Superfoods: fight inflammation and aging with Yucca extract

It’s the New Year and with that comes all sorts of promises and resolutions we made to our dear selves: exercise more, have a healthier diet and first on the agenda get rid of the calories (and toxins) we have accumulated during the holidays. In other words: it’s time for a detox!

This brings me to something that may come very handy now: Yucca extract. Not to be confused with Yuca, the root of the Cassava plant - which is similar to a sweet potato. Let’s see what’s so special about this plant.

Native to Mexico Yucca has been used in folk medicine for a very long time.

Yucca is a plant native to the Northern part of Mexico. There are more than 40 species belonging to the same genus all having tough, sword-like leaves. I got to try it on a recent trip to Mexico when I went on one of my explorative hunts to check out the local curative herbs and plants. Mexico has plenty of them; from agave to yerba buena there is no shortage of natural remedies. At a specialty store, I came across Yucca extract. I wasn’t exactly familiar with it, but I decided to bring it home and learn more about it. 

The Yucca extract I got is a very thick black dark liquid with a resin-like consistency and it tastes quite bitter, for this reason it is recommended to be consumed with a drink that somehow disguises the flavor, but it comes in clearer versions. One of the few side effects of Yucca, and it’s probably because of its taste, is that it might give you nausea so you may want to try a little bit before adding more; the recommended daily dosage is 6 to max 8 drops a day. As I mentioned the flavor is pretty strong so you may want to drink it all at once. Try a few drops to make sure it works for you. It is recommended to use it for no longer than 4 weeks at a time. 

However bad the taste is, it has many benefits and it is beneficial in regulating blood sugar and reducing glucose levels, as well as bad cholesterol (known as LDL).

Yucca has photoprotective properties which help against sun damage.

Among the many great things of Yucca, for those concerned about their wrinkles, is that it contains very powerful antioxidants with incredible photoprotective properties thanks to components called saponins, resveratrol (a very powerful anti-aging compound) and yuccaols, a trio of phytonutrients which protect the skin against cell degeneration caused by sun damage.

Lastly, but equally important, thanks to the antioxidant properties of its polyphenols Yucca is very helpful in fighting inflammation, which can cause long term damage in the form of arthritis and other degenerative diseases affecting important organs, which may be related to gut inflammation.  

As always consult your doctor before taking any supplement and if you are currently taking any medications.

Try it and let us know what you think!