Three cultivars of Yacon were brought into New Zealand by Plant & Food Research in early 1990’s. Dr. Robert Welch, Dr. Jim Douglas, and their team experimented with different cultivars in ten growing areas across north and south of New Zealand for the highest production of natural FOS. New Zealand is now growing some of the most FOS-abundant yacon in the world.

The human gut microbiome is one of the most promising areas of study in medicine and human biology. Research has that most of the modern plagues can be traced back to an imbalance gut microbiome. Studies have shown that prebiotic FOS can selectively nourish the good bugs, and create an environment that inhibits the bad ones, helping to reset the balance of your gut microbiome.

In 2013, researchers from Japan compared the difference of the prebiotic effect between yacon and commercialised FOS. The study shows that natural FOS is capable of stimulating gut microbes to produce twice as much beneficial SCFA (Short Chain Fatty Acids) as commercialised FOS can.