I’d love to believe in every new diet supplement that hits the weight loss market. But let’s be honest here – you can’t really do that since so many of them never live up to the hype that surrounds them. Lately, the diet pill I most highly recommend has been garcinia cambogia. But today I want to share something with you that might rank right up there with it and it’s call Yacon syrup. Actually, you can get find it in syrup form, pills, powder and more. Never heard of it? Don’t worry. I hadn’t either until a few weeks ago. Then the other day I noticed that Dr. Oz had taken notice of it too.

That’s good and bad. Most of what he recommends I can agree with (not always). But once something gets buzzed up on his daytime TV show then it often fuels a marketing frenzy. That means marketers will start pushing it as hard as they can with no real research of their own, just trying to make a quick buck. So be forewarned.

Can Yacon Syrup Actually Help with Weight Loss?

In my research, the answer to that question is an astounding yes. Sometimes when the newest, hottest diet product is revealed, there’s almost no real research behind the claims. Thankfully, that’s not the case here. There has been quite a bit of qualified research already done on it. There was a 120-day study that led many participants to lose an impressive amount of weight – about 30 pounds, as well as losing roughly 2 inhces around the waist. I don’t know about you, but I find that very promising, especially since they weren’t doing anything different other than they started using yacon syrup.

Dr. Oz did his own reseach on this – for over a year. Then that wasn’t even enough. He also brought in a panel of experts and other doctors. They were all in agreement that yacon is definitely promising.

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

Natural Organic Supplement with Many Health Benefits

Yacon isn’t something that can only be used as a diet aid, either. There are actually several benefits that you can expect from using it. Other than being natural and organic, which translates to safe, you can also lower your bad cholesterol levels (LDL levels) just by using these pills. It can also aid in regulating your digestive system, so it’s also recommended anyone who suffers from chronic constipation.

“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

What is Yacon – Is It Really All Natural?

Of course it is. If you buy a quality product. Like I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I worry that marketers will start throwing crap products together that are cheaply made with no concern about quality. That means filling it up with artificial ingredients, not making sure it’s effective, not testing it etc. But in a good yacon product then yes, it is absolutely all natural. It comes from the yacon plant found naturally in South America. The Andes Mountains to be exact.

Like apples? Like syrup? You’ll probably even ENJOY the taste of this supplement. It is naturally sweet and has a taste that will almost remind you of apples. In fact, many people like to use it as a natural, EXTREMELY LOW CALORIE sweetener – great in teas. The sryup form of the supplement is derived from the roots of this plant.

How Does It Work?

Yacon syrup and pills have a very important ingredient that’s responsible for the making the magic happen. It’s called Fructooligosaccharide… Good golly, I know! The first time I seen that word I was like “A whaaat?? How do you even say that?” But who cares, really. We’ll refer to it as FOS. Just like we refer to the hydroxycitric acid in garcinia cambogia as HCA. So just remember to look for FOS. FOS is the ingredient responsible for the sweet flavor of yacon, too. But the amazing thing is – it’s sweet, but not treated like sugar in your body.

The Science Behind Yacon’s Magic

You know about probiotics by now, I’m sure. But have you heard of prebiotics? They sound very alike and a lot of people get confused. So here’s a breakdown as easy as I can put it:

Probiotic: Suspected to have many health benefits, but not proven.
Prebiotic: Provides an array of health benefits, many of which have been medically proven

Probiotic: Live bacteria found in many products such as yogurt and other dairy products. It has to be protected and kept alive in order to provide any benefit, but can easily lose its effectiveness due to stomach acids, bodily heat and other factors.
Prebiotic: A special form of fiber that remains unchanged when it enters your body.

Probiotic: Being a bacteria, it competes with the many other bacteria in your body for attention.
Prebiotic: Nourishes, grows and benefits the bacteria we all have in our bodies.

Probiotics have been getting all the attention lately, but personally, I would take prebiotics over probiotics anyday. And yacon is a prebiotic. It specifically helps nourish and grow flora. What is flora?

Flora: Microscopic organisms that in turn nourishes the “skinny bacteria” in your body. Those that determine how easily you absorb nutrients, as well as fight off potentially dangerous organisms in your body. They take the FOS and create short chain fatty acids.

The Fatty Acids: Increases the sensitivity that tissue has to insulin and helps prevent cholesterol synthesis in the liver.

Following me so far? Now, to see why it’s important… It all comes down to this, which is right from Dr. Oz himself:

“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”

What’s the Best Way to Use Yacon?

That’s kind of a personal choice, really. You can find it in the form of syrup, pills, dried chips or the root itself. Any of them will provide health benefits, assuming you bought a quality, natural product. They’re all going to contain the FOS that’s vital to it working like it’s supposed to. But if you ask me, pills are the way to go. Some people like to use the syrup as a sweetener, which I do from time to time. But I just find that it’s much easier to pop the pill with my morning juice (made from fresh fruit, of course).

Where Can You Buy It?

As I’ve said (Yes, I’m going to continue to pound this into your head) – you’ll probably start seeing yacon everywhere. That means hundreds, if not thousands of places to choose from. So for now, I’ll just stick to some points of what to look for and what to watch out for when buying yacon pills or syrup, including the tips that Dr. Oz gives:

• Look for and understand any money back guarantee or refund policy
• Check for artificial filler ingredients
• Always read the label before buying. If you can’t, don’t buy it
• Don’t buy products claiming to be an alternative to prescription medication
• Stay away from products with misspellings on the packaging
• Stay away from products with foreign language on the packaging
• Stay away from products promising the moon i.e. losing 25 pounds in 5 days
• Research and stay away from products potentially identified by the FDA as tainted

Is It Right for You?

As I’ve said, there’s more to yacon pills than merely weight loss. Because of the many health benefits that it provides, there are actually a lot of people who could benefit from using. If you answer yes to any of the following questions then I recommend you look into yacon further:

• Do you need more fiber?
• Do you want or need to lose weight?
• Do you suffer from IBS or chronic constipation?
• Do you need to lower your blood sugar?

Ready for some yummy light dishes to try this summer? AlivebyNature.org has given us a few amazing soups and delicious desserts that won’t throw you off track on your diet….

Orange Mulligatawny Soup

• 2 cups orange juice
• 2 quarts water
• 1 broiler fryer chicken, whole or cut in serving pieces
• 1 cup chopped celery and leaves
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 apples, pared, cored and diced
• 2 tomatoes, peeled and diced 11/2 tablespoons salt
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/3 cup uncooked regular rice

In large kettle, combine orange juice, water, chicken, celery, carrots, onion, 1 apple, I tomato, and salt. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Remove chicken, remove meat from bones, cut into bite-size pieces. Return to broth. Add remaining apple, tomato, curry powder and rice. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Makes about 6 servings.

Corn Chowder

• 1 pound turkey wings (or chicken wings, if preferred)
• 1 strip bacon, chopped 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed black pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped carrots
• 1/3 cup chopped celery
• 11/2 quarts water
• can (17 ounces) whole kernel golden sweet corn 2/3 cup half and half 11/2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Wash and cut wings into 1 to 11/2 inch pieces crosswise. Stir bacon in Dutch oven
over high heat. When fat from bacon starts to melt, add onion. Cook, stirring constantly, until glossy. Add turkey, salt and pepper. Stir two minutes over high heat.

Add carrots, celery and water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer covered 2 hours.
Add undrained canned. corn; cook 30 minutes. Mix half and half with flour in small bowl. Add 1/2 cup hot chowder, mix well.

Continue adding chowder in small amounts and mixing until flour completely dissolves and no lumps remain. Stir into chowder.

Simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Serve garnished with parsley. Makes about 21/2 quarts.

Mandarin Orange Salad

• 1 package (3 ounces) orange flavor gelatin
• 1 package (3 ounces) lemon flavor gelatin
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 pint pineapple sherbet
• 1 small can mandarin oranges, drained
• Combine gelatin and water. Place in refrigerator. When slightly set, fold in sherbet and orange segments. Chill until set.
• Pat Robinson
• Spiced Peach Salad
• 1 Jar spiced peaches
• 1 package (3 ounces) lemon flavor gelatin
• 1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese chopped nuts

Drain syrup from peaches and bring to boiling point. Add and dissolve gelatin. Mash peaches; add to gelatin. Mix cheese and nuts; form into small balls; add to gelatin. Chill.Mrs. Harold

Apricot Salad

• 1 package (6 ounces) apricot flavor gelatin
• 1 small can crushed pineapple 1 can (8 ounces) apricots
• 1 small carton sour cream
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 cup pecans
• 3 tablespoons crystallized ginger

Drain fruit; add enough water to juice to make 2 cups. Dissolve gelatin in 2 cups boiling juice. Let cool. Mash apricots, add pineapple and sour cream. Add to cooled gelatin. Add pecans, lemon juice and ginger. Mix and chill.

Lemon Fluff

• 1 large can evaporated milk
• 1 package (4 ounces) lemon gelatin
• 13/4 cups hot water
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 21/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs Cherries for decoration (optional)

Chill unopened can of milk until icy cold, about 4 hours. Dissolve gelatin in hot water. Chill until partially set. Whip until light and fluffy. Add lemon juice and sugar. Whip chilled milk, fold into gelatin mixture. Line bottom of 9×13 pan with crumbs. Pour gelatin mixture over crumbs. Top with remaining crumbs. Chill until firm. Cut into squares, center each with cherry. Serves 12.