Description
Amaranth is a bushy type plant with a thick stalk and abundant leaves, yielding an abundant amount of seed per acre making it extremely friendly to the environment. Amaranth is a highly nutritional pseudocereal with a superior amount of proteins when compared to true cereals. It is a reasonably well-balanced food with functional properties that have been shown to provide medicinal benefits. The health benefits attributed include decreasing plasma cholesterol levels, stimulating the immune system, exerting an antitumor activity, reducing blood glucose levels and improving conditions of hypertension and anemia. In addition, it has been reported to possess anti-allergic and antioxidant activities. The present article provides a comprehensive overview of amaranth grain that focuses on recent research reporting its use in the clinical practice and its possible benefits to human health.
