Health benefits of quinoa (keen-wah!)

Jul 28, 2015

What is quinoa?

Quinoa, botanically speaking, closely resembles beets and spinach. Often referred to as a grain, quinoa’s leaves and starchy seeds can both be eaten. Quinoa comes in almost 120 varieties but the most common versions are red quinoa, black quinoa and white quinoa

7 Health benefits of quinoa

So we know that quinoa offers all the right stuff, so let’s examine how quinoa can benefit our health. Here are 7 health benefits of quinoa which only gives you more reason to start enjoying the good stuff on a regular basis:

1 High in protein: Your body needs protein, this much we know. Especially if you’re a vegetarian, quinoa is a good alternative to still get in your intake. Protein is used to build and repair muscles, even more essential for seniors as they may not be as active. Helping to maintain muscle mass with healthy eating is ideal.

2 High in fiber: Fiber is essential for digestion. Not enough of it and you’ll suffer from constipation which is harmful tohealth. Insoluble fiber, the kind your body can’t break down – which is found in quinoa – can also help us feel fuller longer, making it a useful food for weight loss and weight management.

Just remember, though, for fiber to be effective it must be consumed with a lot of water or else you can still find yourself backed up with constipation.

3 Antioxidant power: Antioxidants are useful to the body to help fight against free-radical damage. Quinoa offers antioxidants called flavonoids which have been shown to reduce the risk of disease.

4 Low GI score: As we mentioned, quinoa has a low GI score. A GI score is calculated by a food’s ability to raise blood sugar levels. Foods with a low GI score are absorbed and digested slowly, so you avoid those spikes in blood sugar. Because quinoa ranks low when it comes to GI, it is safe for diabetics to consume and to prevent diabetes.

Read more Quinoa health benefits

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Jul 22, 2015
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