Ten reasons to eat more Amaranth!
Amaranth is a pseudocereal that has been grown for many thousands of years all over the world. It can be used in many different ways, and is commonly served as an alternative to rice.
Many cultures have considered amaranth an excellent crop because of its nutrition, its heavy yield and the energy it offers when eaten. It’s also a very hardy plant, and can survives changes in temperature, rainfall, and the acidity and salt content of the soil in which it grows.
Unlike some grains, it cannot be eaten raw, and must be cooked, which enables its manifold nutrients to be absorbed by the human body. Amaranth is an excellent choice for health-conscious foodie, and there are an array of reasons why you should eat more.
Here are ten of the best benefits of Amaranth:
In its natural state, amaranth has no gluten at all, so it’s perfect for coeliacs or anyone on a gluten-free diet.
Amaranth flour can be used as part of a flour blend to make bread risen with yeast, or on its own it makes very good unleavened flat breads such as tortillas and chapatis.
Amaranth is lower in carbs than rice
Amaranth has 65 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams, compared to rice’s 79g. This makes it a great choice if you’re trying to reduce your carbohydrate intake.
Why not serve amaranth instead of rice to accompany your favourite curry, or alternatively try making our fantastic Harissa Amaranth Stuffed Peppers?
Amaranth packs a whopping 14 grams of protein into every 100 grams. This is roughly twice as much protein as found in maize and rice.
We need protein in our diet to help our body repair cells and make new ones. It’s also essential to help children grow and is the main building block of bones, muscles, cartilage and skin.
Amaranth packs a hefty punch when it comes to minerals
Just one cup of cooked amaranth contains all the manganese you’ll need in a day. Manganese is a trace mineral, essential for bone formation, blood clotting, and reducing inflammation.
Amaranth is also a fantastic source of magnesium, iron, phosphorus, selenium and copper.
Amaranth is a great ingredient for cooks. It comes in the form of grain, flour, puffs and flakes, and can be used for both sweet and savoury dishes.
You can even make these amazing spicy burgers with them!
Amaranth is brimming with antioxidants
There’s a huge amount of antioxidants to be found in amaranth, including flavonoids, pigments, phenolics, carotenoids, and vitamin C.
Its antioxidant activity is actually increased by cooking – especially steaming.
Amaranth is full of protein and fibre, both of which can help with losing weight.
A high-protein breakfast, according to this study from 2006, was found to decrease levels of ghrelin, a hormone that causes hunger.
Amaranth can lower cholesterol
Eating fibre-rich whole foods such as Amaranth can lower the risk of several chronic high-risk conditions, chief among which is high cholesterol. A 2015 study that examined the effect of amaranth flour on plasma cholesterol levels found it had a very beneficial effect, lowering levels of bad cholesterol.
It has superb anti-inflammatory properties
It’s been proved in many studies – such as this one from 2014 – that Amaranth has impeccable anti-inflammatory properties and can significantly reduce the symptoms of arthritis and many other inflammatory conditions. So if you’re experiencing joint pain, why not cook some up?
Amaranth may help in the fight against cancer
Amaranth is full of peptides, short chains of amino acids which are excellent for your body’s biological processes.
A recent report found that one peptide found in amaranth grain may even help protect cells from damage that can lead to cancer.
Whether you want flour, puffs, flakes or the whole grain, have a look at our range of Amaranth here today!