In Peru there is a hidden treasure: they are truly special plants and fruits, real superfoods.
Superfood overseas? They will not be exactly zero km, but there are gods superfoods in countries like Peru, for example, give very precious properties. Super nutrients, rich in beneficial substances and antioxidants, are cultivated in the Peruvian lands plants e fruits for hundreds of years which today constitute a real treasure.
These are foods known forhigh concentration of nutritional properties indispensable for the proper functioning of the organism and which, except for a few, we probably know little here.
READ also: 10 SUPERFOODS YOU MAY NOT KNOW YET
Let's go and find out, then, 6 superfoods made in Peru:
Index
Cocoa beans
The beans are i semi cocoa, the richest part of minerals and vitamins and from which cocoa butter is extracted and cocoa powder is made. Cocoa is rich in iron, magnesium, fiber, vitamin C and antioxidants and is also known for its ability to increase serotonin levels and, thanks to the high rate of polyphenols, reduces bad cholesterol and protects the heart. Best eaten raw, in powder or grain form.
READ also: COCOA BEANS: CRUISING THE SEEDS OF THE MOST LOVED PLANT IN THE WORLD
Maca
The beautiful or “Peruvian ginseng“, Is a perennial plant with a strong temperament used by the Andean populations for its nutritional and energetic properties. Its root is rich in essential nutrients, such as proteins, mineral salts, fibers, vitamins A, C and the B complex, calcium, iron and zinc. It is consumed in powder form and helps fight stress, has invigorating and energizing properties and, if taken regularly, would also promote fertility.
READ also: MACA: PROPERTIES, USES AND WHERE TO FIND PERUVIAN GINSENG
Camu Camu
The camu camu is a fruit is very rich in vitamin C, so it is an ideal food for strengthen the immune system and fight colds and vitamin C deficiencies. In addition, it contains other vitamins and minerals such as calcium, thiamine (vitamin B1), niacin (vitamin B3), riboflavin (vitamin B2), phosphorus and iron and many amino acids. Due to its very acidic flavor, camu camu should be consumed in the form of a powder.
READ also: CAMU - CAMU: OWNERSHIP, USES AND WHERE TO FIND IT
lucuma
Already used abundantly by the Incas and other pre-Columbian civilizations, the Lucuma is in tropical fruit ricco of beta-carotene, vitamins B1, B2, B3 and B5, mineral salts such as potassium, iron, calcium and phosphorus, fiber and carbohydrates. Some studies have highlighted its powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect, useful in wound healing and also in delaying skin aging.
It can be eaten both raw and cooked and, when ground into powder, is called thegold of the Incas for its extraordinary properties, and can be used as a sweetener or as a flour, especially for thickening, thanks to the high starch content.
READ also: THE GOLD OF THE INCA: THE LUCUMA. WHAT IT IS, OWNERSHIP AND HOW TO USE IT
Sacha Inchi
Il Sacha Inchithe peanut of the Inca, is a species of peanut native to the Peruvian Amazon rainforest. Today it is mainly consumed in the form of oil which is beneficial to keep strong bones, to regulate blood sugar levels and blood pressure and to reduce cholesterol and triglycerides. It fights stress and fatigue and is good for digestion. Finally, sacha inchi makes both skin and hair shiny and silky.
READ also: 15 PRECIOUS VEGETABLE OILS FOR HEALTH AND BEAUTY
Quinoa Salad
Quinoa is one "pseudo cereal”Gluten-free and very rich in proteins, fibers and minerals, such as phosphorus, magnesium, iron and zinc. It also contains all the essential amino acids and mainly unsaturated fats and seems to have an anti-aging and anti-tumor action.
Quinoa consumption is becoming popular outside of South America in recent years and doubts are starting to arise about the sustainability of its large-scale cultivation to meet the growth in demand.
READ also: QUINOA: RECIPES AND EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
A discourse that could be valid for many of the superfoods mentioned so far. But, if you try, there is a simple solution to have fruits and sustainable and environmentally friendly cereals and is to rely on fair trade, whose production protects the territory and the populations, allowing the farmers to get out of poverty.
Germana Carillo
