Lucuma, an Andean fruit considered a superfood for its nutritional and therapeutic properties, is known as the "Inca Gold" and in Inca mythology it represented fertility.
Lucuma, known in Latin America as the "Inca Gold", is a native fruit of the inter-Andean valleys of Peru, Ecuador and Chile. Its use comes from times before the Inca empire, having found representations of the fruit in pieces and objects from pre-Inca cultures. Proof of this are the ceramic pieces exhibited by the Larco Museum in Peru, such as the neck bottle that shows four lucumas together.
An Inca legend relates that an Andean goddess refused love, until a mythological being, disguised as a beggar, conquered her with a lucuma fruit, which in Inca mythology represents fertility, and continues to be a staple food in Peru, where 26 towns are named after him. The lucuma tree is known as "the tree of life". Ancient texts say that it was used to improve digestion and skin health.
It has a creamy and velvety texture, its aroma is pleasant, as well as its flavor is peculiar and exotic. It is used as a natural sweetener because the sugar content in the fruit is medium-high and the sweetness it has is intense; for this reason in South America it is used to make ice cream, desserts, bakery products and pastries.
Lucuma is considered a superfood because it has medicinal and therapeutic properties such as protecting the skin due to its beta-carotene content, an antioxidant that reduces the damage caused by UV rays. It maintains normal functions of the nervous system thanks to vitamin B3 that prevents nervous and mental disorders and enhances the immune system. In addition, gallic acid, an antioxidant present in lucuma, works as an anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, protects the cardiovascular system and is anticancer.
In addition, this superfood restricts the elevation of glucose in the blood preventing diabetes. It also has phenolic components that fight high blood pressure, preventing heart disease.
Lucuma is part of the Brota Superfoods catalog because it is in accordance with our objective of making food available with the highest nutritional and therapeutic concentration. We want to reach all corners of the world by encouraging the population to incorporate superfoods into their daily lives in order to improve their well-being and quality of life.