Quinoa: What Is, Uses, Benefits, Content, and Safety

What Is Quinoa?

Quinoa is a South American native grain. Quinoa is believed to have been around in the Andean region of Bolivia and Peru for thousands of years. In botanical terms, it is a pseudo-cereal — not a real grain, but a fruit. The seeds are orbicular and planar, with a maximum length of 4.0 mm. They can be white as well as gray and black.

Grains are from a plant that can be harvested throughout the year and is quickly grown. Furthermore, quinoa is salt, drought, and cold-resistant and needs little fertilizer and water for its growth. However, quinoa grown for use as a leaf vegetable is seldom consumed. It is used in cooking and salads. It has been neglected for thousands of years but rediscovered in the last 50 years for its agronomic and sustenance value, resulting in its increasing production.

The most edible part is the quinoa seed. Today, quinoa is eaten around the globe as a health food, with South American countries providing most of the crop. Quinoa is an excellent source of protein content and is complemented with functional nutrients. Read about the wonder that is quinoa. How will adding it to your diet benefit you?

Uses

Maybe you have never tasted quinoa before, so you start to wonder how this food product is prepared. There are various ways to cook quinoa, which makes it simple to include in your diet. The most popular way to prepare the product is by cooking the whole grain, much like rice. Different types of seeds take different amounts of time to cook quinoa. The longer the cooking time, the more protein the product has.

It can also be made into flour, pasta, and baked goods. Commercial quinoa products include pasta, bread, cookies, cereals, snacks and drinks. There are also dietary supplements derived from this plant. Even the younger parts of the plant, like leaves and sprouts, are edible. The edible parts – fresh leaf shoots and flowers- can be eaten raw.

Quinoa is a gluten-free option appealing to celiac disease patients, and it can be included in the diet as a good protein intake option. For culinary use, making healthy eating easier is possible by replacing refined flour with whole grains, such as quinoa. Additionally, due to its high nutritional value, quinoa is considered a potential ideal complementary crop in rural areas to address dietetic balance gaps occurring in developing countries, where the problem of energy and protein malnutrition affects a more significant share of the population. Hence, these grains are appreciated more and consumed frequently by the people.

Health Benefits

These days, there is a focus on healthy living and a good diet. New foods are continuously researched to help people get a better diet and health. Pseudo-cereals are helpful for it. Some examples of healthy goods are fruits of quinoa, green leaves, and sprouts such as quinoa seeds. On the American continent, quinoa is one of the oldest crops. However, in these areas, customs and traditional foods have been replaced by foreign crops, such as wheat and barley. From that state, scientists have created many varieties under high demand for quinoa today, which are lowly bred and chosen for tolerance to heat and cold, disease resistance, and other qualities.

Quinoa is an optimistic novel food that can resolve the issues of malnutrition. The importance of quinoa in food behavior has been highlighted not only in developing countries but also in developed ones. Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) seeds are an extremely nutritious cereal. This information is evident from several studies and consistent evidence regarding the functional aspects of quinoa. Learn more about this incredible product today, and consider adding it to your diet.

Antioxidant Effect

As you will have read, heightened oxidative stress is implicated in many harmful health outcomes. A healthy diet is a way to reduce oxidative stress because it healthy state control. Quinoa exhibits notable antioxidant activity, indicating that this plant food might serve as a functional food in preventing some diseases—antioxidative and lipid oxidation inhibition activity of radical scavenging constituents of quinoa seeds. Moreover, the raw plant, as well as sprouts, also demonstrate antioxidant activity. In addition, sprouting, cooking, fermentation, and milling play a role in the impact of quinoa on antioxidant activity.

Effect On Lipid Profile

Quinoa has another advantage in the diet, which is related to cholesterol. Therefore, it is advisable to keep triglyceride and cholesterol levels at bay, as the high values of these levels can result in numerous serious diseases. Indeed, the chronic intake of quinoa will lower the chance of heart disease. Multiple research studies have revealed the sound effects of quinoa on cardiovascular disease. The other included improvements in cholesterol-induced myocarditis after dietary quinoa powder supplementation. Other studies also demonstrated cholesterol-lowering effects.

Immunomodulatory Effect

Find out another health benefit of quinoa. It can show immune and anti-inflammatory effects. It is essential since low-grade infection can cause a reduction in immunity and autoimmune conditions. Quinoa ingredients have been reported to inhibit the overproduction of inflammatory mediators. The possibility of an anti-inflammatory function might also be linked to vitamin and mineral content.

Quinoa consumption also provided an expected immunomodulatory effect in response to the subjects’ adverse physiological condition, as reported in another study. Therefore, the immunomodulatory properties of quinoa are beneficial. The plant’s nutritious seeds can have anti-inflammatory activity in humans with inflammation (without an incredible reduction of immunity).

Effect On Blood Pressure

Yet another fascinating research also indicates that quinoa can lessen hypertension. And this is yet another big news for heart and cardiovascular health saviors. However, the anti-hypertensive effects are not very significant. The whole grains of quinoa have no significant impact on blood pressure, which is probably due to the dilution of active ingredients; it was shown that the blood pressure was measured to be lower after oral administration of quinoa. Therefore, more exploration needs to be conducted into this matter.

Effect On Blood Sugar

Results indicate that quinoa will likely promise its anti-diabetic potential due to its multi-components. That’s good news for diabetes patients. Specific components of quinoa can help regulate glucose levels. Quinoa has also been reported in many studies to have hypoglycemic potential. Quinoa’s high protein content is also thought to help reduce the rate of digestion and stomach emptying. However, there is conflicting evidence regarding quinoa, with some research but not enough showing an effect or proving nonharm. If your diet is for diabetes, you should ask your doctor if quinoa is worth eating.

Effect On Weight Gain

For those who are dreaming about putting on weight, quinoa is an excellent food option for the same. The seeds are formulated with ingredients that help this process along. Protein quantity aids in the increase of muscle mass. As quinoa is an essential product for malnutrition problems, many specialists point out this. Simultaneously, quinoa does not cause obesity, and it is even countered. So, eating this product will help you maintain a good weight. Antioxidant-rich quinoa is said to have a more significant weight loss effect among people with high-fat and high-sugar diets. Additionally, quinoa is usable for good nutrition and body repairs.

Effect On Liver Health

Quinoa also has much potential due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. This is known as a hepatoprotective effect. The liver performs many complex metabolic reactions, so caring for this organ is worth it. Additionally, the antioxidant contents of quinoa can also decrease oxidative stress, reducing the risk of oxidative insult to the liver. Quinoa has a few wholesome belongings that are also useful for the liver’s well-being, and it virtually reverses fatty liver sickness as part of a serious stage analysis. However, given that this topic also needs further research, we will leave it up to the researchers.

Effect On Gut Microbiota

One more advantage of quinoa? No problem! It was shown that quinoa can stimulate the growth of some groups of microorganisms to a higher level. But do not worry; it is simply the good bacteria that matter for human health. Bacteria of this kind are present in intestines that need them to function correctly. The Lactobacillus microorganisms are thought to be good for human health, and the quinoa compounds can improve microbiota in the gut.

Oral administration of quinoa polysaccharide markedly increased the type and number of detected microbial species, indicating quinoa’s potential functionality in promoting gastrointestinal health. Therefore, introducing quinoa seeds into the diet seems justified in using their probiotic potential.

Antitumor Effect

The last of these health properties of quinoa we will mention is its anti-cancer effect. Then you are probably aware that this group of diseases is hazardous. For this reason, you should protect yourself against them — at least with a proper diet. Quinoa can become a safe food on your menu as it acts against cancer cells and does not interfere with normal cell viability.

According to scientists, the seeds’ anti-cancer effect is owing to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Quinoa and buckwheat came up on top relative to other products. Quinoa is cytotoxic to some cancers, such as human cervical cancer cell lines.

Content

The nutritional value depends on the plant part. Quinoa green leaves, sprouts, and seeds have different values. Geographical and climatic differences can also produce variations. But start with the fundamentals you would find in a plant. Coming up next are vitamins and minerals and rare ingredients.

Carbohydrates

The carbohydrates in leaves were significantly lower than those in quinoa grains. Thus, quinoa seeds are relatively rich and dry in carbohydrates, so their energy source is abundant. According to statistics, quinoa seeds contain about 331-381 kcal/100 grams.

Quinoa starch is the dominant carbohydrate and is soluble and digestible. The starch in quinoa means it is caloric, so this may be good news for some and bad news for others. Yet still, quinoa does us a favor and delivers a more beneficial type of carb: the complex carb. Natural polysaccharides have captured more and more eyes in pharmacological research in the past decades. Regarding sugars, starch is mostly maltose, low in glucose and fructose.

Protein

Another great trait of quinoa is its high protein content. Quinoa protein is our perfect protein, providing all the essential amino acids. Adult people can meet their daily amino acid requirements from quinoa protein. Quinoa protein is also highly digestible. Quinoa grains have less protein than dried quinoa leaves. On the other hand, quinoa sprouts are low in protein.

Fiber

Quinoa is also rich in fiber, even more so than other grains. Compared to rice and corn, quinoa is higher in fiber. Quinoa grains are also a great source of dietary fiber. Then, the moderate amount of fiber in quinoa leaves (related to spinach) adds to the nutritional profile.

Fat

The fat quantity in green quinoa leaves is less than in quinoa grains—comparing the fatty acid profile in different quinoa plant tissues versus spinach and kale. Linoleic acid was highly enriched in quinoa grain. Furthermore, the grains are rich in omega-6s. These ingredients are beneficial for the diet and even help prevent many diseases.

Vitamins And Minerals

The vitamin content (amount and sort) depends on the plantlet snipped. Quinoa leaves are rich in vitamin A and contain some vitamin E. Quinoa seeds also contain small amounts of vitamin C, which the human body cannot synthesize and must be obtained from fruits and vegetables. The seeds are rich in B6 and folic acid, with 100 grams covering an adult’s daily needs.

Quinoa, particularly its leaves, is another important mineral source. The plant is rich in magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron, and zinc, among other constituents. The same compounds are also found in the grain and in far higher doses than most grains, including wheat, barley, and oats.

Bioactive Compounds

Bioactive compounds are numerous compounds present in tiny amounts in plants and plant-based foods and have health benefits in addition to nutritional value. Quinoa leaves, sprouts, and seeds are potential resources for dietary polyphenols and other bioactive compounds. Quinoa contains mainly flavonoids, particularly quercetin.

Saponins, i.e., secondary metabolites with a bitter taste, are also present in the outer shell of quinoa grains. In the food arena, quinoa has its saponins taken away before you might like it, as they are bitter-tasting. Consequently, a quinoa product may contain relatively low levels of saponins and may not have health effects.

Safety

Quinoa is typically a very safe food. The con of this plant mainly relates to people who have an allergy to it. Quinoa allergy studies list cases only in small numbers of the population. Besides that, quinoa has been confirmed harmless for people with wheat allergies. It is recommended to eat cooked quinoa instead of raw, as the protein toxins can easily be denatured at high temperatures.

Sources

• Chong Yi Ng, Mingfu Wang (2021). The functional ingredients of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) and physiological effects of consuming quinoa: A review. https://iadns.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1002/fft2.109
• Safiullah Pathan, Rafat A. Siddiqui (2022). Nutritional Composition and Bioactive Components in Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) Greens: A Review.
  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35276913/