Health benefits of Amaranth

Abstract

Globally, new trends are required to solve current problems in the population’s nutritional status. Examples of these problems are malnutrition and the current tendency to consume healthy foods, mainly of plant origin. In this sense, amaranth, an ancestral crop, is an interesting alternative to face both situations.In this article, the properties and characteristics of macro and micro-components of amaranth are discussed, which clearly show the nutritional profile of the edible parts of its leaves and grains. The biological activities of the main components, particularly of the grain, which have been studied so far, are also discussed. These properties, which include antihypertensive, antioxidant, antitumoral, and immunomodulatory activities, among others, support the use of amaranth in traditional medicine in different regions of the world.Lastly, the formulation of foods based on amaranth, such as foods with a good nutritional profile, gluten-free foods and functional foods is discussed. Some of these foods are also suitable for vegetarians and vegans.Amaranth, a crop that is not yet extensively used worldwide, is undoubtedly an extremely interesting source of compounds with good nutritional characteristics for human healthitable for vegetarians and vegans.Amaranth, a crop that is not yet extensively used worldwide, is undoubtedly an extremely interesting source of compounds with good nutritional characteristics for human health