What is Quinoa And is it Good For Me?
by Dr Chen Tai Ho | May 16, 2015
Hi everyone, I hope you have all had a great week and that the weekend is treating you well. For today’s topic, I want to talk about yet another superfood – quinoa. It is very rich in protein and has quickly become very popular among health circles for containing a high number of nutrients which can have plenty of health benefits. So why should you add quinoa to your regular diet?
Nutrients and Health Benefits
Quinoa is gluten-free and is also rich in fibre, protein and minerals. It is a grain crop that contains seeds that are edible, but technically speaking it is not a cereal. One cup of quinoa only totals 222 calories, with 4g of fat and 39g of carbs, making it one of the best foods to help you lose weight. It also helps that it increases your metabolism!
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| Quinoa is a grain crop, and its seeds are edible (pic from newleafvegetarian.com) |
It is a food suitable for vegetarians due to its very high protein content. What’s more, it is a complete protein that contains all nine essential amino acids. The human body cannot produce selected amino acids, and these can only be obtained by eating. This makes quinoa extremely valuable to your body, because many other types of protein-rich foods may not have all the essential amino acids the body needs.
Quinoa is also fibre-rich, containing more than twice the amount of fibre found in most normal grains. Despite most of the fibre being insoluble, the amount of soluble fibre is still very good, and can help to reduce cholesterol levels, lower blood sugar, makes you feel fuller for longer and of course, losing weight as well! Other benefits of fibre include reducing constipation, and also lowering the chance of heart disease indirectly due to lower blood pressure levels.
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| Quinoa contains a whole host of essential minerals (pic from nytimes.com) |
In addition, quinoa has a large variety of minerals, many of which people do not get enough of in their regular diets! This includes magnesium, potassium, zinc and iron.
The iron is useful for maintaining the health of red blood cells, which is key to the formation of haemoglobin. It also transports oxygen to your muscles and raises your brain function since the brain uses up approximately 20% of the oxygen in your blood.
Magnesium helps to control your blood sugar level, reducing the chance of developing Type 2 diabetes. It also helps to relax the blood vessels in your body, which is helpful for alleviating migraines.
And last but not least, quinoa also contains many antioxidants which can help to protect your body from many types of diseases as well as aging. The antioxidants neutralise free radicals in your body, preventing them from causing damage. A study found that out of 10 foods which included cereals, pseudocereals and legumes, the highest content of antioxidants was found in quinoa!
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| Quinoa is very versatile, and can be added to many dishes (pic from ifoodreal.com) |
Quinoa is extremely easy to insert into your regular diet as it is a flexible food which can be paired with many types of dishes and ingredients. So why not head down to the store, buy a bag and try it out for yourself?
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