Amaranth is grown as a gluten-free grain that unfortunately goes far too often under the radar in North America. Although its production began in the 70s in the US, it is best known as being forcefully destroyed by the Spanish conquistadors who forbade its use and growth a few centuries ago. Amaranth is part of the Chenopodiaceae family of plants and is therefore related to beets, Swiss chard, spinach and quinoa, the latter of which was also forbidden by the Spanish upon their arrival.

It is quite rich in amino acids, particularly lysine, which is around two times more abundant in amaranth than it is in wheat, for instance. It also offers decent amounts of vitamins and minerals and most importantly provides generous quantities of high-quality protein, seemingly more than most other grains. Since more and more people are looking for non-GMO, gluten-free foods, it would definitely be wise to keep quinoa and amaranth on the list of important items to have.

Amaranth oil features a high content of squalene, which is partly responsible for the production of vitamin D and vitamin E’s tocotrienols, amongst other things. Based on a study published in the Lipids in Health and Disease journal, researchers noted that amaranth oil greatly helps blood vessels by keeping them more flexible, which, in turn, permits them to keep blood pressure under control.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/042430_amaranth_gluten-free_food_protein_source.html#ixzz2hQY1UEEF