Quinoa or Quinoa is one of the most popular health foods in the world.
Quinoa seeds are gluten-free, high-protein and one of the few plant foods that contain all nine essential amino acids.
It is also high in fiber, magnesium, B vitamins, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin E and antioxidants have many different benefits.
Here are 11 quinoa grain health benefits:
1. Very Rich in Nutrition
Quinoa is a cereal crop, grown for seeds. It is pronounced into kin-wa.
Technically, it is not a grain, but it can also be considered a cereal.
In other words, basically quinoa or quinoa seeds are "seeds" that are processed and eaten like a cereal.
Quinoa is an important plant in the Inca Empire. They call it "mother of all grains", and believe it to be sacred.
Quinoa has been consumed for thousands of years in South America, but only in recent years has it become a "super food" and is well known for its great health benefits.
In today's modern society, you can easily find quinoa seeds and products made from it all over the world, especially in healthy food stores and real-service restaurants. Natural and organic products.
Quinoa has three main categories: white, red and black.
You can see them in the right picture
Here is the composition of nutrients in 1 cup of quinoa seeds (185g) cooked:
- Protein: 8 grams.
- Fiber: 5 grams.
- Manganese: 58% of RDA.
- Magnesium: 30% of RDA.
- Phosphorus: 28% of RDA.
- Folate: 19% of RDA.
- Copper: 18% of RDA.
- Iron: 15% RDA.
- Zinc: 13% RDA.
- Potassium: 9% RDA.
- More than 10% of RDA for vitamins B1, B2 and B6.
- A small amount of calcium, B3 (niacin) and vitamin E.
1 cup of quinoa seeds can contain up to 222 calories, including 39 grams of carb, 4 grams of fat and a small amount of Omega-3 fatty acids.
Quinoa is not genetically modified, gluten-free and often grown organically. Although planting techniques are not the same as cereals, it is still counted as a whole grain.
NASA scientists have discovered that quinoa is a plant suitable for growing in outer space, mainly based on high nutrient content, ease of use and easy growth.
2013 was actually called the "International Year of Quinoa" by the United Nations, based on the high nutritional value and potential to contribute to world food security.
Summary: Quinoa is an edible grain, a popular choice for people with health awareness. It contains a lot of important nutrients.
2. Contains Plant Compounds such as Quercetin And Kaempferol
The influence of these foods really goes far beyond the vitamins and minerals that we are all familiar with.
There are thousands of micronutrients in it, some of them are extremely healthy.
This includes interesting molecules called flavonoids, a plant antioxidant that has been shown to have many beneficial health effects on the body.
The two most well-known flavonoid molecules, quercetin and kaempferol, have been found in quinoa seeds.
In fact, quercetin content in quinoa is higher than that of typical high quercetin foods like cranberries.
These important molecules have been shown to have effective anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-cancer and antidepressant effects in animal studies.
By bringing quinoa into your diet, you will significantly increase the total amount of important nutrients in your body.
Summary: quinoa seeds contain a large amount of flavonoids, including quercetin and kaempferol. These are potential plant antioxidants that have many health benefits.
3. Has Higher Fiber Content Most Other Grains
An important benefit of quinoa is its high fiber content.
One study showed that after reviewing all four types of quinoa, it was concluded that every 100 grams of quinoa seeds would yield 10 g-16 g of fiber.
This amount is equal to 17-27 grams of fiber / 1 cup. The amount of fiber as material is very high, and is twice higher than other cereal grains. Cooked quinoa seeds often contain less fiber, as it absorbs a lot of water.
Unfortunately, most of the fiber in quinoa seeds is insoluble fiber, which is not as beneficial to health as soluble fiber.
Soluble fiber content is 2.5g / 1 cup or 1.5g / 100g quinoa seeds.
There are many studies that show that soluble fiber can help reduce blood sugar, lower cholesterol, increase proliferation and help lose weight effectively. In summary: Quinoa has more fiber than most other grains, has about 17-27 grams of fiber per cup.
4. Gluten-Free Quinoa, The Perfect Choice For People Who Do Not Load Gluten
According to a 2013 survey, about one-third of the US population is trying to reduce or avoid gluten.
A healthy gluten-free diet must be based on natural gluten-free foods.
Problems will arise when people eat "gluten-free" foods made with refined refined starch instead.
These foods are no better than gluten-free foods, because gluten-free food is still trash food.
Many researchers have discovered that quinoa seeds are an appropriate ingredient in gluten-free diets, and are the perfect choice for those who want to completely remove foods like bread and pasta.
Studies have shown that, by using quinoa seeds instead of using typical non-gluten ingredients such as cassava, potatoes, corn and rice flour, it can significantly increase nutrients and prices. Treat the antioxidants of the diet.
Summary: Quinoa is an organic, gluten-free grain that can be used to replace typical gluten-free types, increase the antioxidants and nutritional values of a gluten-free diet. .
5. Very Rich In Protein And Contains Full Of Essential Amino Acids
Proteins produce amino acids, one of which is essential amino acids, because our bodies cannot produce them themselves and need to get them from the diet.
If a food contains all the essential amino acids, it is considered a "full" protein.
The problem is, there are many types of plant foods that still lack some essential amino acids, such as lysine.
However, quinoa is an exception, because it contains all essential amino acids. For this reason, it is an excellent source of protein. It has higher protein content and better protein quality than most other grains.
With only 8 grams of quality protein in each cup, quinoa seeds are an excellent source of plant protein for vegetarians or people who eat less animal foods.
In summary: It contains a high amount of protein compared to most plant foods. It also contains all the essential amino acids that we need.
6. Low Blood Sugar Index, Very Good For Blood Sugar Control
The glycemic index is a method of measuring a food that increases blood sugar so quickly Come on.
As you know, foods with high glycemic index can stimulate hunger and cause obesity.
Such foods are also associated with many common chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, etc.
Quinoa has a blood sugar index of 53, and this index is considered low.
However, you need to know that quinoa seeds have quite high carb content, so it is not a good choice for a low carb diet.
Summary: The blood sugar index of quinoa is about 53, considered low. However, it still contains relatively high levels of carb.
7. Contains Many Important Minerals As Iron And Magnesium
There are many nutrients that tend to be lacking in modern diets, especially minerals such as magnesium, potassium, zinc and iron (for women).
But interestingly, quinoa seeds have very high levels of these four minerals, especially magnesium. A cup of cooked quinoa seeds has a magnesium content of about 30% of the RDA.
The problem is that, quinoa seeds also contain a substance called phytic acid. This acid can bind minerals and reduce their absorption.
However, by soaking and / or germinating quinoa seeds before cooking will reduce the phytic acid content and make these minerals more available.
Quinoa also contains many oxalate molecules, reducing calcium absorption and may lead to the risk of kidney stones.
In summary: quinoa seeds contain many minerals, but the phytic acids in it partly prevent the body from absorbing them. And to minimize phytic acid content, you should soak or seed quinoa germination before processing.
8. Have A Useful Impact For Metabolic Health
Because quinoa seeds contain many useful nutrients that are healthy, quinoa seeds can improve the body's metabolic health performance.
Although this needs to be studied more thoroughly, I myself have found two studies (one in humans, one in mice) that show that quinoa seeds have a positive effect on metabolism.
Studies in humans show that the use of quinoa instead of the use of gluten-free breads and pasta reduces blood sugar, insulin and blood fat.
Studies in mice found that adding quinoa to a high-fructose diet, almost completely the negative effects of fructose were inhibited.
Summary: Two studies on both humans and mice have shown that quinoa seeds can significantly improve metabolic health, including seeds that absorb blood sugar and blood fat.
9. Contains A Lot Of Antioxidants
Quinoa seeds also contain very high levels of antioxidants.
Antioxidants are substances that neutralize free radicals and are believed to help fight aging and many diseases.
One study looked at antioxidants in 10 foods, including gum: 5 cereals, 3 types of quinoa and 2 types of beans.
Studies show that in these 10 foods, quinoa has the highest antioxidant content.
Giving quinoa seeds germination will increase the antioxidant content in the grain even more.
Bottom Line: Bottom Line: Quinoa seems to be very high in antioxidants, being further increased after seeds are sprouting.
10. Can Help You Lose Weight
To lose weight, we need to load less calories than our body burns.
Nutrition experts also said that there are a number of foods that can facilitate this process by either accelerating the metabolism process (increasing the amount of calories burned) or reducing the appetite (reduce calorie intake).
And quinoa is completely able to do this.
It has a high protein content that can enhance both metabolism and significantly reduce appetite.
The amount of fiber in quinoa also helps you feel fuller, making you eat less calories automatically.
Another important factor is that quinoa has a low blood sugar index. The choice of foods with low blood sugar index is also closely related to reducing calorie intake.
Although there has been no formal study of the effect of quinoa on body weight, the nutrients present in it show that it will definitely contribute to a healthy weight-loss diet.
Summary: quinoa seeds are high in fiber, protein and have low blood sugar index. These indicators are directly related to weight loss and health improvement.
11. Easy To Combine Into The Diet
This last thing though is not a health benefit, but it still plays a very important role.
In fact, quinoa seeds are easy to supplement in your diet. It will become better when combined with many other foods.
You can buy quinoa in most organic food stores and in food supermarkets.
Quinoa seeds are cooked within 15-20 minutes.
How to process quinoa seeds.
- First add 2 cups of water to the pot
- Add 1 cup of quinoa seeds and a pinch of salt, mix well
- Boil the mixture for 15-20 minutes to ripen.
Quinoa seeds are cooked to absorb a lot of water, so soft and smooth seeds are easy to eat. When ripe, quinoa seeds give attractive flavors and quickly satisfy your hunger.
You should use quinoa seeds daily to get the most optimal health benefits.
