Sacha Inchi Oil: The New King of Omega

The Sacha Inchi Plant

There is a lesser known plant that reaches up to six feet tall, it can only survive in warm climates, and it has a star shaped fruit at the top of it's branch.  The star shaped fruit is something extremely special and it's known as the Sacha Inchi plant or sometimes refer to as the Incha peanut.  This plant has been utilized in the Peruvian Amazon for thousands of years and packs a ton of nutrition.  The plants are not just mammoth in size and pretty in shape, but they can also last for over 10 years.  Since the plant can live for such a long period of time it is able to absorb the nutrients from the Amazon soil and become a nutritional powerhouse.  One of the Sacha Inchi plant's most important nutrients is the amount of Omega 3s it possesses.  The oil from the nut of the plant has 50 percent Omega 3s per volume.  This in turn makes the Sacha Inchi plant the most vital source of Omega 3s compared to any other plant in the world.

Sacha Inchi Nutrition

The reason why obtaining Omega 3s are so essential to our bodies is because it promotes a healthy heart, supports brain and eye function and health, and they help slow down the aging process of your body.  Our bodies create Omega 3s naturally but the reason why we need to consume additional Omega 3s are mainly because our diets have changed overtime.  Since we eat fewer natural foods and more processed foods and meats we lack the amount of Omega 3s which are found in natural sources of food.  Animals compared to human beings have 10 to 20 times the amount of Omega 3s because of their natural diets.  The best way to get your recommended daily amount of Omega 3s is by consuming wild salmon, flax-seeds, walnuts, or fish oil pills.  Putting Sacha Inchi oil on your salad or other foods is probably your best way of obtaining the most Omega 3s in your daily eating habits.

Sacha Inchi Oil, Rare but Exists

The Sacha Inchi plant is also high in protein, iodine, Vitamin A and E.  The plant is categorized as a super food because of the high amounts of essential fatty acids (including Omega 3s, 6s, 9s, and others).  The flavor itself of the oil is mild and is not bitter at all and it almost has a nutty finish, similar to almonds.  Since the oil is so mild you could drink it straight but it is a perfect compliment to fish, poultry or even a better compliment to a salad.  Sacha Inchi oil is becoming more and more popular in the United States since it is labeled as a super food and is being best known as the new king of Omega 3s.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plukenetia_volubilis
http://www.alsearsmd.com/rare-super-food-of-the-ancient-incas/

The Emergence of Black Rice

Black Rice in Raw Form

One of the most well known foods around the world is white and brown rice, but there is a rare counterpart that is in itself extremely nutritious and it's black rice.  Black rice is toted as being very high in Vitamin E and is said to rival the antioxidant content found in blueberries.  A short background of black rice begins in ancient China where the grain was labeled as "forbidden rice" because of it's natural black color.  It's a shame that it was condemned as something bad or evil because the nutritional content found in black rice is very impressive.  Black rice in fact has more antioxidants per serving when compared with a serving of blueberries and it also has less sugar, more fiber, and a lot more Vitamin E.  Consuming high amounts of antioxidants, phytochemicals, and fiber all which are found in black rice, can reduce your risk of cancer and heart disease (two of the biggest killers in the United States).  Antioxidants help your immune system fight off everyday diseases and lower your blood pressure which in turn helps ward off heart disease.

Black Vs. Brown Rice

Brown rice is very popular within American cuisine and all around the world and it is a far better choice when compared to white rice.  The problem with white rice is it's basically a complex carbohydrate which means there are no whole grains or fiber within the rice so it turns directly into sugar within your system and that sugar turns directly into fat (usually in all the wrong places).  Brown rice on the other hand, is filled with fiber and is a whole grain but when compared to black rice, brown rice has to take a backseat.  Black rice has more antioxidants and Vitamin E.  Black rice isn't very popular within American cuisine and it is mostly found in Asian countries.  Black rice is found in varieties of sushi, puddings, and noodles.  Since black rice is being labeled as the new "superfood" and "cancer fighter" it may become more relevant and popular in American cuisine.

Sources:
http://www.naturalnews.com/029735_black_rice_antioxidants.html