Quinoa Seeds Nutrition Fact and Health Benefits - MY BLOGS

Quinoa Seeds Nutrition Fact and Health Benefits

Edible seeds are currently the superstars of healthy eating world.

Mainly due to their amazing health benefits and unique flavors from flax seeds to chia and from sunflower to pumpkin seeds they have clearly dominated the fitness food scenario.

Chino podium quinoa or simply quinoa is a flowering plant and it is related to the amaranth plant and the spinach family.

Scientists refer to it as a pseudo cereal this is because the plant appears like a cereal plant but in reality it isn't originally it was grown five thousand to seven thousand years ago to feed cattle and livestock

The plant itself traces its origin from South America growing in the Peru and Bolivian regions.

In fact the native residents of the Inca believed that it is a sacred plant and it ensured their animals health.

The quinoa plant is about five to seven feet tall broad and has powdery hairy leaves.

The fruit of the seed is about two millimeter in diameter and may have varying colors depending upon the subspecies and the area in which they are grown.

Usually they are red to white in the morning times the quinoa plant has almost vanished from the original regions of Central America and its production has spread to other countries like Kenya India USA and some nations in the European Union.

In the recent years its popularity has soared due to the increase in health conscious mindset of people around the globe.

Those who search for easily cultivable nutrient dense and healthy vegan food often turn to quinoa seeds due to its numerous health properties.

Let’s take closer look at some of the health benefits of quinoa plant and why you should include it in your diet. 

#1. Quinoa Seeds are Nutrient Rich and Gluten Free;

While it may not seem important to most people around the globe gluten sensitivity and gluten related gut problems are increasingly being identified in many people.

Gluten intolerance is the body's inability to digest or break down gluten protein found in wheat barley rye etc.

In fact some doctors estimate that around five percent of the us population is gluten sensitive although the severity is mild in most of them.

However some may have full blown celiac disease for such people with gluten intolerance quinoa seeds being gluten free can be safely added to the diet.

Now talking about the nutrient content let me tell you about some numbers according to the us department of agriculture.

100 gram or 3.5 ounce of cooked quinoa seeds has the following nutrients 70 grams of water 120 kilocalories of energy 4.5 grams of protein 2 grams of fat around 3 grams of fiber.

It also contains minerals such as 17 milligrams of calcium 65 milligrams of magnesium 150 milligrams of phosphorus and 170 milligrams of potassium and essential minerals such as zinc copper manganese and selenium are also present in trace amounts.

It also has vitamins such as thymine riboflavin niacin pyridoxine and floate it contains no cholesterol and it is rich in various essential amino acids.

People with gluten intolerance often have to depend on processed foods which are gluten free but this processing is expensive laborious and also deprives the food of essential nutrients.

Quinoa seeds provide a gluten-free source of food without compromising on fiber folate zinc and magnesium many researchers consider quinoa seeds the complete protein source that is it has all essential amino acids required by the human body.

Essential amino acids are the ones that the body cannot produce on its own according to the national institute of health there are nine essential amino acids histidine isoleucine leucine lysine methionine phenylalanine threonine tryptophan and valine.

one of the only plant foods known as the complete protein quinoa seeds offer all essential amino acids in a healthy balance

i cannot stress enough on the importance of amino acids in our body from the proteins that make our body to the DNA itself is dependent on amino acids also 100 grams serving provides roughly 5 gram which is surplus to your normal diet and effectively boosts your body's nitrogen balance and gives you a healthier life

#2. Fiber, Fiber and More Fiber;

If you have been following our videos about seeds and their health benefits you might have noticed a trend seeds are rich in fiber and i always stress on why fiber is important for us.

Well a journal published in 2017 titled closing America’s fiber intake gap tells us that around 90 percent of us citizens do not have adequate fiber intake.

The problem is when asked most of the people think that they have adequate fiber intake but most of them are lacking when it comes to the daily recommendation.

Why fiber important well in short adequate intake of dietary fiber is is associated with digestive health and reduced risk of heart diseases stroke and hypertension.

Fiber intake also reduces obesity type 2 diabetes and even prevents colon cancers.

Quinoa is high in fiber plus it has several vitamins and minerals that are low in many people's diet in fact 100 gram serving of quinoa seeds contains about 3 grams of fiber this is more than equivalent intake of several popular food grains such as rice.

#3. Quinoa is Antioxidant Rich; 

If we look beyond the nutrient content of quinoa seeds it offers another range of health benefits.

Quinoa is rich in several plant compounds known as flavonoids are potent antioxidants now you may ask why are antioxidants important?

When you have oxidative damage in your body it means you have too many free radicals in your body which start to attack your own cells now this can lead to continuous low grade inflammation and eventually certain diseases such as vascular diseases cancer heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

This is where antioxidants come in they prevent free radical damage in the body reduce inflammation and accelerate the healing process to repair the wear and tear of the body.

Now that you know this the two flavonoids found in the quinoa seeds are quercetin and amphoral both of these are anti-inflammatory and antioxidant.

They promote overall health and prevent diseases quinoa also provides vitamin e also known as tocopherol vitamin e is known to help in prevention and reduction of heart disease eye disorders and even certain cancers. 

#4. Quinoa is Good for Your Heart and Cholesterol Levels; 

While there have been various theories to find out why and if quinoa seeds help your heart a recent 2020 study attempted to find conclusive evidence.

40 adults were given 15 gram quinoa seed biscuits daily for 4 weeks and 40 others were given wheat flour biscuits over the same time period after relevant blood investigations for cholesterol levels and blood sugar levels the results were charted.

The researchers concluded that those who consumed quinoa biscuits rather than the wheat ones experienced positive changes in their blood this included lowering of bad cholesterol levels and also total cholesterol levels participants lost body weight indicating the role of quinoa seeds in reducing obesity.

This confirmed the findings of an earlier trial dull in 2017 which has said that 50 grams of quinoa seeds daily leads to moderate yet significant weight loss in obese individuals.

Lowering LDL cholesterol and weight is good for your heart but quinoa seeds can benefit your body in other ways as well quinoa seeds are rich in heart friendly monounsaturated fatty acids such as oleic acid alpha linoleic acid and omega-3 fatty acids.

These promote lowering of triglyceride levels and free fatty acid levels so now that you know about some health benefits of quinoa seeds.

How you can use quinoa seeds effectively

Before you start consuming raw seeds you should know some things.

Quinoa contains anti-nutrient compounds such as saponins tannins and phytates , saponins are bitter and act as a natural insect repellent also these can interfere with the body's natural process of nutrient absorption by binding to iron magnesium and calcium to prevent this we have a simple solution just follow these steps take.

A cup of quinoa seeds rinse the seeds in a strainer add the seeds and 2 cups of water to a pot add some salt for taste boil this for 15 to 20 minutes.

You will know it when the seeds look fluffy due to water rinse the water and enjoy the seeds.

If done properly the seeds will be nutty and crunchy to avoid this you can buy off the shelf quinoa seeds before paying up just confirm they are rinsed or sprouted.

Quinoa seeds taste good and go well with various dishes.

You can enjoy quinoa seeds any time of the day you can enjoy the benefits by doing the following add them to salads and fresh fruits add them to your trail mix and snacks add them to grilled veggies or chicken add them to yogurt or porridge add them to smoothies or even ice creams or you can just eat them on your own you can cook it in bulk and store it in the fridge for easy meal preparation.

 

So friends if you are looking for a nutrient rich gluten free alternative quinoa seeds are your best bet I have told you the various benefits and how to enjoy it hope you include it in your diet as soon as possible.