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Quinoa: Super Food of 2013
Quinoa a species of goosefoot (Chenopodium), is a grain-like crop grown
primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal,
or grain, as it is not a member of the true grass family. As a chenopod, quinoa
is closely related to species such as beetroots, spinach and tumbleweeds.
The United Nations General Assembly declared 2013 as the "International Year of
Quinoa" in recognition of ancestral practices of the Andean people, who have
preserved quinoa as food for present and future generations, through knowledge
and practices of living in harmony with nature. The objective is to draw the
world�s attention to the role that quinoa plays in providing food security,
nutrition and poverty eradication, in support of achieving Millennium
Development Goals.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations serves as the
Secretariat of the international year. Bolivia has the presidency of the
Coordination Committee, while Ecuador, Peru and Chile share the vice presidency,
with the rapporteurship in the hands of Argentina and France.
Quinoa (the name is derived from the Spanish spelling of the Quechua name kinwa
or occasionally "Qin-wah") originated in the Andean region of Ecuador, Bolivia,
Colombia and Peru, where it was successfully domesticated 3,000 to 4,000 years
ago for human consumption, though archeological evidence shows a
non-domesticated association with pastoral herding some 5,200 to 7,000 years
ago.
Similar Chenopodium species, such as pitseed goosefoot (Chenopodium berlandieri)
and fat hen (Chenopodium album), were grown and domesticated in North America as
part of the Eastern Agricultural Complex before maize agriculture became
popular. Fat hen, which has a widespread distribution in the Northern
Hemisphere, produces edible seeds and greens much like quinoa, but in smaller
quantities. The nutrient composition is very good compared with common cereals.
Quinoa seeds contain essential amino acids like lysine and good quantities of
calcium, phosphorus, and iron.
After harvest, the seeds need to be processed to remove the coating containing
the bitter-tasting saponins. Quinoa seeds are in general cooked the same way as
rice and can be used in a wide range of dishes. Quinoa leaves are also eaten as
a leaf vegetable, much like amaranth, but the commercial availability of quinoa
greens is limited.
Quinoa is a dicotyledonous, annual plant usually about 1�2 m high. It has broad,
generally pubescent, powdery, smooth (rarely) to lobed leaves normally arranged
alternately. The woody central stem is either branched or unbranched depending
on the variety and may be green, red or purple. The panicles arise either from
the top of the plant or from axils on the stem. The panicles have a central axis
from which a secondary axis emerges either with flowers (amaranthiform), or
bearing a tertiary axis carrying the flowers (glomeruliform). The green
hypogynous flowers have a simple perianth and are generally bisexual and
self-fertilizing. The fruits are about 2 mm in diameter and of various colours �
from white to red or black depending on the cultivar.
Quinoa in its natural state has a coating of bitter-tasting saponins, making it
unpalatable. Most quinoa sold commercially in North America has been processed
to remove this coating. This bitterness has beneficial effects during
cultivation, as the plant is unpopular with birds and therefore requires minimal
protection. Attempts to lower the saponin content of quinoa through selective
breeding to produce sweeter, more palatable varieties have proven difficult due
to cross pollination contamination.
The toxicity category rating of quinoa saponins treats them as mild eye and
respiratory irritants and as a low gastrointestinal irritant. The saponin is a
toxic glycoside, a main contributor to its hemolytic effects when combined
directly with blood cells. In South America, Quinoa saponin has many uses
outside of consumption, which includes detergent for clothing and washing, and
as an antiseptic for skin injuries. High levels of oxalic acid in the leaves and
stems are found in all species of the Chenopodium genus, but are also present in
the related plant families of Polygonaceae and Amaranthaceae. The risks
associated with quinoa are minimal, provided it is properly prepared and leaves
are not eaten to excess.
 Quinoa has become increasingly popular in the United States, Canada, Europe,
China and Japan where the crop is not typically grown, increasing crop value.
Between 2006 and early 2013 quinoa crop prices have tripled. In 2011, the
average crop value was $3,115 USD per ton with some varieties selling as high as
$8,000 per ton. This compares with wheat prices of $9 per bushel (about $340 per
ton). Since the 1970s, producers� associations and cooperatives have worked
toward greater producer control of the market. The higher price fetched by
quinoa does make it harder for people to purchase, but it also brings livable
income for farmers, and is enabling many urban refugees to return to working the
land.
Quinoa was important to the diet of pre-Columbian Andean civilizations. Today,
people appreciate quinoa for its nutritional value. Quinoa has been called a
superfood. Protein content is very high for a cereal/pseudo-cereal (14% by
mass), yet not as high as most beans and legumes. Quinoa's protein content per
100 calories is higher than brown rice, potatoes, barley and millet, but is less
than wild rice and oats. Nutritional evaluations of quinoa indicate that it is a
source of complete protein.
Furthermore, it is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in
magnesium and iron. Quinoa is also a source of calcium, and thus is useful for
vegans and those who are lactose intolerant. Quinoa is gluten-free and
considered easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being
considered a possible crop in NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System
for long-duration human occupied spaceflights.
Quinoa may be germinated in its raw form to boost its nutritional value.
Germination activates its natural enzymes and multiplies its vitamin content. In
fact, quinoa has a notably short germination period: Only 2�4 hours resting in a
glass of clean water is enough to make it sprout and release gases, as opposed
to, e.g., 12 hours with wheat. This process, besides its nutritional
enhancements, softens the seeds, making them suitable to be added to salads and
other cold foods.
Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has now singled
out Quinoa as a food with "high nutritive value," impressive biodiversity, and
an important role to play in the achievement of food security worldwide. We
realize that quinoa remains unfamiliar to many people, especially in the
practical sense of cooking and recipes. But we hope that situation will change,
given the remarkable nature of this easily-prepared, nutrient-rich food.
Researchers have recently taken a close look at certain antioxidant
phytonutrients in quinoa, and two flavonoid�quercetin and kaempferol�are now
known to be provided by quinoa in especially concentrated amounts. In fact, the
concentration of these two flavonoids in quinoa can sometimes be greater than
their concentration in high-flavonoid berries like cranberry or lingonberry.
Recent studies are providing us with a greatly expanded list of
anti-inflammatory phytonutrients in quinoa. This unique combination of
anti-inflammatory compounds in quinoa may be the key to understanding
preliminary animal studies that show decreased risk of inflammation-related
problems (including obesity) when animals are fed quinoa on a daily basis. The
list of anti-inflammatory phytonutrients in quinoa is now known to include:
polysaccharides like arabinans and rhamnogalacturonans; hydroxycinnamic and
hydroxybenzoic acids; flavonoids like quercetin and kaempferol; and saponins
including molecules derived from oleanic acid, hederagenin and serjanic acid.
Small amounts of the anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid
(ALA), are also provided by quinoa.
In comparison to cereal grasses like wheat, quinoa is higher in fat content and
can provide valuable amounts of heart-healthy fats like monounsaturated fat (in
the form of oleic acid). Quinoa can also provide small amounts of the omega-3
fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Given this higher fat content,
researchers initially assumed that quinoa would be more susceptible to oxidation
and resulting nutrient damage. However, recent studies have shown that quinoa
does not get oxidized as rapidly as might be expected given its higher fat
content. This finding is great news from a nutritional standpoint. The processes
of boiling, simmering, and steaming quinoa do not appear to significantly
compromise the quality of quinoa's fatty acids, allowing us to enjoy its cooked
texture and flavor while maintaining this nutrient benefit. Food scientists have
speculated that it is the diverse array of antioxidants found in
quinoa�including various members of the vitamin E family like alpha-, beta-,
gamma- and delta-tocopherol as well as flavonoids like quercetin and kaempferol�that
contribute to this oxidative protection.
Health Benefits of quinoa
Overall Nutrient Richness
 Perhaps the most striking health benefit provided by quinoa is its overall
nutrient richness. When the nutrient composition of this food is analyzed in
depth, the results are unusual and striking. While quinoa can be eaten in the
same way as a grain, or ground into flour like is so commonly done with grains,
it lacks some important nutritional shortcomings of grains.
One of the shortcomings overcome by quinoa involves its protein content. Most
grains are considered to be inadequate as total protein sources because they
lack adequate amounts of the amino acids lysine and isoleucine. The relatively
low level of both lysine and isoleucine in the protein of grains is what causes
these amino acids to be considered as the limiting amino acids (LAAs) in grains.
In other words, these LAAs prevent grains from serving as complete protein
sources in our diet. By contrast, quinoa has significantly greater amounts of
both lysine and isoleucine (especially lysine), and these greater amounts of
lysine and isoleucine allow the protein in quinoa to serve as a complete protein
source.
In terms of fat content, quinoa once again overcomes some of the shortcomings of
most grains. Since it takes nearly 350 calories' worth of whole wheat to provide
1 gram of fat, whole wheat is not generally regarded as a significant source of
fat, including essential fatty acids or heart-healthy monounsaturated fats (like
oleic acid). By contrast, since it only takes 63 calories' worth of quinoa to
provide 1 gram of fat, quinoa is typically considered to be a valuable source of
certain health-supportive fats. About 25% of quinoa's fatty acids come in the
form of oleic acid, a heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, and about 8% come in
the form of alpha-linolenic acid or ALA�the omega-3 fatty acid most commonly
found in plants and associated with decreased risk of inflammation-related
disease.
Neither quinoa nor any grains qualify as good vitamin E sources in our WHFoods
rating system. However, in the case of quinoa, or rating system does not do full
justice to the fact that quinoa contains significant amounts of certain
tocopherols (vitamin E family members) largely absent from most grains. For
example, one cup of quinoa provides 2.2 milligrams of gamma-tocopherol�a form of
vitamin E that has been more closely associated with certain anti-inflammatory
benefits in health research. Quinoa is also a good source of RDA nutrients like
folate, copper, and phosphorus in contrast to whole wheat, which does not
qualify as a good source in our rating system.
Yet another key mineral�calcium�is especially concentrated in quinoa in
comparison to grains. On an ounce-for-ounce basis, quinoa provides over twice
the amount of calcium as is found in whole wheat.
Quinoa is an equally impressive food in terms of its overall phytonutrient
benefits. In many Central and South American countries, the leaves of the quinoa
plant are valued for their betacyanin pigments, which provide some of their
bright reddish shades. But even the seeds themselves can be phytonutrient-rich
and can provide significant amounts of antioxidants like ferulic, coumaric,
hydroxybenzoic, and vanillic acid.
The antioxidant flavonoids quercetin and kaempferol are also especially
plentiful in quinoa. In fact, the concentration of these two flavonoids in
quinoa can sometimes be greater than their concentration of high-flavonoid
berries like cranberry or lingonberry.
Considered in combination, these diverse nutrient benefits of quinoa give it
uniqueness among grain-related foods. For us, this high overall level of
nourishment provided by quinoa may qualify as its greatest health benefit.
Anti-Inflammatory Benefits
Most of the quinoa studies that we've seen in this area have been animal
studies. However, we believe that the preliminary indications for humans are
very promising. Research has shown the ability of daily quinoa intake to lower
levels of inflammation in fat (adipose) tissue in rats and in the linings of
their intestine as well.
We're not surprised at either of these results because a wide range of
anti-inflammatory nutrients is already known to be present in quinoa. This list
of anti-inflammatory nutrients includes phenolic acids (including
hydroxycinnamic and hydroxybenzoic acids), members of the vitamin E family like
gamma-tocopherol, and cell wall polysaccharides like arabinans and
rhamnogalacturonans.
Somewhat more controversial in this anti-inflammatory nutrient list are the
saponins found in quinoa. Saponins are the bitter tasting, water-soluble
phytonutrients found in the outer seed coat layer of quinoa. (More specifically,
the saponins found in quinoa are derived from hederagenin, oleanic acid,
phytolaccagenic acid, and serjanic acid.) The quinoa saponins have been shown to
have both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. However, soaking,
boiling, and milling can reduce their presence, and, in general, this reduced
presence is usually regarded as a good thing since it can make the quinoa much
more enjoyable for most people to eat. In research to date, the relationship
between and anti-inflammatory benefits of quinoa and saponin levels has yet to
be clarified. However, even though more research is needed in this particular
phytonutrient area, the list of anti-inflammatory nutrients in quinoa remains
impressive.
Other Benefits
We have yet to see large-scale human studies on intake of quinoa and risk of
type 2 diabetes or risk of cardiovascular disease. However, we would expect such
studies to show significantly reduced risks. With respect to type 2 diabetes,
quinoa simply has too many things in common with other foods known to decrease
risk. At the top of the list here would be its fiber and protein content. Quinoa
is a good source of fiber�one of the key macronutrients needed for health blood
sugar regulation. It also provides outstanding protein quality, even in
comparison to commonly-eaten whole grains. Strong intake of protein and fiber
are two dietary essentials for regulation of blood sugar. Because chronic,
unwanted inflammation is also a key risk factor for development of type 2
diabetes, the diverse range of anti-inflammatory nutrients found in quinoa also
make it a great candidate for diabetes risk reduction.
Animal studies have already demonstrated the ability of quinoa to lower total
cholesterol and help maintain levels of HDL cholesterol (the "good"
cholesterol). While we would expect these results in humans as well, we would
also expect the anti-inflammatory nutrients in quinoa to help protect human
blood vessels from inflammatory damage. Protection of this kind would also
provide reduced risk of many cardiovascular diseases, including atherosclerosis.
We expect to see future, large-scale human studies demonstrating the benefits of
quinoa for risk reduction in this area of cardiovascular disease.
The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients in quinoa also make it a
likely candidate for cancer risk reduction in humans. Given the preliminary
animal results involving the digestive tract, risk reduction for colon cancer
may turn out to be a special area of interest.
A final area of likely benefit involves decreased risk of allergy�especially for
individuals who have adverse reactions to certain grains and seek practical
alternatives. Already, several public organizations have recommended quinoa as a
substitute for wheat whenever the avoidance of this gluten-containing grain is
required. The low-allergy potential of quinoa�coupled with its relatively high
digestibility�has also made it a food of special interest in the diet of
children and toddlers.
Nutritional content of quinoa:
According to CalorieCount, 1/3 cup of cooked quinoa has 160 calories, 2.5 grams
of fat, 3 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein.
Summary of Health Benefits of Quinoa
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 High quality protein with the nine essential amino acids, the protein
balance is similar to milk. At 16.2 to 20 percent protein, it has is more
protein than rice (7.5 percent), millet (9.9 percent) or wheat (14 percent).
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Great source of riboflavin. Riboflavin has been shown to help reduce the
frequency of attacks in migraine sufferers by improving the energy
metabolism within the brain and muscle cells.
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Inca warriors had more stamina and quicker recovery time by eating these
quinoa seeds, making it a truly ancient powerfood.
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Antiseptic. The saponins from quinoa are used to promote healing of skin
injuries in South America.
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Not fattening! Only 172 calories per 1/4 cup dry (24 of the calories
from protein and only 12 from sugars, the rest are complex carbohydrates,
fiber and healthy fats).
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Gluten-free. Since it is not not related to wheat, or even a grain, it
is gluten-free.
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Alkaline-forming. Although it is not strongly alkaline-forming, it is
comparable to wild rice, amaranth, and sprouted grains.
Interesting Facts about Quinoa
In South America they use the saponin removed from the quinoa as detergent for
washing clothes.
The sticky, bitter, soapy film of saponins also keeps birds from eating the
quinoa seeds off of the bushes. Scientists decided to create quinoa that didn't
have saponins, and guess what? The birds ate it all.
More than 200,000 pounds are grown each year in the US Rocky Mountains.
Quinoa is the sweetest tasting when grown above 12,500 feet.
Tips for Eating and Cooking Quinoa
Always rinse quinoa. Place quinoa in a strainer, run cold water over it until
the entire soapy residue has been washed away. You can taste test a few seeds;
if they still have a bitter taste, run more cold water over them. Rubbing the
seeds while rinsing with water takes away even more bitterness.
You may add quinoa to your salad or make quinoa porridge. Also quinoa pudding is
a great substitute for brown rice while quinoa flour is a great substitute for
your gluten free baking.
Quinoa can even be popped like popcorn, a treat popular with Peruvian children.
It is best to store quinoa in an airtight container; stored in the refrigerator,
it will keep for three to six months.
Video
Dated 31 October 2013
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