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What are the health benefits of Amaranthus?
What is Amaranthus? What are its health benefits?
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Amaranthus is a cosmopolitan genus of year-long or short-lived perennial plants collectively called amaranths. Some amaranth species are planted as leaf vegetables, pseudocereals, and ornamental plants. Most of the Amaranthus species are summer seasonal weeds and are commonly introduced as pigweeds. Catkin-like cymes of densely arranged flowers grow either in summer or autumn. Amaranth differs in flower, leaf, and stem color with a variety of striking pigments from the spectrum of maroon to crimson and can develop longitudinally from 1 to 2.5 meters tall with a barrel-shaped, succulent, fibrous stem that is empty with grooves and bracteoles when mature. There are about 75 species in the genus. Out of which, 10 are dioecious and native to North America while the remaining 65 monoecious species are endemic to all the continents from tropical lowlands to the Himalayas. Members of this genus share many features and uses with members of its closely related genus Celosia. Amaranth grain is gathered from the genus. In this, the leaves of some species are also eaten.
Amaranthus, apart from being organic, has many health benefits as well. Amaranth is gluten-free. It can be served as a hot cereal in the morning time. It can also be used for baking purposes. Some people also pop it like popcorn and eat with bread and fish with it. It has more proteins than any other grains. It is often healthier to receive proteins from plant-based sources rather than animals as the proteins received from animals mostly contain fat and cholesterol. There is a necessary amino acid, named Lysine which is contained in more quantity in Amaranth than any other grain. Lysine helps in the metabolization of fatty acids into energy. Consuming amaranthus helps with hair loss as well. It also helps in reducing the risk of osteoporosis and other calcium deficiencies. It has more calcium than any glass of milk!
