Can Yacon Syrup Rival Garcinia for Weight Loss?

yacon-sryp-plantsYou know me. I don’t buy into something just because of hype. But today I got something really exciting to share with you. It’s called Yacon syrup and it just might rival the likes of garcinia cambogia. Please realize that it’s likely to start getting a lot of attention since it was just featured on the Dr. Oz show. And as we’ve seen so many times in the past, this could very easily lead to marketing mayhem – marketers will start coming out of the woodwork trying to make some easy, quick money off of it. So learn about it, understand it and know what to look for.

Does Yacon Syrup Really Help You Lose Weight?

It’s nice when there’s already plenty of research on something when we learn about it. That’s the case here. There’s a decent amount of clinical trials that have already been performed and results are definitely promising. In one 120-day double blind placebo study the weight loss was substantial – we’re talking over 30 pounds. That’s nothing to stiff at, right? I agree. They seen an average of a 2-inch reduction around the waist, too.

But that’s not all. There’s much more to Yacon than simply being an organic, natural weight loss supplement. Study participants also benefited from lower LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol). This all happened by simply taking Yacon. They were told not to change other habits related to diet and exercise.

Dr .Oz brought in the expertise of five other experts to weigh in on this new discovery, too. Dr. Mike Roizen, Dr. Neal Barnard, Dr. Garth Davis, Dr. Caroline Apovian and Dr. Lou Arrone. While they agree that further research will be helpful in nailing down the exact benefits and how everything works, they are excited about Yacon Syrup.

Dr. Oz says he spent more than a year researching Yacon Syrup and powder before he decided to feature it on the show. NOTE: We’re not affiliated with him or the show in any way. What did he have to say about this new supplement that could cause a stir in the weight loss industry?

“ The results showed “Daily intake of yacon syrup produced a significant decrease in body weight, waist circumference and body mass index.”

What Exactly is Yacon?

Yacon is actually a vegetable that’s native to the Andes Mountains (South America). It’s been safely used for many generations. In fact, the Ancient Incas were known to use it because of the valuable nutrition it provides and the fact it’s high in fiber, helping you feel fuller for longer periods of time.

It almost tastes like an apple and is sometimes referred to Peru’s apple of the earth. The syrup from this potato-like looking veggie comes from the roots of the plant. It’s manufactured similarly to the way that traditional syrup we’re used to is made. Other things that are particularly attracting to it are:

  • It’s extremely low in calories
  • It provides a substantial amount of fiber
  • It falls very low on the glycemic index rating
  • It is sweet so it’s easy to take unlike other supplements that have foul tastes

Because it’s so low on the glycemic index, it’s not easily broke down into sugar in your body. That means you don’t get a spike in blood sugar that leads to insulin spikes and weight gain.

What Makes it Help You Lose Weight?

Just like garcinia has the key ingredient HCA, Yacon has a key ingredient too: Fructooligosaccharide. I know, try pronouncing that right? Don’t worry, we’ll just call it FOS, which is what it’s often referred to (no wonder, right?). The FOS is what gives Yacon half of its sweetness. The sweetness isn’t the same as sugar though and your body doesn’t treat it like sugar. The bulk of the sweetness you get in Yacon is from inulin, which is a complex sugar that’s slowly metabolized down into FOS.

Here’s where it gets a little technical, but I’ll try to make it as simple as possible. Basically, Yacon Powder and Syrup behave like a prebiotic that assists in controlling flora found in the your intestine. What’s flora? Flora consists of microscopic organisms that reside in your intestinal system – things like Lactobacillus and Bifidus. Don’t worry about their real names, we’ll just call them skinny bacteria like Dr. Oz does.

These bacteria help the transformation of FOS into short-chain fatty acids. Those fatty acids increase your tissue sensitivity to insulin, as well as help stop cholesterol synthesis in your liver. This is all important for your health in several ways. They are a factor in how well your body can absorb nutrients, they play a role in your immune system, they help fight off potentially dangerous disease-causing organisms and even instructs your body to create probiotics – and we all know how important probiotics are. Dr. Oz says that this prebiotic is the game changer for Yacon and what drives the effectiveness of it.

“Researchers show that first way it works is to speed up your metabolism, by promoting the skinny bacteria. Yacon syrup very interestingly lowers the hunger hormone ‘ghrelin’ which brings you down towards fullness, and keeps you down by also controlling insulin. -Dr. Oz”

“Now this is why I’m passionate about it, it’s not just about losing weight, Yes you’ll get that I know that’s why people will try this, but if it can get your blood sugar down that’s a Gold Mine for us when it comes to your health.” -Dr. Oz

How do You Use Yacon?

You can actually find Yacon in variety of forms including powder, dried chips, syrup, pills and even the root of the plant itself. For the most part, they’ll all give you roughly the same benefits. They all have FOS – well the good ones, anyways. In my research and my opinion, pills are the easiest to use, closely followed by syrup form. When using pills, you should take 500mg before each meal with a full glass of water. I’ve asked if AlivebyNature will be selling yacon (they’re the ones I recommend for most other supplements). I will keep you updated on that.

Below are our favorite sources for the different forms of Yacon (so far).

Yacon Syrup

yacon-syrup
There are many shady sellers of Yacon syrup popping up on Amazon and other places, but also a handful of really good companies that you can trust.
Livesuperfoods is a solid company and I prefer the taste of their syrup over the others I have tried so far.

Yacon Pills

yacon-pills
For extra convenience, so people prefer to take pills or capsule.
RootandSprout is one the most trustworthy supplier of yacon pills at an affordable price we have found so far.

Yacon Extract or Powder

yacon-powder
As a sugar substitute, I love yacon powder. It doesn’t have the wonderful flavor of syrup, and is not as sweet. In fact, its about the same sweetness as sugar, by volume. So is simple to substitute in recipes or like me, in my coffee.

Livesuperfoods is the only supplier of powder that I trust at this time, although I’m sure more will soon be following now that Dr Oz has given his stamp of approval to Yacon.

Yacon Chips or Slices

yacon-slices

As a snack food, this is a great alternative to chips and such. About $9 for a 6 oz pkg
at Navitasnaturals

Where Do You Buy It?

A few things you have to keep in mind. Always read the fine print when you’re buying online. If they say there’s a money back guarantee, make sure you find out what the terms are to get a refund should you decide you want one. Make sure there are not artificial filler ingredients. The only way you can do this is to read the label.

While I don’t go out and buy everything Dr. Oz recommends and I don’t live by his word, he does have some good advice. This is what he says on his website:

  • Don’t buy anything that claims to be an alternative to a prescription
  • Don’t buy anything that has foreign language or misspellings on the packaging
  • Don’t buy anything that claims the impossible (example: lose 20 pounds this week!)
  • Make sure what you’re buying hasn’t been labeled tainted in the past by the FDA
  • Don’t buy anything that you can’t verify supplemental facts (reading the label)
  • Who Should Use It?

Like I’ve explained already, there are many benefits to Yacon syrup. Not just weight loss. So there are actually several groups of people that could truly benefit from it, including:

  • Those who need more fiber in their diet
  • Those who want or need to lose weight
  • Those who suffer from chronic constipation
  • Those who have high blood sugar levels