*ANDES SUPERFOOD HAVEN*

FROM atop the Andes mountains to the depths of the Amazon rainforest and frigid Patagonia, indigenous people have long eaten -

Quinoa, camu camu and calafate, a healthy diet that has become a global phenomenon now threatened by overproduction.

Rich in antioxidants, vitamins, amino acids, minerals and fiber, the grains of the high plains { quinoa, amaranth, kaniwa} , roots {casava and yacon} and berries {calafate, Chilean guaya} offer a new hope to prevent cardiovasular disease, obesity and cancer.

Consumed for thousands of years by indigenous people, these superfoods have only recently been widely popularized and made accessible to international markets.

Between 2011 and 2015, these ancient natural products saw their prices jump 202  percent, according to Promperu, Peru's export and tourism commission.

There was a 10 percent increase from January to November 2017 in the exports of these foods, such as the sacha inchi nut rich in fatty acids and the high vitamin lucuma fruit, Promperu said.

The growing consumption of these health foods praised by foodies, vegetarians and dietitians has led producers to try and align their annual yields with their annual yields with demand.

Between 2012 and 2017, exports of Peruvian quinoa, the 'golden grain of the Incas* have quadrupled in value from $34.5 million to more than $124 million, data from Promperu showed.

Sacha and Indi exports increased 116 percent last year.

[Agencies]