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Health Benefits of Quinoa
 
Quinoa
(pronounced keen-wah) - though not technically a cereal grain
like wheat or oats, has been cultivated and eaten as a cereal for
thousands of years by South Americans. Quinoa is the tiny seed of the
Chenopodium Quinoa, a leafy plant that is a distant relative of spinach
and beets.
Quinoa was called the "mother grain" by the Incas
(chisiya mama). Now, as people in the rest of the world learn more
about Quinoa, they're discovering that its ancient nickname was well
deserved - Quinoa is indeed a nutritional powerhouse.
Quinoa's
protein content, about 16 percent, is higher than that of any other
grain. Wheat also has a high protein content, about 14 percent, but the
protein in wheat and most other grains is lacking in the amino acid
lysine, which Quinoa has in abundance. In fact, the amino acid
composition in Quinoa is almost perfect. The World Health Organization
has judged the protein in Quinoa to be as complete as that in milk. In
addition, Quinoa contains more iron than most grains, and is a good
source of calcium, phosphorus, folate, and many B vitamins.
Eating
a serving of whole grains, such as Quinoa, at least 6 times each week
is an especially good idea for postmenopausal women with high
cholesterol, high blood pressure or other signs of cardiovascular
disease.
A 3-year prospective study of 229 postmenopausal
women with cardiovascular disease, published in the July 2005 issue of
the American Heart Journal, shows that those eating at least 6 servings
of whole grains each week experienced:
*
Slowed progression of atherosclerosis, the build-up of plaque that
narrows the vessels through which blood flows.
*
Less progression in stenosis, the narrowing of the diameter of arterial
passageways.
Quinoa can be found in your favorite
Wholefood Farmacy foods such as Phi Plus, as well as all seven of our
Wholefood Farinas: AmpliPhi, BeautiPhi, ClariPhi, DetoxiPhi,
ElectriPhi, FructiPhi and GloriPhi.
Thank you to the Wholefood Farmacy for this helpful article, a source of delicious organic snacks for your family.
$3 for Nutrition Questions, Comments Always Free!
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