South American Uchuva Provides Sweet Taste, High Fiber

While Colombian Uchuva has had a long history of use in South America, it’s relatively new to the U.S. market and is most commonly found as an ingredient in trail mixes and nutrition bars. Ultra high-fiber Uchuva, otherwise known as Goldenberry or Cape Gooseberry, a superfruit from Colombia, is a sweetened, dried fruit with three times more fiber than a similar serving of prunes, a well-known fiber-rich fruit. Colombian Uchuva also has the highest level of dietary fiber per 100g compared to other, familiar dried fruits including apricots, figs and raisins. One 40g or 1/3-cup serving of sweetened, dried Uchuva delivers 40 percent of the daily fiber requirement based on a 2,000-calorie reference diet. The Institute of Medicine recommends 19-38g of fiber per day, depending on age, gender and activity level. Fiber-rich diets are linked with a number of positive health outcomes including: reduced risk of coronary heart disease, promotion of gastrointestinal health, improvements in glucose tolerance and insulin response, reduction in cancer risk and increased satiety. In its native countries, Uchuva has been linked to a wide variety of health benefits and is commonly eaten raw or used in jams and sauces. It’s prized for its sweet, tangy taste.

Decas Cranberry Products Inc.; Carver, Mass.
508-866-8506; decascranberry.com.