Mayan Keerai, Chaya Mansa, Mexican Spinach Cuttings

Have you ever heard of the chaya plant?

It’s one of my favorite additives for both food and drinks, and can be found at diverse Mexican restaurants in Playa del Carmen.

Although it grows in different regions of the tropics, not too many people are familiar with this superfood outside of the Yucatan Peninsula and Central America.

Here’s why it’s so special.

What Is Chaya?

By Frank Vincentz – Own work,

Cnidoscolus aconitifolius.

Now say it backward.

Or, if you prefer to keep it easy, just call it chaya (Chai-yah), a.k.a. tree spinach.

Chaya is a plant native to the Yucatan Peninsula and the state of Tabasco.

While it can be found in other parts of the continent such as Central America, Cuba, and Puerto Rico, chaya is still a relatively unknown plant species to most people.

An ancient food source for the Maya, chaya may just turn out to be a superfood of the future thanks to its vitamin-rich content and the ease with which and can be cultivated and regenerates.

Chaya Health Benefits

De Frank Vincentz – Trabajo propio,

There are many benefits to drinking and eating chaya.

For generations, this noble and abundant plant has been used as a food source and medicinal plant of the Maya.

According to the USAID, chaya is rich in essential nutrients:

Moreover, chaya it said to have the following health benefits:

• Improves blood circulation


• Helps digestion


• Improves vision


• Prevents varicose veins and hemorrhoids


• Lowers cholesterol


• Helps reduce weight


• Prevents coughs


• Augments calcium in the bones


• Decongests and disinfects the lungs


• Prevents anemia


• Improves memory and brain function


• Combats arthritis


• Improves glucose metabolism and prevents diabetes