Impressive Grains from the Future: Quinoa

It has been difficult to ignore the popularity of the grain called quinoa, with its own designated space on supermarket shelves (whereas it used to be only available in health food stores) and a place on restaurant menus and cookbook pages. Touted as a “superfood,” quinoa has become a healthy substitution for white rice and pasta, as well as a source of protein for vegetarians and vegans.

While quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah or KEE-nuh-wah) is usually considered to be a whole grain, it is actually a seed from a weed-like plant named goosefoot. It can be prepared like whole grains, though, such as rice or barley.

This small grain that becomes nutty and slightly chewy when cooked is not only a delicious side dish or crunchy addition to salads, it is also a primary whole grain for many people due to its many benefits.



The History of Quinoa

Quinoa is an ancient grain, that dates back to three thousand years ago, the superfood that has been a staple part of the diet in the Andes region of South America for thousands of years. It was cultivated by the Incas, who referred to it as “the mother of all grains,” and was an important part of their food culture. Before the Europeans settled in North America, quinoa was harvested and eaten throughout much of the continent.



The Varieties of Quinoa

Quinoa is grown in many different colors but the most common that are harvested are white, red, and black. From a cultivation perspective, there really isn't a difference among the three. When it comes to cooking, however, white, red, and black do offer their own culinary nuances. The most common quinoa is white and will take the shortest amount of time to cook. Of the three it has the least crunchy texture and mildest flavor. Red is next, with its flavor a bit stronger and crunch factor increased while taking a little longer to cook, and black is the most flavorful and crunchiest with the longest cooking time.

The Benefits of Quinoa

There are many reasons to eat quinoa, from convenience to heath, warranting its current popularity.

1. Promotes Weight Loss

All your gym workouts and well-disciplined diets are great, and adding quinoa can only make things better.

Quinoa is high in fiber. In fact, much higher than most grains and seeds. Though a major part of the fiber in quinoa is insoluble, it still does contain a decent amount of its solid cousin. One cup of the seeds contains 2.5 grams of soluble fiber – which, as per studies, aids weight loss.

There is something else in quinoa that warrants our attention. It is 20-hydroxyecdysone, a compound known to help with weight control. Research suggests that this compound helps burn more calories and consequently aids weight control. It also makes individuals absorb less fat from their diet.

2. Good for Heart Health

Home is where the heart is, and that’s where even quinoa is.

Getting to the point, the soluble fiber is what makes quinoa a wonder food for your heart. The soluble fiber combines with the bile acids in your liver and produces a jelly-like substance that’s excreted in your bowels. Your liver utilizes some of the cholesterol in your body to produce these bile acids. When the stores are depleted, your liver pulls cholesterol from your blood to produce these acids.

Are you beginning to get the idea here? Good. Simply put, quinoa somehow provokes your liver to extract cholesterol from the blood. That’s it.

Eating quinoa means lower levels of bad cholesterol, and this means a reduced risk of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. And this means you are going to live longer. Party time, again!

Quinoa contains fatty acids, 25 percent of which comes in the form of oleic acid. Now, oleic acid is your friend. It is a heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acid, and 8 percent of it is ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), which is the omega-3 fatty acid predominantly found in plants.

3.Improves Skin Health

We already saw quinoa is rich in B vitamins, nutrients that help treat age spots and other conditions related to skin pigmentation by reducing the deposits of dark melanin in the skin. And the vitamin B12 in quinoa interacts with the other B vitamins to maintain a healthy skin complexion.

Quinoa also contains tyrosinase inhibitors, enzymes that decrease pigmentation and the associated problems. And the vitamin B3 in quinoa, also called niacinamide, helps treat acne. It soothes the red and inflamed areas often associated with acne breakouts.

Quinoa contains vitamin A, which is the mother of all vitamins when it comes to delaying the aging process. It reduces fine lines and makes your skin look young. And the riboflavin in quinoa (or vitamin B2) improves skin elasticity. It even treats acne – as it can help reduce sebum production.

Oh yes, didn’t we speak about quinoa brimming with antioxidants? Yes, these fight the free radicals that are almost always responsible for early aging. If you look into the mirror and suddenly feel you are looking like your aunt, you know who the culprit is.

By the way, you can use this face pack to delay your aging signs. Just cook ¼ cup of quinoa in soy milk and let it cool. Blend this boiled quinoa with 3 teaspoons of yogurt, 2 egg yolks, and 2 drops of mimosa essential oil. Apply it to your face and neck and leave it on for 20 minutes.

Rinse with lukewarm water. Your skin will become smooth and radiant.

Quinoa contains natural protein and anti-aging properties while soy milk nourishes and repairs the sun damaged skin by enhancing its elasticity. This face pack will also make the skin smooth and even toned.

4. Helps Combat Diabetes

Quinoa is a whole grain, and whole grains are great for diabetes. The fiber in quinoa doesn’t raise blood sugar levels. It also prevents diabetes-related weight gain and other chronic conditions.

A part of living with diabetes is all about taking foods that have low glycemic index, and quinoa, thankfully, is on the lower end. Quinoa also has all the amino acids to make protein (unlike most other grains), which also does a good job in controlling blood sugar levels.

One Brazilian study stated that a diet including quinoa could help manage type 2 diabetes and the hypertension associated with it. Quinoa is a complex carbohydrate – and such carbohydrates break down in the body much slowly, allowing the blood sugar to be more stable.

Quinoa also contains good amounts of magnesium and potassium, nutrients that help lower blood pressure. Magnesium also helps relax the blood vessels (and by the way, this helps combat migraines too).

5. Enhance Digestive Health

Quinoa is rich in fiber, and that makes this point self-explanatory. Pretty much. Fiber adds bulk to the food churned in your stomach, and this stimulates the walls of your digestive tract. Your tract contracts, and this promotes better absorption of nutrients in the small intestine. In the large intestine, this fiber prevents constipation.

The B vitamins in quinoa also play a role in digestion. One of these is thiamin, which helps in the production of hydrochloric acid (the acid in your stomach that aids digestion).

Riboflavin aids in the development of cells lined in the walls of the digestive tract. Another amino acid quinoa contains is glutamic acid, which is converted into glutamine in your body. Glutamine is responsible for the health of the mucosal lining of your stomach.

6. Fights Inflammation

The fiber in quinoa produces butyrate, an important fatty acid that turns off genes related to inflammation. And the B vitamins in quinoa reduce homocysteine levels (an inflammatory hormone) in the body.

More interestingly, the digestion of fiber in quinoa (and fiber, in general) releases acetate – which then travels to the brain and signals us to stop eating. The logic is simple – if you eat less, you are less likely to be taking in pro-inflammatory foods.

Quinoa also contains compounds called saponins, which studies have shown to have anti-inflammatory properties.