Yucca (Yucca)

Harm score: 1 (Natural substances)

Yucca, also known as Jiaogulan or five-leaf ginseng, is a genus of plants that belongs to the agave family. It is native to North America, but is now cultivated worldwide. Some of the species that are popular for their decorative purposes include elephant yucca, fibre yucca and blue yucca. Also, there are species that are recognized for their medicinal benefits, such as the petite-leaved yucca.

Yucca finds its application mainly in the food and cosmetic industries. From the roots of some species of yucca, saponin is extracted, which is used in cosmetics for its cleansing and foaming properties. Furthermore, a natural sweetener known as yucca syrup is obtained from yucca. Yucca is also used in the preparation of certain dishes, especially in Latin America and the Caribbean islands, where it is used to make bread, cakes and chips. In medicine, yucca is used for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.