Amaranth Health Benefits, Properties, and Uses

Amaranth is a grain that has been traditionally cultivated throughout South America, but is becoming a popular grain alternative in North America today. As a gluten-free grain, many people are discovering the benefits of cooking with amaranth over other more common grains like rice. In addition to its grains, other parts of the amaranth plant can also be consumed, including its leaves.^1,2

Amaranth Health Uses and Health Benefits

Amaranth has numerous health benefits attributed to its nutritional content. Not only is amaranth high in protein, having over 9 grams per cup, but it also contains essential minerals like iron, manganese and magnesium. Amaranth makes for a great alternative to other grains, especially for vegans and vegetarians looking for high-quality plant-based proteins.^1,2

Amaranth is also considered an anti-inflammatory food, meaning it can help reduce body-wide inflammation—the underlying cause of most chronic conditions. As an anti-inflammatory food, amaranth can offer health benefits for conditions like fibromyalgia, arthritis and irritable bowel syndrome.²

For those with calcium deficiencies, amaranth is a great food to add to your diet to help build bone density and prevent osteoporosis. Amaranth has also been studied for its benefits in lowering bad cholesterol (LDL). High-fiber foods like amaranth help lower bad cholesterol levels by binding to it and eliminating it from the body. Fiber-rich amaranth also aids in digestion by stimulating digestive enzymes, improving the ability to eliminate toxins from the body.²

Amaranth also helps with diabetes management by contributing to lower blood glucose levels due to its very high manganese content.²

References

1. https://foodfacts.mercola.com/amaranth.html
2. https://draxe.com/amaranth/