Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is Maca Food or medicine? 2. How eat Maca? 3. How many types of Maca are there? 4. What is mainly Maca component? 5. Can children eat Yacon? 6. Why people with diabetes can eat Yacon even it is sweet? 7. What are the main Yacon components? 8. What are the Nutritional Value of the Oca? 9. How Mashua is used in folk Andean medicine? 10. What are the Nutritional Value of the Mashua? 11. What are the Nutritional Value of the Olluco? 12. What are the Nutritional Value of the Quinua? Is Maca Food or medicine? Maca was Incas's normal food and the Andes people continue used it as food they believe it improves physical and mental capacities, strengthens sexual stamina, and enhances the immune system. Interest in maca has been reactivated recently, as it is believed to possess fertility-enhancing properties. Besides it, maca is also said to act as an energizer and antistress agent. Back to Top How eat Maca? Andes people eat Maca boiled in water as potatoes, they also make Maca flour after dry the Maca root under sun, then it can eat it mixed with several dishes and prepare sweet food mixing with honey, fruit juice, milk, cocoa, etc. Back to Top How many types of Maca are there? Is only one type or variety of Maca, but it can have 4 different skin colors, beige, purple, light purple and black. Back to Top What are the main Maca components? Maca main components are proteins 18% and Carbohydrates  66%, minerals mainly  Calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, potassium, cupper, zing and sodium, fiber and vitamins  Back to Top Can Children eat Yacon? Yes, from InKas time the Andes children are eating Yacon as delicious fruit. Back to Top Why people with diabetes can eat Yacon even it is sweet? Yacon roots contains the sweet-tasting oligo-fructans which is a carbohydrate that the human body has no enzyme to hydrolyze passing it through the digestive tract unmetabolized. Back to Top What are the main Yacon components? Yacon roots contain mainly beta-1,2-oligofructans, phenolic acid (e.g. caffeic acid and ferulic acid), flavonoid quercetin, fiber and vitamins but Yacon leaf contain mainly phenolic acids and chlorogenic acid.  Back to Top What are the Nutritional Value of the Oca? The oca tuber has about 80% of water, 1.1% protein (but protein content in dehydrated oca can reach 11%.), 13% carbohydrate, sucrose, glucose, raffinose and stachyose. Vitamin content is variable, but can include significant amounts of retinol (vitamin A) and vitamin C 38 mg/100. Minerals like phosphorus, calcium, potassium and iron. Back to Top How Mashua is used in folk Andean medicine? Mashua is used in folk Andean medicine from ancient times to treat several diseases it used as emmenagogues to induce menstration, it is used as a diuretic, it is used to treat skin ulcers and kill lice, to treat kidney ailments, to break bladder and kidney stones, to treat kidney pain, and other kidney and liver diseases. Mashua contain high levels of isothiocyanates (p-methoxybenzyl isothiocyanate) known for their antibiotic, insecticidal, nematocidal, and diuretic properties. that substantiate several uses of mashua in local folk medicine. Also Mashua is considered an antiaphrodisiac.  Recent scientific studies have isolated Mashua compounds that are antibiotic, diuretic, and that effect testosterone levels in males and estrogen levels in females.  Back to Top What are the Nutritional Value of the Mashua? Mashua contain all of the essential amino acids, its tuber  has about 86% of water, 1.6% of protein, and 11.6% of carbohydrates, vitamin content include significant amounts of vitamin C,  riboflavin and  Niacin, minerals contents include high presence of phosphorus, calcium, and iron. In general terms the nutritional content of Mashua is good when compared with other staple root and tuber crops eaten around the world. Back to Top What are the Nutritional Value of the Olluco? Olluco tubers has 75% of  water content, about 1% protein and 10-14% carbohydrate. it is rich in vitamin C and carotene. Back to Top What are the Nutritional Value of the Quinua? Quinua have the almost perfect amino acid composition, high content of calcium, phosphorus, and iron and low sodium content. The nutritional value of Quinua has been known from ancient times as the superior Inkas traditional cereal, is in fact, superior to milk solids in feeding trails (White et al. 1955). Protein content ranges from 10 to 18% with a fat content of 4.1 to 8.8%, starch 60.1%, ash 4.2%, and crude fiber 3.4%. The ash has been found to primarily consist of potassium and phosphorus (65% of total). Calcium and iron are significantly higher in Quinua than in rice, maize, wheat, or oats, Quinua alpha-amylase content  are higher than rice, proso millet and wheat (Lorenz and Nyanzi 1989). The mineral content of Quinua are generally higher than comparable cereals as well. Quinua contain saponin in the seedcoat, which is removed by mechanical abrasion or washing Quinua grains with abundant water before to eat. Local people are using Quinua saponin as a detergent for clothing, washing and as an antiseptic to promote healing of skin injuries. Back to Top