Sacha Inchi (Inca Peanut): Nutrients, What Research Shows and Safety

Sacha inchi, also called the Inca peanut, is the seed of a climbing plant from the Amazon region, Plukenetia volubilis, in the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). Despite the nickname it is not a peanut or a nut. It grows as star-shaped pods, and the part eaten is the small seed kernel inside, usually sold roasted, or pressed into oil. People eat it for its plant omega-3 fat (ALA) and protein. This page covers the seed as a food and keeps it apart from the oil in capsules, which is where most of the human trials come from. There is no USDA entry for sacha inchi, so the numbers below come from published research papers.

Read this first

• Raw seeds may contain natural plant compounds (alkaloids, lectins and saponins) linked in one review to mild-to-severe toxicity. The review's authors say roasting is "mandatory" before eating the seeds, based on a lab study of liver cells. [1] Buy seeds sold as roasted or ready to eat, and do not eat raw seeds or leaves.
• Seed allergy is possible but has been little studied. We found one report of occupational allergy and asthma in a worker who crushed the seeds. [1] For trouble breathing or swelling of the face or throat, call 911 (or your local emergency number).
• The best human trial we found tested the oil in capsules, not the seeds: 54 adults for 12 weeks, with small lipid changes. The oil was supplied by the company that funded it. [3]
• Honest summary: sacha inchi is a very rich plant source of ALA and a good source of protein and some minerals. Health claims rest on small studies of the oil and on lab and animal work.

What is in it (research values, not USDA)

USDA FoodData Central has no entry for sacha inchi. The values below come from a 2022 review that collected published analyses of the seed kernel (Heliyon). [1] They are ranges across studies, so they differ by variety, growing place and method. The per-serving column is our calculation for 1 ounce (28 g, the USDA/MyPlate unit) using a factor of 0.2835 on the per-100 g numbers. The review gave no energy (calorie) value, so we do not list one.

Source: Rodzi and Lee 2022. [1] A separate 2021 review gives the oil as 35 to 60% of the seed, protein 25 to 33%, and ALA 47 to 51% of the fatty acids, with linoleic acid 34 to 37%. [2] % Daily Value uses the FDA 2016 Daily Values (fat 78 g, protein 50 g, fiber 28 g, magnesium 420 mg, phosphorus 1,250 mg, potassium 4,700 mg, calcium 1,300 mg, vitamin E 15 mg). Zinc, iron, manganese and copper were reported much lower than the minerals above. [1] The ALA range is wide, so treat any single number with care.

The seed is also rich in other vitamin E forms: the review lists gamma-tocopherol at 57 to 68 mg and delta-tocopherol at 29 to 48 mg per 100 g of seed. [1] Only alpha-tocopherol counts toward the vitamin E Daily Value. These measurements come from lab analysis, and we did not read a human trial of tocopherols from this seed.

What research says

Eaten as food vs taken as oil, extract or supplement. Almost all human evidence we found is about the oil, in capsules. The 2025 trial used a 1,000 mg soft gel a day, which is a small amount compared with eating a handful of seeds, so it cannot be used to say what the seeds do. [3] The trial reports that Orient Biotech funded it and supplied the oil, and one author declared a competing interest. [3] The authors call it preliminary and ask for larger, longer studies. [3] The review authors note the same need for larger human trials. [1] The lipid changes are blood markers, not heart attacks or strokes. Observational studies, if any exist, would show association rather than proof; we did not read any on sacha inchi.

ALA is an omega-3 fat from plants. The Linus Pauling Institute page says that in healthy young adults about 8% of dietary ALA was converted to EPA in men and about 21% in women, with 0 to 4% in men and about 9% in women going on to DHA. [6] So ALA from seeds should not be treated as a replacement for fish oil.

How much is a normal serving

We did not find an official portion for sacha inchi. We use 1 ounce (28 g), the USDA/MyPlate unit for nuts and seeds, so the numbers above can be compared with other pages on this site. This is information, not a prescription. The US Institute of Medicine (now the National Academy of Medicine) set an Adequate Intake of 1.6 g of ALA a day for men and 1.1 g for women in 2002. [6] Our lowest-case calculation puts one ounce of seeds at about 1.2 g of ALA, but studies differ widely, so the real amount may be much higher or lower. The seeds are fatty, so they are energy dense, but we have no energy figure from a source we read. We found no meta-analysis on sacha inchi and body weight, so we make no weight claim.

Seeds are sold roasted, often lightly salted, and the oil is sold as a cooking or salad oil. We did not find a source on how roasting changes the nutrients beyond the safety point above.

Safety, allergy and medicines

• Raw seeds and leaves. A 2022 review says raw seeds may contain alkaloids, lectins and saponins linked to mild-to-severe toxicity. In one liver-cell study these dropped after heating, and the authors state roasting is mandatory before eating the seeds and leaves. [1] That is lab evidence, not a human safety trial. We did not find an official limit or measured amounts for these compounds in the sources we read.
• Safety testing of the pressed cake. The same review notes de-oiled cake caused no deaths or illness in mice and rats at a high dose, and no genotoxicity in a longer test. [1] That is animal work.
• Allergy. The review reports one case of occupational allergy and asthma in a worker who crushed the seeds. [1] The Irish food safety authority judged allergenicity not a concern for the pressed oil because it has almost no protein (under 0.1%). [4] That does not apply to the whole seed, which is about a quarter to a third protein. [1] If you have a tree nut, peanut or seed allergy, ask your allergist before trying it. See nut and seed allergy basics and food allergy basics and emergency signs. For trouble breathing or swelling of the face or throat, call 911.
• Side effects in the trials. In the 2025 trial, mild nausea (4 people) and stomach discomfort (2 people) were reported in the first week; no clinical adverse events were reported. [3] A review described early mild nausea in a 4-month oil trial in 30 people that eased over time. [2]
• EU rules. In Europe, new foods need approval under the Novel Food rules. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) found the virgin oil from four Peruvian producers substantially equivalent to Inca inchi oil already on the EU market, in an opinion on an application made in October 2013. [4] An earlier FSAI opinion in 2012 found the Inca inchi oil equivalent to linseed (flaxseed) oil. [4] A Dutch trade guide says the oil was allowed onto the European market for the first time in 2013. [5] We could not open the European Food Safety Authority's own 2020 report on roasted seeds, so we make no statement about the status of whole seeds in the EU. See EU rules on novel foods.
• Medicines. Proper evidence not found for sacha inchi in the sources we read. For comparison only: the Linus Pauling Institute says high doses of flaxseed oil may inhibit platelet aggregation, so people on blood thinners should use it with caution. [6] We did not read a source that tested this for sacha inchi. See foods and medicine interactions.
• Kidney disease. One ounce has roughly 98 mg magnesium, 147 mg phosphorus and 139 mg potassium by our calculation from the review. [1] We did not read a kidney-diet source naming sacha inchi, so ask your kidney team. See foods, kidney disease, potassium and oxalates.
• Pregnancy and children. Proper evidence not found in the sources we read. We did not read a choking source specific to sacha inchi; for young children see foods for babies and toddlers.

Choosing, storing and food safety

• Choose seeds sold roasted or ready to eat, not raw. [1]
• The oil is high in polyunsaturated fat and oxidizes easily, which makes storage and processing difficult. [7] Keep oils and seeds cool, dark and sealed; see storing nuts and seeds: rancidity, mold and aflatoxin.
• We did not read a sacha-inchi-specific source on aflatoxin or mold.

Related pages

• Plant sources of omega-3: flax, chia, walnuts and hemp compared
• Omega-3 fatty acids in foods
• Nuts and seeds for heart health: what trials found
• Hemp seeds
• Raw, roasted, soaked and sprouted nuts and seeds
• Nut and seed allergy basics