Sacha Inchi

Uses

Sacha inchi is said to help promote weight loss. Some proponents also suggest that consuming sacha inchi can help reduce excess abdominal fat.

In addition, sacha inchi is purported to fight depression, reduce cholesterol levels, prevent heart disease, and aid in diabetes management.

Benefits of Sacha Inchi

Despite its long history of use in traditional medicine, sacha inchi has been the focus of very few scientific studies. Here’s a look at the available research on the potential health benefits of sacha inchi:

• High Cholesterol

Preliminary research indicates that sacha inchi may be of some benefit to people with elevated cholesterol levels. For a pilot study published in the Peruvian journal Revista Peruana de Medicina Experimental y Salud Pública in 2011, researchers assigned 24 patients with high cholesterol to four months of treatment with varying doses of sacha inchi oil. Although results revealed that sacha inchi oil appeared to have beneficial effects on cholesterol levels, the study’s authors note that more research needs to be conducted in order to evaluate the efficacy and safety of sacha inchi.

• Weight Loss

A study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry in 2002 found that sacha inchi is unusually high in tryptophan, an amino acid essential to the production of serotonin (a nervous-system chemical involved in regulating appetite). In theory, sacha inchi may help promote weight loss by increasing serotonin production and, as a result, keeping appetite in check and reducing food intake.

However, there is currently a lack of research on sacha inchi and its effectiveness as a weight loss aid.

While sacha inchi may help increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids, other foods (such as flaxseed and oily fish like salmon, tuna, sardines, and herring) can also help you get your fill of omega-3s and preserve your health.