All About Sacha Inchi

The Plant

Sacha Inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L.), also known as the “Inca Nut” although it is not related to a nut, is a plant native to the Amazon of Peru which produces a unique seed very rich in Omega 3, 6 and 9.

Sacha Inchi is a small hermaphrodite plant with tiny flowers that produces a small pod measuring approximately 3 to 5 cm in diameter. The pod is bright green when young and dark brown when mature.

The pod usually has 6 lobes, each one containing a seed of 15 to 20 mm wide and 7 to 8 mm thick, weighing approximately 1 gram on average.

The seeds of Sacha Inchi are very rich in nutrients and essential fatty acids, making the plant unique among other similar plants.

There are records that indicate that this plant was traditionally used by the “Chancas” as a food. The Chancas, an old civilization well known as one of the most rebel and warrior of the region, conquered by the Incas passing its knowledge of this amazing plant to the rest of the empire and the Inca itself. This is one of the reasons why the plant is known as the “Inca Nut”.

The Habitat

The Amazon Rainforest is one of the most valuable and important places in the world; it is the biggest forest containing thousands of species and represents over one-fifth of the world’s fresh water reservoir.

Sacha Inchi is originally from the Amazon Rainforest, and what used to be a wild plant is now cultivated widely in the region, becoming a sustainable source of income to many families of the area.

The plant was originally cultivated by the Incas in the Region of Junín, in a district called Pichanaqui, one of the best areas to grow this plant due to its excellent environmental conditions: soil, humidity, sun and other natural factors.

The plant grows at approximately 500 meters / 1,650 feet above sea level, on a mountain hillside at the end of the Andes on the jungle side, in a place protected from excessive rain, floods and high winds. The soil is particularly special, soft and muddy, very rich in mineral content and nutrients.

The land where Sacha Inchi seeds are grown is 100% Certified Organic by IMO Control under NOP and EU Standards.

The Oil

Sacha Inchi Oil is produced in a simple but effective way in a state-of-the-art plant located in Lima, Peru. The plant was built from the ground up, custom made and using the best technology available.

Sacha Inchi Oil is made from selected raw seeds and obtained by a true cold press extraction, not using expellers. A filtration process is necessary to eliminate impurities and achieve the final product. The result is an oil of light colour and pleasant nutty flavour, very rich in essential nutrients and essential fatty acids.

All products are manufactured following good manufacturing practices, under high quality standards and strict quality control.

Sacha Inchi contains an average of 50% Omega 3, 34% Omega 6 and 9% Omega 9, a total of 93% unsaturated fatty acids with one of the best ratios between Omega 6 and Omega 3: 1:1.4, close to the ideal ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fats.

Furthermore, Sacha Inchi Oil could be one of the best oils ever known as the essential fatty acids contained in this product are considered precursors fatty acids, which represent the “raw material” for the body to produce DHA and EPA fatty acids, commonly found in fish.

Compared to other oils, Sacha Inchi is far superior.

Due to the composition and quality of this oil, Sacha Inchi Oil may be used in many applications and in different industries:

• Food industry
• Nutraceutical / Supplement industry
• Pharmaceutical industry
• Cosmetic industry

The industry now has a choice with an excellent quality product from one of the most valuable areas of the world.