amaranth grain
{{Short description|Edible grain of the Amaranth genus}}
Image:Amaranth und WW.jpg (right)]]
{{Nutritional value
| name=Amaranth, uncooked
| water=11 g
| kJ=1554
| protein=14 g
| fat=7 g
| carbs=65 g
| fiber=7 g
| sugars=1.7 g
| iron_mg=7.6
| manganese_mg=3.4
| calcium_mg=159
| magnesium_mg=248
| phosphorus_mg=557
| potassium_mg=508
| zinc_mg=2.9
| pantothenic_mg=1.5
| vitB6_mg=0.6
| folate_ug=82
| thiamin_mg=0.1
| riboflavin_mg=0.2
| niacin_mg=0.9 }}
{{Nutritional value
| name=Amaranth, cooked
| water=75 g
| kJ=429
| protein=4 g
| fat=2 g
| carbs=19 g
| fiber=2 g
| iron_mg=2.1
| manganese_mg=0.9
| calcium_mg=47
| magnesium_mg=65
| phosphorus_mg=148
| potassium_mg=135
| zinc_mg=0.9
| vitB6_mg=0.1
| folate_ug=22
| thiamin_mg=0.02
| riboflavin_mg=0.02
| niacin_mg=0.24 }}
Species belonging to the genus Amaranthus have been cultivated for their grains for 8,000 years.{{cite web |url=https://c.ymcdn.com/sites/echocommunity.site-ym.com/resource/collection/E66CDFDB-0A0D-4DDE-8AB1-74D9D8C3EDD4/Amaranth_Grain_&_Vegetable_Types_%5BOffice_Format%5D.pdf |title=Amaranth: Grain & Vegetable Types |first1=G. Kelly |last1=O'Brien |first2=Martin L. |last2=Price |publisher=ECHO Technical Note |year=1983 |access-date=2019-09-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104015926/https://c.ymcdn.com/sites/echocommunity.site-ym.com/resource/collection/E66CDFDB-0A0D-4DDE-8AB1-74D9D8C3EDD4/Amaranth_Grain_%26_Vegetable_Types_%5BOffice_Format%5D.pdf |archive-date=2016-11-04 |url-status=dead }} Amaranth plants are classified as pseudocereals that are grown for their edible starchy seeds, but they are not in the same botanical family as true cereals, such as wheat and rice.{{Cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/food/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/cereal-grains-and-pseudo-cereals|title=Cereal Grains and Pseudo-Cereals - Dictionary definition of Cereal Grains and Pseudo-Cereals {{!}} Encyclopedia.com: FREE online dictionary|website=www.encyclopedia.com|language=en|access-date=2017-04-13}} Amaranth species that are still used as a grain are Amaranthus caudatus L., Amaranthus cruentus L., and Amaranthus hypochondriacus L. The yield of grain amaranth is comparable to that of rice or maize.
The grain was a staple food of the Aztecs and an integral part of Aztec religious ceremonies. The cultivation of amaranth was banned by the conquistadores upon their conquest of the Aztec nation. However, the plant has grown as a weed since then, so its genetic base has been largely maintained. Research on grain amaranth began in the United States in the 1970s. By the end of the 1970s, a few thousand acres were being cultivated there, and continue to be cultivated.{{cite web |url=http://www.jeffersoninstitute.org/pubs/amaranth.shtml |title=Grain Amaranth: A Lost Crop of the Americas |author=Thomas Jefferson Agricultural Institute |access-date=2006-05-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060427142236/http://www.jeffersoninstitute.org/pubs/amaranth.shtml |archive-date=2006-04-27 |url-status=dead }} ([http://www.jeffersoninstitute.org/pubs/amaranth_guide.pdf PDF version] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061009061326/http://www.jeffersoninstitute.org/pubs/amaranth_guide.pdf |date=2006-10-09 }} also available)
Much of the amaranth grain currently grown is sold in health food shops. Grain amaranth is also grown as a food crop in limited areas of Mexico, where it is used to make a candy called alegría (Spanish for joy) at festival times. In other preparations, the grain can be popped like popcorn and then either mixed with honey, or served with milk, dried fruit and nuts like a cold breakfast cereal. Amaranth grain can also be used to extract amaranth oil, a pressed seed oil with commercial uses.
Nutritional analysis
Raw amaranth grain is inedible to humans and cannot be digested because it blocks the absorption of nutrients.{{cite web|url=https://www.usaemergencysupply.com/information-center/all-about/all-about-whole-grains/all-about-amaranth|title=All About Amaranth|work=USA Emergency Supply}}{{Better source needed|reason=Source is scientifically and nutritionally non-authoritative, doesn't even describe what substances may decrease nutrient bioavailability, and doesn't have any live references linked that confirm it's claim|date=January 2024}} Thus it has to be prepared and cooked like other grains. In a {{convert|100|g|oz|adj=on|abbr=off|frac=2}} amount, cooked amaranth provides {{convert|103|kcal|kJ|order=flip|abbr=off}} of food energy and is a moderately rich source of dietary minerals, including phosphorus, manganese, and iron. Cooked amaranth is 75% water, 19% carbohydrates, 4% protein, and 2% fat (table).{{cite book
| title=Amaranth: from the Past, for the Future
| author=J.N. Cole
| publisher=Rodale Press, Emmaus, PA
| year=1979
According to Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization (ECHO), amaranth leaves are nutritious, and "amounts of
vitamin C, iron, beta carotene, calcium, folic acid and protein are especially high," however, amaranth leaves contain anti-nutritional factors, including oxalates, nitrates, saponins, and phenolic compounds. Cooking methods such as boiling the leaves in water and then discarding the water may reduce toxic effects. The report also cites a study{{cite web|url=https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/20053046922|title=Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2. Vegetables. 63-89.}} indicating that "research has shown that consumption of 200 grams of cooked amaranth poses no health problems."
Amaranth grain is high in protein and lysine, an amino acid found in low quantities in other grains.{{cite web | title=Growing Grain Amaranth as a Specialty Crop | author=Robert L. Myers and Daniel H. Putnam | publisher=University of Minnesota | url=http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/cropsystems/DC3458.html | work=Crop Systems | id=FS-03458-GO | year=1988 | access-date=2007-10-03 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071003064651/http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/cropsystems/DC3458.html | archive-date=2007-10-03 | url-status=dead }}{{cite web|title=Amaranth - Alternative Field Crops Manual|url=http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/amaranth.html|access-date=1 September 2011|publisher=University of Wisconsin & University of Minnesota}} According to the FAO, amaranth grain as a source of protein is "superior in content and quality to traditional cereals".{{cite web|title=Evaluation of the Nutritional Quality of the Grain Protein of New Amaranths Varieties [2015]|url=https://agris.fao.org/agris-search/search.do?recordID=US201500151169}} Amaranth grain is deficient in essential amino acids such as leucine and threonine{{cite journal|author=Ricardo Bressani, Luiz G. Elias and Arnoldo Garcia-Soto|year=1989|title=Limiting amino acids in raw and processed amaranth grain protein from biological tests|journal=Plant Foods for Human Nutrition | volume=39|number=3|pages= 223–234|doi= 10.1007/BF01091933|pmid=2514423|s2cid=35082498}}{{cite journal|title=Chemical Composition of the Above-ground Biomass of Amaranthus cruentus and A. hypochondriacus|journal=Acta Vet. Brno|volume=75|year=2006|pages=133–138|url=http://actavet.vfu.cz/pdf/200675010133.pdf|access-date=2011-09-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402153611/http://actavet.vfu.cz/pdf/200675010133.pdf|archive-date=2012-04-02|url-status=dead|doi=10.2754/avb200675010133|last1=Písaříková|first1=B.|last2=Peterka|first2=J.|last3=Trčková|first3=M.|last4=Moudrý|first4=J.|last5=Zralý|first5=Z.|last6=Herzig|first6=I.|doi-access=free}} – both of which are present in wheat germ.{{cite journal|author=Garcia|title=Composition of Air-classified Defatted Com and Wheat-Germ Flours|journal=Cereal Chemistry|volume=49|number=5|pages=499–507|year=1972|url=http://ddr.nal.usda.gov/bitstream/10113/31532/1/CAIN729098901.pdf|display-authors=etal|access-date=2011-09-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328041838/http://ddr.nal.usda.gov/bitstream/10113/31532/1/CAIN729098901.pdf|archive-date=2012-03-28|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=Nutrition Content - Wheat Germ Crude per 100 g|url=http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5743/2|publisher=Conde Nast for the USDA National Nutrient Database, Release SR-21|date=2014|access-date=1 September 2011}} Amaranth grain is free of gluten, which makes it a viable grain for people with gluten intolerance.
| class="wikitable"
! Synopsis ~ composition: !! Amaranthraw, uncooked !! Wheat{{cite web|url=http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/6482 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140107154146/http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/6482 |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 7, 2014 | title= Wheat, hard red winter. USDA Nutrient Database}} !! Ricewhite, long-grain, regular, raw, unenriched !! Sweetcornsweet, yellow, raw !! Potatowhite, flesh and skin, raw | |||||
| Component (per 100g portion) | Amount | Amount | Amount | Amount | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| water (g) | 11 | 13 | 12 | 76 | 82 |
| energy (kJ) | 1554 | 1368 | 1527 | 360 | 288 |
| energy (kcal) | 371 | 327 | 365 | 86 | 69 |
| protein (g) | 14 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 1.7 |
| fat (g) | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0.1 |
| carbohydrates (g) | 65 | 71 | 79 | 19 | 16 |
| fiber (g) | 7 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 2.4 |
| sugars (g) | 1.7 | <0.1 | >0.1 | 3 | 1.2 |
| iron (mg) | 7.6 | 3 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| manganese (mg) | 3.4 | 4 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| calcium (mg) | 159 | 29 | 28 | 2 | 9 |
| magnesium (mg) | 248 | 126 | 25 | 37 | 21 |
| phosphorus (mg) | 557 | 288 | 115 | 89 | 62 |
| potassium (mg) | 508 | 363 | 115 | 270 | 407 |
| zinc (mg) | 2.9 | 2.6 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.3 |
| pantothenic acid (mg) | 1.5 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.3 |
| vitB6 (mg) | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| folate (μg) | 82 | 38 | 8 | 42 | 18 |
| thiamin (mg) | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| riboflavin (mg) | 0.2 | 0.1 | >0.1 | 0.1 | >0.1 |
| niacin (mg) | 0.9 | 5.4 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.1 |
The table below presents nutritional values of cooked, edible form of amaranth grain to cooked, edible form of wheat grain.
| class="wikitable"
! Synopsis ~ composition: !! Amaranth grain, cookedAmaranth grain, cooked !! Cereals, whole wheat, cooked{{cite web |url=http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/1903 |title=Cereals, whole wheat hot natural cereal, cooked with water, without salt. USDA Nutrient Database |access-date=2015-09-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312070234/https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/1903 |archive-date=2016-03-12 |url-status=dead }} | ||
| Component (per 100g portion) | Amount | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| water (g) | 75 | 83 |
| energy (kJ) | 429 | 259 |
| energy (kcal)
|103 |62 | ||
| protein (g) | 4 | 2 |
| fat (g) | 2 | 0.4 |
| carbohydrates (g) | 19 | 14 |
| fiber (g) | 2 | 2 |
| sugars (g) | n/a | n/a |
| iron (mg) | 2.1 | 0.6 |
| manganese (mg) | 0.85 | 0.85 |
| calcium (mg) | 47 | 7 |
| magnesium (mg) | 65 | 22 |
| phosphorus (mg) | 148 | 69 |
| potassium (mg) | 135 | 71 |
| zinc (mg) | 0.9 | 0.5 |
| pantothenic acid (mg) | <0.1 | n/a |
| vitB6 (mg) | 0.11 | 0.07 |
| folate (μg) | 22 | 14 |
| thiamin (mg) | <0.1 | 0.07 |
| riboflavin (mg) | 0.02 | 0.05 |
| niacin (mg) | 0.24 | 0.8 |
Cultivation
There are about 75 species in the genus Amaranthus.{{Cite journal|last=Zhu|first=Fan|date=2017-01-22|title=Structures, physicochemical properties, and applications of amaranth starch|journal=Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition|volume=57|issue=2|pages=313–325|doi=10.1080/10408398.2013.862784|issn=1040-8398|pmid=25831476|s2cid=39781503}} Many species of amaranth grain are hardy plants, showing resistance to changes in pH, salt content, environment, temperature, and drought. Amaranth grains have genetic diversity and adaptive ability.{{Cite journal|pmid=23072528|year=2013|last1=Rastogi|first1=A|title=Amaranth: A new millennium crop of nutraceutical values|journal=Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition|volume=53|issue=2|pages=109–25|last2=Shukla|first2=S|doi=10.1080/10408398.2010.517876|s2cid=41446218}}
Some examples of Amaranth species are Amaranthus albus, Amaranthus blitoides, Amaranthus hybridus, Amaranthus palmeri, Amaranthus powellii, Amaranthus retroflexus, Amaranthus spinosus, Amaranthus tuberculatus, and Amaranthus viridis. Amaranthus retroflexus, "pigweed", is a wild amaranth species native to the United States and is considered a weed in the Northeast, Nebraska and Great Plains, South, and West.{{Cite web|url=https://plants.usda.gov/java/invasiveOne|title=U.S. Invasive Weeds|publisher=Natural Resources Conservation Service, US Department of Agriculture|website=plants.usda.gov|access-date=2017-03-29}} The name derives from the plant's tendency to sprout where hogs are pasture-fed. Although both its leaves and its seeds are edible, pigweed amaranth has not been cultivated as a food crop.
Cultural uses
File:Alegrias03.JPG, a Mexican snackfood made with amaranth grain]]
The Aztecs cultivated amaranth as a staple grain crop in what is now Mexico during the pre-Columbian period.{{Cite news |url=https://www.texasobserver.org/the-seeds-that-time-forgot/|title=Amaranth: The Seeds That Time Forgot|date=2013-04-17|work=The Texas Observer|access-date=2017-03-29|language=en-US|author=Saul Elbein}} Amaranth was used by the Aztecs for tamales, tortillas, and atole (hot cereal).{{citation needed|date=April 2017}} In addition they formed shaped images of their gods with amaranth, agave, and maize during the sacred month of Huitzilopochtli.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IBuHDQAAQBAJ&q=mexican+amaranth+candy&pg=PT53 |title=Eating Traditional Food: Politics, identity and practices|last=Sebastia|first=Brigitte|date=2016-11-18|publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781317285939 |language=en}} At the end of the month, the statues were eaten by the families to "take the god into them". When the Spanish prohibited religious acts like this, and imposed the religion of their God who was worshiped through wheat, amaranth cultivation decreased. In current Mexican culture on the Day of the Dead, amaranth seeds are offered as snack foods for the spirits.{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/10/29/359829045/decoding-the-food-and-drink-on-a-day-of-the-dead-altar|title=Decoding The Food And Drink On A Day Of The Dead Altar|date=29 October 2014|access-date=2017-03-29|publisher=National Public Radio (USA)|language=en|author=Karen Castillo Farfan}} Edible skulls were historically made with amaranth seeds, although today they are made out of sugar.
Gallery
File:Common Amaranth or Redroot Pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus).jpg|Amaranthus retroflexus, known as "pigweed"
File:Día_de_muertos.jpg|Skull shapes made of amaranth and honey for Day of the Dead in Mexico
File:Amaranth Grain.jpg|Amaranth grain from Nepal