DIET AND FITNESS:
Amaranth --- Ancient Gluten-Free Grain
Lowers Cholesterol
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December 12, 2009, last updated February 11, 2013
By Susan M. Callahan, Health Editor and Featured Columnist
Amaranth is growing in popularity among people interested
in improving their health. Yet, it is still relatively unknown.
Amaranth is a gluten-free grain which has been cultivated
for over 8000 years. It was a staple of the Aztec people who
populated land now a part of Mexico and Central America.
When the Spaniards conquered the Aztec in 1521, they
abolished the cultivation of amaranth. Amaranth, then
known as "amaranto", had been used as part of the religious
practices of the defeated Aztec people of Mesoamerica.
In the 1970's, amaranth was "rediscovered" as a
health-promoting grain in the United States. Since then, it
has become cultivated around the world by pockets of
farmers, in Missouri, in China, India and now in Mexico,
where it is combined with syrup or molasses and sold as a
candy treat known as "alegria".
Amaranth is another of the new supergrains. It is almost 15
to 16% pure protein, is gluten-free, and, according to
several research studies, is a superior grain for lowering
cholesterol.
A 2003 study by scientists at the Cytochroma Institute in
Canada found that amaranth, either in the grain form or as
amaranth oil, reduces LDL (so-called "bad" cholesterol by 15
to 22%. It lowered the particularly deadly VLDL (very low
density lipoprotein) 21 to 50% .
This is major news. Amaranth is more effective than oatmeal
in lowering cholesterol. In addition, amaranth is high in
protein, fiber, lysine, magnesium, calcium, and squalene.
[Update:
Exactly how amaranth lowers cholesterol is not yet clear to
scientists. But there are some intriguing clues. Studies have
found that amaranth oil improves the ability of the cell wall
to absorb nutrients, which in turn helps to better regulate
blood pressure. A 2007 study led by Dr. Lidia
Miroshnichenko and other researchers from Voronezh State
University in Russia and other institutions discovered that
amaranth oil contains about 77% of unsaturated fatty acids
(the so-called "good" oils) and has more calcium, iron,
phosphorous and carotenoids than most vegetables.
Hamsters with had high cholesterol that were fed a solution
of 5% amaranth oil experienced a drop in cholesterol of
between 15% and 22%.]
Why hasn't amaranth been touted more in the popular lore?
Perhaps because amaranth, at point, is simply not big
business.
In the future, as consumers learn more about the superior
nutritional qualities of amaranth, large grain producers will
take interest, and eating amaranth cereal will be as common
as eating a bowl of oatmeal.
Learn more healing foods to lower blood sugar, cholesterol
and improve your health. Red Yeast Rice Lowers Cholesterol
-New Study / Spirulina --Astronaut Food That Lowers
Cholesterol / Foods That Shrink Your Waist /
"Natural Insulin Foods That Lower Blood Sugar / Healing
Foods Center/ Celiac Disease Causes and Top 10 Remedies
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