Quinoa is grown along the coastal regions of South America to 13,000 feet up in the Andes of Bolivia. Quinoa is an incredible hardy plant; it is naturally tolerant to large number of abiotic stresses, or natural environmental factors. Varieties of quinoa have been adapted to suffer through frost, drought, high heat, and nutrient-deficient soil. More importantly, quinoa grows excellently in low nutrient soil.
In ancient South America Quinoa was considered as the "Gold of the Incas" as it increased the stamina for their warriors. In appearance it resembles like a millet or big poppy seed. It taste nutty and feels more or less like eating cracked wheat or couscous. Speaking precisely, quinoa is not a true grain. It is the seed of the Chenopodium or Goosefoot plant. Nonetheless, it is used as a grain and substituted for grains because of its cooking characteristics. Quinoa is now widely cultivated in Peru, Chile and Bolivia for its nutritious seeds. They are referred to as "little rice." In South America the quinoa seeds are used in making various soups and bread. It is also fermented with millet to make a beer-like beverage. A sweetened decoction of the fruit is used medicinally, as an application for sores and bruises. The saponin removed from the quinoa is used as detergent for washing clothes and as an antiseptic to promote healing of skin injuries. The Quinoa seeds are rinsed to remove their bitter resin-like coating- k/a saponin- before cooking. Saponin is easily washed off, as soon as, quinoa seeds are placed in a strainer and rinsed thoroughly with water.
Quinoa in comparison with others grains, provides not only a similar amount of energy- in calories- but also provides more nutrients. Quinoa is a good source of protein, and consist almost perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids needed for tissue development in humans. It is exceptionally high in lysine, cystine and methionine (essential amino acids) which are typically low in other grains. Quinoa can therefore be a good complement for legumes, as these are often low in methionine and cystine. Quinoa also contains albumin, a protein that is found in egg whites, blood serum, and many plant and animal tissues. Not only is the protein complete, in addition to that, quinoa grains also have by and large ratio of protein to carbohydrate, because the germ makes up about 60% of the grain. Quinoa seed is also high in calcium and iron. It is a relatively good source of vitamin E, some of the B vitamins, magnesium, phosphorus, and a very good source of manganese.
A field trial was carried out in 2009, to explore the potential for quinoa to grow in climatic conditions of South Eastern Europe. The trial confirmed that even under rain-fed conditions without fertilization, quinoa seed yielded as high as 1.721 t ha−1. The quinoa seed quality were remarkably good, with protein content ranging from 15.16 to 17.41 % on a dry weight basis, depending on whether seeds were processed. It also confirmed the potential of quinoa seeds as a valuable ingredient in the preparation of highly nutritious foods because of its amino acid and mineral composition. Quinoa seeds had higher contents of most essential amino acids, especially lysine, than wheat flour. Trial also provided evidence that addition of quinoa seeds extremely enhanced wheat bread nutritional value. (Stikic et al., 2012)
Quinoa fits well in the recent health trends – It’s a whole grain, gluten-free, and organic. Quinoa may be useful in reducing the risk for diabetes. The quinoa seeds are often substituted for rice in rice dishes and are believed to help feel full for longer. Quinoa can be an ideal food for people with diabetes if, accepted as an alternative to white rice. These magnificent grains are gluten free, which makes this a nutritious and palatable alternative grain for those with gluten sensitivity. Quinoa helps control blood pressure as it is very low in cholesterol and sodium and has the highest of all the whole grains in potassium. It fact, it can be a great source of protein for vegetarians as 1 cup of grain contains 10.4 grams of protein. NASA has proposed quinoa as an ideal food for long-duration space flights whereas; the United Nations has designated quinoa as a "super crop", for its potential to feed the hungry poor of the world.
The bottom-line is---- quinoa supports good health. It’s the only plant foods that are a complete protein, which offers all the essential amino acids in a healthy balance.
References:
Chauhan, G. S., Eskin, NAM., Tkachuk, R. (1992). Nutrients and Anti-Nutrients in Quinoa Seed, Cereal Chem. 69(l): 85-88
Loubaton, E. Food and Globalization, New York Times.
Stikic, R., et al., (2012). Agronomical and nutritional evaluation of quinoa seeds (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) as an ingredient in bread formulations. Journal of Cereal Science, 55, 2: 132–138
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