Lucuma: health benefits, uses, and side effects

What is lucuma?

It’s tempting to jump straight into discussing how lucuma benefits your health, but first let’s talk about what it actually is. After all, it’s not exactly a common sight on supermarket shelves here in the west!

Lucuma is a type of fruit that grows on the Pouteria lucuma tree, which is native to the Andean region of South America. Farmers cultivate it in countries like Peru, Ecuador, Chile, and Bolivia, where it forms a key part of the diet. The fruit’s popularity is thanks to both its delicious taste and the many impressive health benefits of lucuma. In fact, people consider lucuma to be so valuable that it earned itself the nickname ‘gold of the Incas’!

The fruit itself looks a little like a mango, with a hard green outer shell that encases soft yellow pulp. Its flesh has a dry texture and sweet flavour that might remind you of butterscotch, sweet potato, or maple. Are you starting to see why people love it so much?

Although eaten fresh in South America, in other countries lucuma is more commonly available in powder form. This – along with its caramelly taste – makes it extremely easy to incorporate into your diet. And the best part is that lucuma powder benefits your wellbeing just like the fresh fruit does. That’s because producers make the powder using a process specifically designed to preserve the fruit’s nutritional value.

Ok, that’s the introduction out of the way. Time to look at exactly how lucuma benefits your health. You’ll be pleased to hear that it definitely lives up to its gilded moniker!

Gold of the Incas: the health benefits of lucuma

Thanks to its notable nutritional profile, lucuma benefits our wellbeing in all sorts of ways. For starters, the powder is rich in key vitamins such as niacin (B3) and vitamin C. It also contains beta-carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A. Lucuma is additionally bursting with minerals like potassium, calcium, and phosphorus. These all play vital roles in supporting our mental and physical health.

Moreover, lucuma benefits our gut health thanks to its high fibre content. It contains both soluble and insoluble fibre, which each have their own advantages. Insoluble fibre can help prevent constipation by adding bulk to your stool and keeping food moving through the digestive system.

Meanwhile, soluble fibre nourishes the good bacteria in your gut. A flourishing gut microbiota is crucial for everything from the immune system to brain health.(1) As such, this is one of the most significant benefits of lucuma. In addition, soluble fibre could increase feelings of fullness after eating and suppress your appetite. This may contribute to healthy weight management.

The vitamin C it contains is another potential reason lucuma benefits the immune system. Vitamin C encourages the production of certain types of white blood cells, which defend the body against infection. Adding a sprinkle of lucuma powder to your porridge or smoothie could therefore help to keep colds at bay.

Lucuma health benefits: the power of antioxidants

One of the main reasons lucuma benefits our health so much is that it’s amazingly rich in antioxidants. These are potent plant compounds which defend our cells against the damage caused by free radicals. This is hugely advantageous because experts link such oxidative stress to a wide range of conditions, from atherosclerosis to cancer.

Lucuma is particularly high in xanthophylls, which are the carotenoids that give the fruit its sunny yellow colour.(2) Xanthophylls, such as lutein and zeaxanthin, protect the health of your eyes and promote good vision.(3) They do so by reducing the harm from blue light, and lowering the risk of conditions like age-related macular degeneration.

Antioxidants also explain why lucuma benefits your skin. Oxidative stress contributes to ageing, speeding up the development of fine lines, sagging, dryness, and similar unwanted issues. Consuming antioxidants could therefore help to keep your complexion bright and youthful. For example, vitamin C – which acts as an antioxidant – boosts the production of collagen.(4) This helps to hydrate your skin and improve its elasticity, lessening wrinkles and combating dry skin.

Many of the polyphenols in lucuma also possess anti-inflammatory properties. This is key because research shows that chronic inflammation raises the risk of numerous harmful conditions, including arthritis and Alzheimer’s. As such, by reducing inflammation, lucuma benefits our overall wellbeing in a wealth of ways.

How lucuma benefits your heart

There are several possible methods by which lucuma benefits cardiovascular health. First, the above-mentioned anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of the fruit both help reduce the risk of heart disease. However, that’s not all.

Certain polyphenols within lucuma may have the ability to lower blood pressure. The fact the powder contains potassium enhances that effect, because this mineral also helps to support healthy blood pressure. Further research is necessary to determine exactly how effective the powder is in this respect, but the results so far are positive.

Hypertension can damage blood vessels and increase the risk of conditions like heart attack and stroke. That’s in addition to causing problems outside the cardiovascular system, such as kidney disease and vision loss. High blood pressure is surprisingly common, making this one of the key ways in which lucuma benefits your health.

Interestingly, lucuma’s high fibre content could also be good for the heart. Studies link high fibre intake with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.(5) This is thanks to its ability to reduce both blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Too much LDL cholesterol can harden and narrow the arteries, increasing the likelihood of heart disease, stroke, and heart attack.

All of which means that adding lucuma to your diet could be a fantastic way to care for your ticker!

How lucuma benefits blood sugar

We mentioned above that lucuma tastes deliciously sweet. It therefore might come as a bit of a surprise that it can be good for blood sugar management. This is because the fruit is made up of complex carbohydrates, like fibre. These take longer to digest than simple carbs, which means they are less likely to spike your blood sugar levels.

Moreover, research suggests that lucuma may inhibit the action of alpha-glucosidase. This is an enzyme that breaks down complex carbs into simple ones and turns them into glucose. The glucose can then enter the bloodstream, raising blood sugar levels. By preventing this, lucuma might decrease the chances of developing diabetes.(6)

Another means by which lucuma may reduce the risk of diabetes is by improving insulin sensitivity. This is thanks to its high fibre content. The fact that the powder is sweet only adds to these lucuma benefits. Why? Because you can use it as a healthier option instead of sugar or other sweeteners that spike blood glucose. In that way, you’re not only adding something good to your diet, but removing something that’s potentially detrimental to health. A definite win-win!