Quinoa is the edible seed of a plant that has its relation to the green leafy vegetables family such as spinach. These grains are flat and have oval shape with pointed tips. They are available in 3 types that differ in their colour and flavor, such as red, yellow, brown, white and black grains. This is simply called “quinoa” in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
Quinoa contains good amounts of amino acids and is widely used in many recipes as a cereal or food grain. It has a delicate nutty taste and is fluffy in texture. Quinoa benefits are attributed to its good content of manganese, which is an antioxidant that prevents your body from cancer cells and various illnesses. This also contains good amounts of potassium, vitamins, protein, iron, minerals and dietary fiber.
You can buy quinoa from health food stores or supermarkets.
Quinoa Nutrition Facts:
| Quinoa, Nutritional value per 100 g.(Source: USDA National Nutrient data base) | ||
Principle
| Nutrient Value | Percentage of RDA |
| Energy | 368 Kcal | 18.5% |
| Carbohydrates | 64.16 g | 49% |
| Protein | 14.12 g | 35% |
| Total Fat | 6.07 g | 20% |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber | 7 g | 18.5% |
Vitamins
| ||
| Folates (B9) | 184 µg | 46% |
| Niacin (B3) | 1.520 mg | 9.5% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.318 mg | 24% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.360 mg | 30% |
| Vitamin A | 14 IU | 0.5% |
| Vitamin E | 2.44 mg | 17% |
| Vitamin K | 0 | 0% |
Electrolytes
| ||
| Sodium | 5 mg | <1% |
| Potassium | 563 mg | 12% |
Minerals
| ||
| Calcium | 47 mg | 5% |
| Copper | 0.590 mg | 65.5% |
| Iron | 4.57 mg | 57% |
| Magnesium | 197 mg | 42% |
| Manganese | 2.003 mg | 87% |
| Phosphorus | 457 mg | 65% |
| Selenium | 8.5 µg | 15% |
| Zinc | 3.10 mg | 28% |
Phyto-nutrients
| ||
| Carotene-β | 8 µg | — |
| Crypto-xanthin-β | 1 µg | — |
| Lutein-zeaxanthin | 163 µg | — |
Quinoa Health Benefits:
1. Diabetics:
Quinoa contains protein that help to maintain body weight and improve muscle mass. It is best for individuals with diabetes, as this has fiber and magnesium. Fiber regulates blood sugar and magnesium utilizes glucose and secretes insulin. Quinoa can be used by diabetes patients as a cereal. Many health practitioners suggest quinoa in case of gestational diabetes.
2. Weight Loss:
This has fiber levels that help you in losing weight. It helps you feel full for a longer duration of time. This also contains proteins to improve your metabolism rate and maintain blood sugar levels. Consuming quinoa and other whole grains reduces abdominal fat easily, as they are gluten-free – best for dieters.
3. Bodybuilding:
100 grams of quinoa contain 14 gm. of protein that makes it ideal for bodybuilders. People use quinoa for bodybuilding for its many benefits like good levels of vitamins and minerals and no-gluten. Always soak and rinse quinoa with water before you start cooking. It is essential to wash the coating of the seeds, which might otherwise can lead to stomach irritation. Eat quinoa instead of rice or oatmeal.
4. ADHD:
Use quinoa to treat ADHD and prevent its flare ups. Consume 1 cup of rinsed quinoa or make a soup.
5. Celiac Disease:
Quinoa can be consumed instead of wheat, rice, barley and other oats in the daily diet to treat celiac disease. This has essential nutrients than other cereals.
6. Constipation:
It is suggested to eat quinoa to treat constipation as it helps in the proper passage of food through your digestive tract. Consume this regularly to prevent flatulence, constipation and bloating. You can also add quinoa in soups and various foods that require grains as the main ingredient. Quinoa has folate and Vitamin B that eliminates waste from your body.
7. Cancer:
Eat 3 servings of whole grains like quinoa every day to reduce the risk of cancer.
8. Cholesterol:
Quinoa has soluble fibers that can mix with bile in your liver and produce a substance that gets eliminated through your bowel movements. The liver can use this cholesterol to produce the bile acids. As their level reduces, it has to use this from the blood. Thus, the total cholesterol levels goes down. You can also eat quinoa to lower cholesterol substituting for meat, egg and other proteins.
9. Fibromyalgia:
Quinoa is best to treat fibromyalgia symptoms, as this contain good amount of protein and helps in cellular health. Poor health of your cells can cause fibromyalgia.
10. Fertility:
Deficiency of protein affects fertility in women, as it can interfere with the menstrual cycle. Hence, many fertility practitioners advise quinoa to improve fertility.
11. Upset Stomach:
This is a good source of dietary fiber that is beneficial for upset stomach. It aids in digestion and help in proper passage of the bowel movements.
12. Gluten Intolerance:
Wheat-sensitive people can use quinoa to prevent gluten allergies. Quinoa is gluten free and contains a good amount of nutrients.
13. Heart Disease:
Doctors recommend quinoa for people with heart problem, as this doesn’t increase cholesterol levels. This can lower cholesterol, which can further reduce damage to your heart.
14. Migraines:
Deficiency of magnesium levels can give you migraines. Hence, it is advised to use quinoa for migraines due to its good amount of magnesium.
15. Pregnancy:
Add quinoa to your diet to get an adequate protein during pregnancy. This is even better than meat and soybeans due to its essential amino acids.
16. Blood Type:
Quinoa is suitable for all blood types.
17. Repair Tissue:
Our body tissues undergo much wear and tear and the recovery requires protein. Quinoa seeds have good amount of protein to repair these tissues.
18. Hyper Tension:
These seeds have magnesium and riboflavin to reduce hypertension and migraine pain. They aid in blood vessel relaxation, thus lowering constriction of your blood vessels and reduction of stress.
19. Asthma:
Patients who suffer from asthma can take these seeds, as magnesium and riboflavin help reduce tension or stress by lowering the constriction of your blood vessels. This also helps in clearing the way for air passage; hence it becomes easy for the individual to breathe properly. According to one research, regular intake of quinoa can reduce asthma risk in childhood by 50 percent.
20. Energy Source:
Sports persons or children lacking energy can take quinoa seeds. These are good source of carbohydrates needed for producing energy.
21. Teeth and Strong Bones:
Want good teeth and stronger bones? Consume quinoa seeds – they are best source of calcium.
22. Formation of Gallstones:
Quinoas’ another nutritional benefit is helping in proper digestion and thus, lowering the formation of gallstones. It can lower the excess bile production in your body and reduce the formation of gallstones.
23. Best Vegan Diet:
Quinoa has many health benefits as it includes good content of proteins. This is a complete protein meal that can help you stay full with all protein requirements, specifically for vegans.
24. Relaxing Effect:
People suffering from stress can benefit by consuming this seed in a regular diet. Quinoa treats this problem due its magnesium content and produces a relaxing effect on your blood vessels.
25. Free Radical Damage:
The manganese and copper in quinoa have antioxidant properties that protect the cells of your body from damage by free radical.
Quinoa Benefits for Skin:
Sesame seeds contain many nutrients that benefit your skin by boosting blood circulation and nourishment.
26. Heals Damaged Tissue:
Quinoa has lysine that helps in synthesis of collagen and elastin. Lysine is a beneficial nutrient that can’t be synthesized by our body; hence it needs to be taken from the food source. This helps in quick healing of your damaged tissue and recovery from major surgeries or injuries is faster. It can also make scar tissue and ligaments recover very quickly.
27. Gives Elasticity & Builds Connective Tissue:
Quinoa has good levels of riboflavin that gives elasticity to your skin needed. This is needed for soft and resilience skin. This is also helpful to build connective tissues to tone your skin and reduce wrinkles and signs of fine lines.
28. Anti-Ageing Face Pack:
Prepare this Quinoa anti-ageing face pack at home:
- Cook 1/2 cup quinoa in soy milk
- Let this cool.
- Blend with 3 tsp. yoghurt, 2 egg yolks and 2 drops mimosa essential oil.
- Apply this evenly on your face and neck area.
- Keep it on for 25 minutes.
- Rinse it well with lukewarm water to get smoothness and glowing skin.
Quinoa has protein and anti-ageing properties and soy milk. This can nourish and repair your sun damaged skin, and also add elasticity. This face pack is useful to get glowing, soft and even toned skin.
29. Rejuvenates The Skin:
Consume quinoa seeds for the required collagen to rejuvenate the skin from within and reduce the signs of wrinkles and other related symptoms of ageing. This can also make your skin soft, glowing, smooth and supple.
30. Reduces Brown Spots & Pigmentation:
Vitamin content in quinoa can lower the clusters of melanin granule and thus reduce brown spots and pigmentation on the skin.
31. Cures Acne:
Quinoa also reduces sebum production and helps to cure acne effectively.
Quinoa Benefits for Hair:
Quinoa contains many vitamins, nutrients and minerals that are needed for your scalp and hair to remain healthy. Quinoa is also beneficial in fighting scalp problems. The benefits of quinoa for hair are as follows.
32. Cleansing:
Quinoa cleanses and nourishes the hair with its vegetable protein. It has amino acid to repair, and protein to protect and strengthen hair shaft.
33. Protects Hair Shaft:
Quinoa has nine essential amino acids that are natural strengtheners and can protect hair shafts. The amino acids can repair the damaged hair and stimulate hair growth.
34. Promotes Hair Growth:
Consume quinoa every day to get silky and shiny hair. It adds nourishment to the hair follicles. It is also needed for a good nervous system and red blood cells formation for better rate of hair growth.
35. Treats Dandruff:
Quinoa has calcium, iron and phosphorus to seal moisture and reduce flaky, dry scalp, and thus reduce dandruff.
36. Hydration to the Scalp:
This has humectants to nourish and hydrate the scalp and condition them. It protects hair from any environmental problem like pollution.
37. Seals Split Ends:
Protein content in quinoa seals split ends and protects them. Hydrolyzed protein passes through your cuticle and goes into the hair cortex to maintain porosity and increase elasticity.
38. Reduces Breakage Due To Tangling:
Vitamin E present in quinoa can balance natural oil production and keep them hydrated to lower breakage and tangling.
39. Maintains Hair Color:
Quinoa has amino acid- tyrosine needed for the pigmentation and color of your hair. This stimulates re-pigmentation of the hair and helps in maintaining the original color of your hair.
Side Effects of Quinoa:
Quinoa has very few health risks and can be consumed by most people. It is safe when taken in good amounts.
- Natural coating of these seeds known as saponins, can cause irritation in the stomach.
- Quinoa can lower triglyceride concentrations.
Tips to Use Quinoa Seeds:
Quinoa seeds are not widely available in India.
- They are sold in airtight package.
- Always buy fine and dry grains that look and smell fresh.
- Always buy quinoa that is packed and sealed well.
- Quinoa must not have any presence of moisture.
- Store this in a cool and dry place in an airtight jar.
- They can stay fresh for a year, if stored properly.
- You can also refrigerate this for a long duration and life.
- Cooked quinoa that gets spoilt losses its texture.
- Do not consume if it’s been more than 2 hours of cooking.
- To prepare this, first rinse it to remove all powdery residues by placing the grains in a strainer.
- Rinse in a clear running water.
- You can also roast quinoa for a roasted flavor.
- You can use rice cooker to cook quinoa.
- You can mix it with fruits, honey, nuts and berries.
- They can be made into stews, soups, muffins, bagels, pilafs, bread, cookies, and pancakes.
- The quinoa plant’s leaves are also edible, like spinach leaves.
The above mentioned are numerous benefits of consuming Quinoa seeds and its oil. Enjoy Quinoa seeds and its numerous benefits for your body, skin and hair health.
