International Super Food Company

Maca

Lepidium peruvianum chacon

Maca is considered a Gift of the Gods by the Andean communities. Native to the Peruvian Andes, it grows at a height of 3500 meters or more, and is one of the highest growing crops in the world. It thrives in extreme weather conditions, such as snow, intense sunlight, cold and strong winds.

The Maca plant produces leaves and a small root. It is that root that has been treasured for thousands of years because of its ability to increase energy, vigour and fertility. Its nutritional and healing properties offer innumerable benefits that make it beneficial superfood for both men and women.

Camu Camu

Myrciaria dubia

Camu Camu is a native shrub to the Peruvian Amazon and develops wild in flooded alluvial soils during the rainy season. It can reach up to 8 meters in height.

Camu camu is a natural source of vitamin C, providing 30 to 50 times more vitamin C than an orange. It also provides a good dose of manganese, in addition to being a source of other minerals such as iron, calcium, niacin, riboflavin and phosphorus.

It strengthens the immune system and can help to increase energy and mood.

Lúcuma

Pouteria lucuma

Lucuma is a fruit native to the Andean valleys, traditionally highly valued for its nutritional and medicinal qualities. This delicious fruit helps increase the level of hemoglobin by its iron content, is energizing and is richness in niacin or vitamin B3 which stimulates the nervous system, fighting stress and depression.

Lucuma is also rich in vitamin C, B complex, calcium, phosphorus and proteins, and contains low caloric values. Despite having a sweet flavor, lucuma is low in sugar, being a perfect choice for low-sugar diets.

Amaranth (Kiwicha)

Amaranthus caudatus

Kiwicha or Amaranth is a plant native to Peru and the high regions of Ecuador, Bolivia and Argentina. It is a leafy plant that can reach up to 3 meters in height and prospers in various climatic zones.

Amaranth has great health benefits due to its high nutritional value, it provides a higher amount of protein compared to other cereals. It also provides a great variety of amino acids to the body, highlighting lysine; an essential amino acid that involves all the proteins in our body. Lysine is rarely found in plant foods and is very important in the development of the human brain.

It is also a great source of calcium, which provides double the amount from milk.

Also, the grain contains phosphorus, iron, potassium, zinc, vitamin E and vitamin B complex and a high level of leucine.

Quinoa

Chenopodium quinoa

Quinoa is an Andean plant grown at more than 3,000 meters above sea level and can be used similar as to cereals. That is why it is often called a 'pseudocereal'.

Consumed for thousands of years, it has become increasingly important throughout the world due to its high nutritional value and protein source. Easy to digest, high in fiber and free of gluten, quinoa has the equivalent protein value of meat and is very versatile in its applications in gastronomy. It provides most of its calories in the form of complex carbohydrates.

Quinoa is a valuable source of Omega 3, Omega 6 and vegetable iron. It has the highest amount of amino acids between grains and legumes, being considered by FAO as the only food of the vegetable kingdom that provides all the essential amino acids. Regarding caloric intake, quinoa is similar or slightly higher than a cereal, since it contains less carbohydrates. It acts as a cleanser of the body, managing to eliminate toxins and waste that can damage the the body thanks to its high dietary fibre content (soluble and insoluble).

Cacao

Theobroma Cacao

The cacao tree is evergreen and small, growing in South America and the West Indies. Cocoa, known as "food of the gods", stands out for being very high in energy.

The most important property of cocoa seeds is their fat content (especially saturated, and to a lesser extent, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated), carbohydrates and proteins. It also contains magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, theobromine, caffeine, starch, antioxidants and water, among others. These components help stimulate the kidneys and the nervous system.

Uña de Gato

Uncaria tomentosa

Uña de Gato is a medicinal plant from the Amazon is part of the traditional medicine of native peoples due to its extraordinary benefits and medicinal properties.

The bark and roots are used for medicinal purposes mainly and to a lesser extent the leaves. This plant is rich in active principles such as alkaloids, quinovic acid, phytosterols and polyphenols (tannins and flavonoids).

La uña de gato It has anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, antiviral, antioxidant, immunostimulant, analgesic and diuretic effect.

Yacón

Smallanthus sonchifolius

Yacon is a tuber grown in warm and temperate zones of the Andes mountain range. Unlike most edible roots, yacon does not store starch, but instead it stores its carbohydrates in the form of fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and free sugars (fructose, glucose and sucrose). Because of this it is an excellent natural sweetener that can be consumed by diabetics.

In comparison with other roots and tubers, yacon has a high amount of phenolic compounds that have known antioxidant qualities. It is beneficial to the digestive system, regulating the intestinal flora and helps prevent diseases such as colon cancer. It improves calcium absorption and synthesizes complex B vitamins.