Quinoa is one of the best complete protein foods available.
Quinoa is one of the world’s healthiest foods and has earned the “superfood” label

Quinoa is a 7,000-year-old plant that originated in the mountainous regions. While quinoa is usually considered to be a whole grain (similar to regular white rice, brown rice and other grains such as wheat and barley), it is actually a seed, but can be prepared like whole grains such as rice or barley.

After its explosive rise to the top of the worldwide eye on healthy nutrition, quinoa nutrition was recognized by the United Nations in 2013 as a potential factor in “eradicating hunger, malnutrition and poverty.” Because quinoa has a broad nutritional profile and is easy and inexpensive to cultivate, the UN declared 2013 the “Year of Quinoa.”

Nutritional Content of Quinoa:

According to CalorieCount, 1/3 cup of cooked quinoa has

160 calories,

1. 5. grams of fat,
   6. 3 grams of fiber and
   7. 6 grams of protein.

Protein in Quinoa

One of the best reasons to enjoy quinoa is because it has a very high-protein content, which makes it a great cholesterol-free and low-fat source of protein for vegetarians and vegans.

According to the USDA nutrient database, 1 cup of cooked quinoa (185 g) contains 8.14 grams of protein. To put that in reference, the recommended daily protein intake is about 56 g for most men and 46 for most women. In addition to quinoa, there are other good ​sources of protein for vegetarians.

Fat in Quinoa

Quinoa is naturally low in fat but, as a seed, it does have a small amount. One cup of cooked quinoa (185 g) provides 3.4 grams of fat. By comparison, 185 g of cooked lean ground beef provides 33 g of fat.

Other Nutrients in Quinoa

Quinoa is a great source of iron and fiber for vegetarians, vegans, and omnivores alike.

One cup of cooked quinoa (185 g) provides 15 percent of the recommended daily intake of iron, and 5 grams of fiber, which is 21 percent the recommended amount. Quinoa is also an excellent source of magnesium, with 118 mg per cup, cooked.

According to the USDA nutrient database, 1 cup of cooked quinoa provides:

• 39.41 g carbohydrates
• 31 mg calcium
• 2.76 mg iron
• 318 mg potassium
• 13 mg sodium
• 2.02 mg zinc

Quinoa Nutrition Benefits

Aids in weight loss

Due to its high insoluble fiber and protein content, quinoa can increase that “full” feeling you have after a meal, known as satiety. Whole grains and pseudocereals have been consistently shown to increase feelings of fullness after meals when compared to refined grains. It is also believed that quinoa may influence the action of hormones that play a role in appetite, such as gherkin, peptide YY and insulin.

If you take a look at research that studies the impact of quinoa nutrition on the human body over time, you’ll find that eating quinoa is associated with weight loss, as well as an improvement in the levels of cholesterol in the blood. Eating quinoa on a regular basis may even be one way to prevent obesity.

Another reason quinoa may help you lose weight is because it contains over half of the manganese you need every day. Manganese impacts hormones and digestive enzymes, making it easier for your body to digest and use the food you eat efficiently.

Nutritious gluten-free alternative

Quinoa may be beneficial for people following a gluten-free diet, providing nutrients they are missing after eliminating traditional grains from their diets. A 2009 study reviewed diet records of patients with celiac disease who followed a gluten-free diet, finding that most subjects relied heavily on rice as their primary grain source, which made their diet inadequate nutritionally.

3. May help fight cancer

Since quinoa is such a great source of antioxidants it’s probably no big surprise that it has anti-cancer properties. However, the extent of research might shock you — quinoa as a standalone food and three specific nutrients found in quinoa seeds are some of the most revolutionary topics of research regarding preventing or treating cancer.

Saponin:-  The first of these nutrients, saponin, is also the most controversial. Saponins naturally occur in various types of plants and have a mild “detergent” quality — that’s why when you rinse quinoa, you’ll notice a soft white foam forms.

Saponin sometimes acts like an antinutrient, and in some foods can negatively impact the lining of the intestines and contribute to leaky gut syndrome, as well as destroying some healthy red blood cells.

However, they also have shown promising results when tested on cancer cells — saponins have caused cell death in glioblastoma (aggressive brain cancer), leukemia and lymphoma cells in the lab. Their permeability (meaning their ability to travel through various organ linings) is actually one factor in their potential power against cancer.

Lunasin:- Quinoa’s second “super nutrient” in cancer research is known as lunasin. The subject of scientific scrutiny since 1996, Lunasin is a peptide with a number of potential health benefits, most notably its ability to bind to and break apart cancer cells. Lunasin is particularly special because, in both lab and animal tests, it kills only cancer cells while leaving healthy cells untouched.

The lunasin found in Chenopodium quinoa is considered bioactive, which simply means that eating quinoa is a useful way to have this nutrient actively operate in your body.

Quercetin:- Quinoa also contains an antioxidant known as quercetin, which has significant success in stopping the spread of lung cancer as well as others. Quercetin works by fighting free radical damage related to a large number of diseases. It’s one of the reasons quinoa, which contains one of the highest levels of quercetin found in any food, is an anti-inflammatory food.

4. Supports a healthy heart

Quinoa’s anti-inflammatory nutrients also make it a great addition to a heart-healthy diet. Heart disease is currently the leading cause of death worldwide, but the reasons behind it are often related to diet and lifestyle issues that are simple to correct.

One of quinoa nutrition’s benefits is its high level of heart-healthy fats. Quinoa contains about 4 grams of fat per cup and contains no trans fats. About 25 percent of the fat found in quinoa is oleic acid (a healthy monounsaturated fat) and 8% is alpha-linolenic acid, the type of omega-3 found in plants. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) has been shown to decrease the risk of death from heart attacks.

A diet high in ALA can also help reduce cholesterol and blood pressure levels. Researchers agree that consuming ALA by eating high-ALA foods has the most impact, rather than trying to take it in supplement form.

Three other nutrients found in quinoa nutrition also support heart health: butyrate, potassium and magnesium.

Butyrate is a fatty acid that you can get from certain foods and supplements, and that a healthy gut can make out of fiber content. It can slow or stop the spread of atherosclerosis, a common and dangerous condition characterized by hardening and narrowing of the arteries and disrupting blood flow.

One serving of quinoa provides you with almost a tenth of the potassium you need each day. A major contributor to heart disease in Western culture is our tendency to eat foods high in sodium and not consuming enough potassium. Potassium reduces stroke risk as well and naturally lowers blood pressure.

Eating foods with a large concentration of magnesium, such as quinoa, reduces risk of stroke and heart attack.

5. Contains disease-fighting antioxidants

A specific type of antioxidants called bioflavonoids, or flavonoids, is found in large amounts in quinoa. This group of antioxidants garnered interest in the mid-90s for their disease-preventing benefits. One particular class of flavonoid, polyphenols, may play a role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, cancer, osteoporosis and diabetes.

Quinoa is also high in other antioxidants, quercetin (mentioned above), kaempferol, vanillic acid and ferulic acid, important for the reduction of inflammation, a risk factor for chronic diseases.

In 2016, researchers discovered the presence of beta-carotene in quinoa. When consumed through diet (not supplements), beta-carotene and other carotenoids benefits the body by scavenging the free radicals often responsible for premature aging and various diseases.

Even though it’s not an antioxidant, manganese also plays a role in the function of the antioxidants found in quinoa nutrition. Numerous enzymes that function as antioxidants require manganese to operate.

6. Helps keep your gut healthy by decreasing inflammation

In a 2016 study, quinoa and amaranth were assessed for their function as prebiotics. Prebiotics are undigestible fiber compounds that work with probiotic enzymes to become “fuel” for the beneficial bacteria living in your gut, and are associated with lowered disease risk, lowered inflammation levels and a better functioning immune system.

Scientists found that both of these pseudocereals (which they referred to as common superfoods) have prebiotic potential and can serve to improve gastrointestinal health by balancing the levels of good bacteria functioning there.

The butyrate in quinoa (which I explained earlier supports heart function) may also be part of its gut-repairing abilities. Low levels of this fatty acid (or the inability to metabolize it) are linked with inflammatory gut diseases, such as IBS, Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis.

However, increasing butyrate levels helps to decrease inflammation in the gut and may potentially play a part in the medical solutions for these conditions. Butyrate not only suppresses future inflammation, but causes apoptosis (cell death) in overabundant T-cells that serve as the source of the inflammation.

Succinic acid is also found in quinoa nutrition, which is another anti-inflammatory nutrient significant for its role in maintaining gut health.

Be aware that quinoa is high in phytic acid, which can bind to minerals in food and decrease their absorption. Therefore, even though quinoa does contain a significant amount of minerals, your body may not absorb them all due to the phytic acid content.

Soaking quinoa in water prior to use can help reduce the phytic acid content. One cup of quinoa should be soaked in 2 cups of water with 1 tablespoon of either fresh lemon juice or goat milk yogurt for between 12–24 hours.

7. Supports bone health

Instead of drinking processed milk to build healthy bones, you might want to try eating more quinoa.

Because of its high manganese, magnesium and phosphorus content, quinoa nutrition is a bone-building powerhouse — it might even help to prevent osteoporosis.

8. Reduces diabetes risk

Eating manganese-rich foods may be one key to maintaining healthy blood sugar and decreasing your risk of diabetes. In one 2013 animal study, adding manganese into the animal diet helped to fight insulin resistance.

This may be because of manganese’s part in the process of gluconeogenesis, involving the conversion of amino acids into sugar and balancing the amount of sugar in the bloodstream.

Increasing your consumption of butyrate-rich foods also seems to play into diabetes, as butyrate inhibits the inflammation related to insulin resistance.

Magnesium intake is also associated with a lower Type II diabetes risk, and you can get about a third of your daily required magnesium with just a cup of quinoa.

Overall, it seems that quinoa nutrition improves glucose tolerance and might be a part of preventing and/or managing diabetes and related conditions.

Best Practices for How to Cook Quinoa

The best feature of cooked quinoa is that it generally tastes fairly plain when boiled in water. The lack of flavor exponentially increases the versatility of recipes you can create using quinoa.

How to Cook Quinoa

Quinoa is very easy to cook.Quinoa can be prepared much like the way we  prepare rice. Cover it with water or vegetable broth and simmer it over medium heat until soft, about 15 minutes, giving it a couple quick stirs.

Or, place 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water in your rice cooker.

One of the most popular ways to prepare quinoa is to add some veggies and a dressing to make an easy quinoa salad. Many people like to swap out white rice for quinoa with any kind of vegetable stir-fry. Quinoa also makes a great hot breakfast cereal, similar to oatmeal

You can substitute it for rice for a delicious Quinoa Pilaf for a delicious and fiber-rich vegan-friendly side dish. Plus, here’s a pro tip — this pilaf would taste great on a bed of lettuce as a quinoa salad.

If trying to discover a gluten-free alternative for that morning bowl of oatmeal Check out this outline for Quinoa Porridge — with just the perfect amount of cinnamon.

For a perfect, flavorful dish full of antioxidants, Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers is a great idea. by the time you’re ready to eat them, your mouth will be watering for sure

Precautions

It is possible to have a food allergy to quinoa. Common symptoms of this allergy would be stomachache, itchy skin and/or hives.

Keep in mind that you may be experiencing an allergic reaction to saponin and not necessarily quinoa, in which case you should soak the food for at least 30 minutes and rinse it thoroughly before cooking, should you try it again.

Quinoa is a gluten-free food, but in isolated reports, there may be a minimal presence of gluten that could trigger celiac episodes. To avoid this, always purchase quinoa from trusted, reputable sources and discontinue use if you experience any adverse symptoms.