...:::MaMaspot:::... Ingredients

Our main ingredients are:

· Yam

Palm oil is produced from the fruit of the oil palm Elaeis Guinnesis which is found in Africa, South East Asia and Latin America.

Palm oil is extracted and refined through pressing and crushing rather than through using chemical solvents such as hexane. Palm oil can be further refined into palm olein (liquid) and palm stearine (solid). Palm olein is used as a frying oil because it is very stable to heat, whilst palm stearine is used in biscuits and cakes and in non-hydrogenated margarine. Palm oil resists oxidation and rancidity, which means products made using palm oil have extended shelf lives.

Palm oil contains a balance of polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids. In addition palm oil contains essential substances such as linoleic acid (an essential fatty acid which the body cannot manufacture) and tocopherols and tocotrienols, which act as natural anti-oxidants against damaging free-radicals.

Like other vegetable fats palm oil is free from cholesterol. Because palm oil is solid at room temperature there is no need to use hydrogenation, a technique which hardens liquid oil but also produces damaging trans fatty acids and raises cholesterol levels in the process.

Rats fed on a palm oil enriched diet had a reduced tendency to form blood clots. Unrefined palm olein (which is bright red in colour) is a major source of carotenoids which inhibit some types of cancer. The unrefined oil is also a major source of beta-carotene, which is a precursor to Vitamin A.

Palm oil has been proven to lower the total blood cholesterol and ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol and increases the ‘good’ HDL cholesterol.

Various studies specifically designed to evaluate palm oil, confirm that palm oil’s impact on blood cholesterol and lipoprotein profiles are beneficial.

Yam

Yams are root tubers similar to potatoes and are common throughout the world's tropical areas.

Often confused with sweet potatoes, yams, which are thick tubers and are grown on tropical vines, is a staple food in Africa, where it originated, and in Indonesia, the Caribbean, China, Korea, and India. Yams are similar in size and shape to sweet potatoes, but contain more natural sugar and have higher moisture content.

They are an excellent source of Potassium, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6 and Thiamine.

Plantain

Plantains a.k.a "cooking bananas" are the fruit of the Musa Paradisiaca, a type of banana plant. They are popular amongst the Africans and Caribbean’s.

Plantains have an impressive potassium and fibre content and are rich in vitamins and minerals.

Beans

**Beans have been proven to be a major player in the fight against cancer. Beyond that, they are high in protein, beneficial to those with diabetes, and help lower cholesterol.