The Health Benefit of Quinoa — the Best Carbohydrate we should Consume Regularly

Do you know that Indian People in Andes mountain range get the health benefit of quinoa—their staple foods? Quinoa is rich in calcium, carbohydrates, nine essential amino acids, etc.

Quinoa

This plant food is gluten-free and high in fiber and antioxidants. There are white and red quinoas that are a bit bitter when cooked. Many food experts say that quinoa is to alternate rice, couscous, and bulgur wheat. It is not grain though. It comes from beets, spinach, and chard family. The protein of quinoa is twice as much as those in rice and barley. Vegan people are suggested to consume quinoa since it has nine essential amino acids.

Quinoa Health Benefits

• Quinoa is good to prevent and treat diseases since it has an anti-inflammatory property called phytonutrients.

• Quinoa has omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fat which are good for the health of the heart.

• Quinoa has a low glycemic index so this is good to control blood sugar. However, it’s high in carbohydrates, so don’t consume it if you follow a diet of low-carbohydrates.

• Some people can’t stand gluten, so they need to consume quinoa which is naturally free from gluten. Those who want to have an ideal weight by consuming any gluten-free foods should be careful since the gluten-free foods with refined starches are junk foods.

• Quinoa contains two kinds of flavonoid—kaempferol and quercetin which are higher than the one in cranberries. They are good for our health since they are anti-cancer, anti-viral, anti-depressant, and anti-inflammatory. 

• Quinoa can help improve our metabolism. It reduces insulin, triglyceride, and blood sugar levels.

• With potassium high level, quinoa is great to prevent kidney stones.

• Those with low magnesium will tend to have cardiovascular disease, muscle spasms, migraines, osteoporosis, diabetes, and high blood pressure. They should consume quinoa regularly to prevent those health problems. Quinoa is high in magnesium.

• Lysine in quinoa is needed largely by our body to help synthesize proteins. If the lysine is low, there would be health problems to come up. 

The use of quinoa in our diets

When you want to use quinoa in the foods you will consume, you should wash it first. It has saponin the coat which tastes so bitter that keeps the insects off even without the use of a pesticide. Just rinse the quinoa with cold and clean water. When you buy ready-to-cook quinoa which is free from the coat, you still have to rinse the quinoa. To make the quinoa tender you will have to cook it for about fifteen minutes. After that, you can combine it with other ingredients or as the rice or couscous replacer. It is possible for it to combine with other ingredients in baking, hot dishes, grain for breakfast, burgers, and cold salads. See the ideas below.

• You can just sprinkle the quinoa on the salad of lentil and feta, the salad of spicy tuna, and the salad of lentil and poached salmon.

• Try vegetarian casserole with quinoa in it.

• Try spicy vegetable that is eaten with the quinoa. Here, the quinoa is to replace the rice or couscous.

• Try spicy Cajun chicken with the quinoa as the rice replacer.

So, what do you think? Are you going to put the quinoa on your food lists? It is great if the article about the health benefit of quinoa can promote a good health we need to have to live our life happily.