it out.
Thinking a lot about the self adjusting nature of equilibrium lately.
Thanks for sharing. . We grow this in our garden and we eat the roots which are yummie. We did not know you could also use the stems and leafs. Going to try the tea tonight.
I put some in my dal the other night (to offset the blood glucose spike).... And put a pinch in my chai today... It's lightly sweet.
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