The Amaranth grain is a highly nutritious grain. The ancient Greeks believed that this seed bestowed the gift of immortality, and hence named it “amarantos”, which meant “unfading”.

World health workers found that in areas of Africa and Latin America where the plant grows, there is little incidence of malnutrition. Amazingly, even though this plant is able to strive in conditions of poor soil and drought, the grain is highly packed with proteins, vitamin C and minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron, lysine and silicon.

A gluten-free and high-fiber grain, the amaranth makes an excellent source of food for infants, children, pregnant and nursing ladies, especially those who are vegetarians.

Regular consumption of this grain also appears to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

In turn, the greens of the amaranth plant are extremely rich sources of B vitamins and minerals, such as calcium, manganese, potassium, iron and magnesium.

Studies have found that consuming amaranth greens significantly increases liver enzyme 7 alpha-hydroxylase, which helps break cholesterol down into bile acids. This means that the regular consumption of amaranth greens can help you to lower unhealthy cholesterol in your body.

Note however that amaranth greens contain high levels of oxalic acid. Hence those with kidney disorders may need to avoid this green.

References
[1] Collins, Elise Marie. An A-Z Guide to Healing Foods: A Shopper’s Companion. San Francisco, California: Conari Press, 2009. Print.

Cindy L. TJOL is trained in Psychology, Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. She has several years of experience writing on natural health on the internet. Follow her on her blog and read her other articles at Insights On Health.com.