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| An array of Andean ingredients considered superfoods are shown at the food lab of La Molina agrarian university in Lima |
From atop
the Andes mountains to the depths of the Amazon rainforest and frigid
Patagonia, indigenous people have long eaten quinoa, camu camu and calafate, a
healthy diet that has become a global phenomenon now threatened by
overproduction.
Rich in
antioxidants, vitamins, amino acids, minerals and fiber, the grains of the high
plains (quinoa, amaranth, kaniwa), roots (cassava and yacon) and berries
(calafate, Chilean guava) offer new hope to prevent cardiovascular disease,
obesity and cancer.
Consumed
for thousands of years by indigenous people, these superfoods have only
recently been widely popularized and made accessible to international markets.
Between
2011 and 2015, these ancient natural products saw their prices jump 202
percent, according to Promperu, Peru's export and tourism commission.
There was a
10 percent increase from January to November 2017 in the exports of these
foods, such as the sacha inchi nut rich in fatty acids and the high-vitamin
lucuma fruit, Promperu said.
The growing
consumption of these health foods praised by foodies, vegetarians and
dietitians has led producers to try to align their annual yields with demand.
Between
2012 and 2017, exports of Peruvian quinoa, the "golden grain of the
Incas," have quadrupled in value from $34.5 million to more than $124
million, data from Promperu showed.
Sacha indi
exports increased 116 percent last year.
Detrimental processing
But the
soil composition and the processing the superfoods undergo to be sold
commercially and exported can alter or destroy their unique properties, warned
Marcela Zamorano, a chemist specializing in food analysis at the University of
Santiago, Chile.
Quinoa is
often processed using high temperatures.
"The
main challenge is to make sure the nutrients of an industrialized product don't
decrease compared to the original grains," said Finnish food chemist Ritva
Repo of La Molina agrarian university in Lima, who has written several books
about quinoa.
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Finnish
food chemist Ritva Repo warns that quinoa grown outside its natural
habitat in
the Andean Plateau loses some of its nutrients
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Originally
from the Andean Plateau of Bolivia and Peru, quinoa is now also grown in China,
India, the Netherlands and the United States, among others.
Taken out
of its natural habitat, this Andean grain loses some of its nutrients,
according to Repo.
"The
quinoa that grows at 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) is the most nutritious,"
said Promperu director Isabella Falco, who is pushing for labeling the grain by
origin so the consumer can identify Peruvian products.
Amaranth,
which is richer in calcium and protein than quinoa, and kaniwa, which contains
more fiber and iron than amaranth, could eventually join other ancient Andean
grains in meeting the same fate as quinoa.
Experts say
these grains, fruit and berries can help prevent or slow the progress of
non-communicable chronic diseases such as diabetes.
Disease
prevention
But they
can't replace medicine if you're sick, stressed chemist Marcela Zamorano.
"Usually,
superfoods don't fight a particular pathogen, but they prevent the development
of certain diseases," she told AFP.
An industry
has now been built around cakes, jellies and energizing drinks using
ingredients like maca (a root vegetable nicknamed the Incan Viagra), camu camu
(an Amazonian fruit that contains as much vitamin C as 60 oranges) or the
ultra-nourishing coca leaf.
At the
University of Chile, researchers are examining the anti-obesity properties of
the calafate berry, which grows in southern Chile and Argentina.
"Our
idea is that this could serve to supplement a weight loss diet," said
Diego Garcia, who is heading the project.
Garcia is
also studying the anti-inflammatory properties of Chilean guava, wild
strawberries and the midnight blue-hued maqui, or Chilean wineberry, used to
tint wine and that boasts anti-oxidant properties.
In La Paz,
Lima and Santiago, these superfoods are given the place of honor in a growing
number of restaurants, some of which have obtained top gastronomical rankings,
such as Santiago's Borago, Amaz in Lima and Gustu in Bolivia's capital.
Overproduction threatens Andes superfood haven https://t.co/IXkO9Ds0MO pic.twitter.com/fZmPAJHg4Y— AFP news agency (@AFP) March 25, 2018
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