Quinoa

Quinoa (pronounced keh-NO-ah or, sometimes, KEEN-wah) is a relative newcomer to the American pantry. The tiny, ancient Peruvian seed, which has a mild, nutty flavor, is related to leafy green vegetables and is often used like a grain. Quinoa is as versatile as rice but it has a protein content that is superior to that of most grains, because it contains all the essential amino acids. In particular, quinoa is high in lysine, an amino acid important for tissue growth and repair. It’s also a good source of manganese, magnesium, phosphorus and copper, and it has a high iron content.

Quinoa is very easy to cook. It’s important to rinse the seeds well, because they are naturally coated with a bitter substance that protects them against birds and other predators. Most packaged quinoa has already been cleaned, but it doesn’t hurt to soak and rinse it just in case. Quinoa cooks in 15 minutes, and it’s easy to tell when it’s done because the seeds display a little white thread that curls around them.

Quinoa is food of high protein quality and is typically regarded as an adequate source of all essential amino acids, including lysine and isoleucine. It provides a variety of antioxidant phytonutrients, including ferulic, coumaric, hydroxybenzoic, and vanillic acid. Antioxidant flavonoids including quercetin and kaempferol are also especially plentiful in quinoa. Anti-inflammatory polysaccharides in quinoa include arabinans and rhamnogalacturonans. Many members of the vitamin E tocopherol family are provided by quinoa, including important amounts of gamma-tocopherol. Quinoa is a very good source of antioxidant-promoting manganese. It is also a good source of heart-healthy magnesium, folate, and fiber, as well as bone-building phosphorus and copper.

1. The History

The Incas, who held the crop to be sacred, referred to quinoa “mother of all grains”, and it was the Inca emperor who would traditionally sow the first seeds of the season using ‘golden implements’. Quinoa has been used since hundreds of years ago because it has rich nutrients and high protein that form the essential amino acids.

Quinoa Plants

2. Rich of fiber

Quinoa also have lots of fiber. You can get 2.6 g of natural fibers from only 1 / 2 cup of cooked Quinoa previously.

3. Rich of calcium

Eat enough Quinoa regularly will help you to reduce the cost to buy a calcium supplement. Why? It is because quinea also has a large amount of calcium. Like the others food that contains calcium, quinoa is also great for growing bones and teeth, while also able to maintain in order to remain strong.

4. Superoxide dismutase Compound

Quinoa has a unique antioxidant derived from a combination of copper and manganese. It is called superoxide dismutase that works well for people who do the diet plan.

Superoxide Dismutase Compound

5. Compose No Gluten

Based on USDA research, a cup of cooked Quinoa has 8 grams of protein, various vitamins, amino acids, and compose no gluten.

6. To provide nutraceutical benefits

In addition to proteins and nutrients that form the essential amino acids, research has found that Quinoa contain of polyphenols, flavonoids and phytosterols, which is beneficial for nutraceutical system.

7.  Quinoa makes us full longer

Actually, quinoa can make us feel full longer. Different from other grain or rice, our body cannot digest Quinoa instantly. Quinoa gradually releases their carbohydrate and that make us feel full longer. The result is that it will reduce our appetite.

8. Solution for cardiovascular problems

Quinoa is a source of abundant iron, manganese, phosphorus acid and magnesium. Those substances can benefit people with cardiovascular problems. For instance, magnesium is a substance with the ability to relax blood vessels is depressed, so as to prevent the blockage of the leaf.

9. Solutions for a variety of inflammatory

Quinoa provides the best solution for people who have problems with gluten allergy symptoms after or inflammatory bowel or skin inflammation after enjoying a variety of basic products of wheat or overweight problems.

10. Easy to serve

We can serve Quinoa in many ways. Like many other food, you can serve it depends on your like and creativity.

In-depth nutrient analysis:

Quinoa (Note: "--" indicates data is unavailable)
amount	42.50 g
total weight	42.50 g
BASIC MACRONUTRIENTS AND CALORIES
nutrient	amount	%DV
Protein	6.00 g	12.00
Carbohydrates	27.27 g	9.09
Fat - total	2.58 g	3.97
Dietary Fiber	2.98 g	11.92
Calories	156.40	8.69
MACRONUTRIENT AND CALORIE DETAIL
nutrient	amount	%DV
Carbohydrate:
Total Sugars	2.10 g
Monosaccharides	-- g
Disaccharides	-- g
Soluble Fiber	-- g
Insoluble Fiber	-- g
Other Carbohydrates	-- g
Fat:
Monounsaturated Fat	0.69 g
Polyunsaturated Fat	1.40 g
Saturated Fat	0.30 g
Trans Fat	-- g
Calories from Fat	23.22
Calories from Saturated Fat	2.70
Cholesterol	0.00 mg
Water	5.64 g
MICRONUTRIENTS
nutrient	amount	%DV
Vitamins
Water-Soluble Vitamins
B-Complex Vitamins
Vitamin B1	0.15 mg	10.00
Vitamin B2	0.14 mg	8.24
Vitamin B3 (Niacin Equivalents)	1.83 mg
Vitamin B6	0.21 mg	10.50
Vitamin B12	0.00 mcg	0.00
Biotin	-- mcg	--
Choline	29.83 mg	7.02
Folate	78.20 mcg	19.55
Pantothenic Acid	0.33 mg	3.30
Vitamin C	0.00 mg	0.00
Fat-Soluble Vitamins
Vitamin A (Retinoids and Carotenoids)
Vitamin A International Units (IU)	5.95 IU	0.12
Vitamin A mcg Retinol Activity Equivalents (RAE)	0.30 mcg (RAE)
Retinol mcg Retinol Equivalents (RE)	0.00 mcg (RE)
Carotenoid RE	0.59 RE	0.01
Beta-Carotene	3.40 mcg
Lutein and Zeaxanthin	69.27 mcg
Lycopene	0.00 mcg
Vitamin D
Vitamin D International Units (IU)	0.00 IU	0.00
Vitamin D mcg	0.00 mcg
Vitamin E
Vitamin E mg Alpha-Tocopherol Equivalents (ATE)	1.04 mg (ATE)	5.20
Vitamin E IU	-- IU
Vitamin E mg	-- mg
Vitamin K	0.00 mcg	0.00
Minerals
nutrient	amount	%DV
Boron	-- mcg
Calcium	19.98 mg	2.00
Chloride	-- mg
Chromium	-- mcg	--
Copper	0.25 mg	12.50
Fluoride	-- mg	--
Iodine	-- mcg	--
Iron	1.94 mg	10.78
Magnesium	83.72 mg	20.93
Manganese	0.86 mg	43.00
Molybdenum	0.00 mcg	0.00
Phosphorus	194.22 mg	19.42
Potassium	239.27 mg	6.84
Selenium	3.61 mcg	5.16
Sodium	2.12 mg	0.09
Zinc	1.32 mg	8.80
INDIVIDUAL FATTY ACIDS
nutrient	amount	%DV
Omega-3 Fatty Acids	0.13 g	5.42
Omega-6 Fatty Acids	1.27 g
Monounsaturated Fats
14:1 Myristoleic	-- g
15:1 Pentadecenoic	-- g
16:1 Palmitol	-- g
17:1 Heptadecenoic	-- g
18:1 Oleic	0.60 g
20:1 Eicosenoic	0.04 g
22:1 Erucic	0.04 g
24:1 Nervonic	-- g
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids
18:2 Linoleic	1.26 g
18:3 Linolenic	0.11 g
18:4 Stearidonic	0.00 g
20:3 Eicosatrienoic	0.00 g
20:4 Arachidonic	0.00 g
20:5 Eicosapentaenoic (EPA)	0.00 g
22:5 Docosapentaenoic(DPA)	0.00 g
22:6 Docosahexaenoic (DHA)	0.02 g
Saturated Fatty Acids
4:0 Butyric	0.00 g
6:0 Caproic	0.00 g
8:0 Caprylic	0.00 g
10:0 Capric	0.00 g
12:0 Lauric	0.00 g
14:0 Myristic	0.00 g
15:0 Pentadecanoic	0.00 g
16:0 Palmitic	0.25 g
17:0 Margaric	0.00 g
18:0 Stearic	0.02 g
20:0 Arachidic	0.01 g
22:0 Behenate	0.01 g
24:0 Lignoceric	0.00 g
INDIVIDUAL AMINO ACIDS
nutrient	amount	%DV
Alanine	0.25 g
Arginine	0.46 g
Aspartic Acid	0.48 g
Cystine	0.09 g	21.95
Glutamic Acid	0.79 g
Glycine	0.29 g
Histidine	0.17 g	13.18
Isoleucine	0.21 g	18.26
Leucine	0.36 g	14.23
Lysine	0.33 g	14.04
Methionine	0.13 g	17.57
Phenylalanine	0.25 g	21.01
Proline	0.33 g
Serine	0.24 g
Threonine	0.18 g	14.52
Tryptophan	0.07 g	21.88
Tyrosine	0.11 g	11.34
Valine	0.25 g	17.01
OTHER COMPONENTS
nutrient	amount	%DV
Ash	-- g
Organic Acids (Total)	-- mg
Acetic Acid	-- mg
Citric Acid	-- mg
Lactic Acid	-- mg
Malic Acid	-- mg
Taurine	-- mg
Sugar Alcohols (Total)	-- g
Glycerol	-- g
Inositol	-- g
Mannitol	-- g
Sorbitol	-- g
Xylitol	-- g
Artificial Sweeteners (Total)	-- mg
Aspartame	-- mg
Saccharin	-- mg
Alcohol	0.00 g
Caffeine	0.00 mg
Note: The nutrient profiles provided in this website are derived from Food Processor for Windows, Version 7.60, by ESHA Research in Salem, Oregon, USA. Of the 21,629 food records contained in the ESHA foods database, most of them - including those of the World's Healthiest Foods - lacked information for specific nutrients. The designation "--" was chosen to represent those nutrients for which there was no measurement included in the ESHA foods database.

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=142

http://infactcollaborative.com/food/facts-about-quinoa-nutrition.html

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/series/recipes_for_health/quinoa/