BENEFITS OF QUINOA
✓ Source of plant-based proteins
✓ Improves diabetes
✓ Anti-inflammatory
✓ Aids weight loss
✓ Potentially anti-cancer
What is quinoa?
Like amaranth, quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) is a herbaceous plant of the Amaranthaceae family. It is not a cereal (which belongs to the grass family) but a pseudocereal similar to buckwheat or chia. Despite this botanical distinction, its seeds are consumed in the same way as cereals.
Quinoa grows in South America (Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador…), in high-altitude regions. It is an exceptionally resilient plant that adapts to all types of soil, even poor ones. Typical of the Andes, it was already cultivated by pre-Columbian peoples. Among the Incas, the seeds were an integral part of the basic diet. The first traces of its cultivation date back to about 5,000 years before our era.
Its current popularity is largely due to the nutritional benefits of its seeds. Indeed, these have a high content of plant-based proteins. They also have an anti-inflammatory action, improve diabetes, aid in weight loss, and are potentially anti-cancer.
Like moringa or spirulina, it is among the best ingredients for fighting malnutrition. In 2013, the “International Year of Quinoa,” the UN highlighted its contribution to global food security. Because of its nutritional richness, it represents an important food source for developing countries.
Nutritional composition
- Amino acids including the 8 essential ones
- Vitamins: B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, E
- Minerals and trace elements : manganese, iron, copper, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, calcium, potassium
- Lipids
- Proteins
- Carbohydrates
- Fibers
- Fatty acids: omega 3
- Antioxidant actives: betacyanins, polyphenols, flavonoids
- Saponins
The benefits of quinoa
🌿 Source of plant-based proteins
Quinoa is an excellent source of plant-based proteins. Indeed, 100 g of seeds provide about 15 g of proteins to the body. It thus joins the list of the richest ingredients in plant-based proteins, alongside chia seeds, goji berries, or hemp seeds. This makes it particularly interesting for vegetarians, vegans, or plant-based diet followers to avoid protein deficiencies.
Moreover, its proteins are said to be “complete” because they contain all the essential amino acids the human body needs. It notably has a high content of lysine, methionine, and cystine.
This review from Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran (Iran) examined the composition, structure, and properties of quinoa proteins.
🍭 Improves diabetes
Quinoa stands out for its richness in dietary fibers: about 10 g per 100 g. These are mainly soluble fibers which, upon contact with water, transform into a viscous gel. This gel delays carbohydrate absorption, thus enabling better blood sugar control.
Its fibers notably limit blood sugar spikes after meals and decrease the level of glycated hemoglobin, which determines blood glucose levels.
This study from the Catholic University of Murcia (Spain), conducted with prediabetic patients, shows quinoa’s benefit in improving diabetes.
🔥 Anti-inflammatory
Like nigella or fenugreek seeds, quinoa seeds contain saponins. These natural molecules target inflammation and effectively help reduce it. They offer relief for joint pain, arthritis, osteoarthritis, or inflammatory bowel diseases.
Its saponins inhibit tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and prevent the release of cytokines (interleukin-6) involved in the inflammatory response.
This study from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Beijing (China), conducted on cells, shows the anti-inflammatory activity of quinoa saponins.
🏃🏻♂️ Helps with weight loss
Thanks to its richness in fiber and protein, quinoa contributes to healthy weight loss. In the stomach, its soluble fibers form a viscous gel that promotes the feeling of fullness and slows gastric emptying. It’s a valuable ally against snacking cravings during the day.
Additionally, it improves digestion and regulates intestinal transit. It thus helps maintain a flat stomach.
This study from the Discipline Defence Food Research Laboratory (India), conducted on rats, shows the benefits of quinoa for weight control and combating obesity.
🔬 Potentially anti-cancer
Quinoa seeds also contain antioxidant agents including betacyanins, polyphenols, and flavonoids. These substances effectively combat free radicals as well as cancer cells. Thus, these antioxidants prevent the proliferation of diseased cells and induce their apoptosis (programmed cell death).
This study from Chengdu University (China), conducted on human cells, shows the anti-cancer effects of quinoa.
How to consume quinoa?
Quinoa seeds
There are different varieties: red quinoa, white (or blonde) quinoa, and black quinoa. They differ in color, texture, and taste, which may be more or less pronounced. However, there are few nutritional differences.
The seeds have a mild flavor, similar to hazelnuts. They are consumed cooked, plain or as a side in salads, vegetable, meat, or fish dishes… These seeds are also ideal for making tabbouleh, porridge, mueslis, and homemade cereal bars.
For cooking, allow for 80g of dry seeds per person. Rinse in a fine-mesh sieve and cook it in twice its volume of water, bring to a boil, then let it simmer for 10 minutes on low heat. Finally, let it swell for 5 minutes off the heat.
Quinoa flour
Quinoa flour, obtained after grinding the seeds, has the advantage of being gluten-free. Therefore, it is an interesting alternative for those intolerant, allergic, or sensitive to gluten. It has a pleasant hazelnut flavor but a slightly bitter taste.
You can use it to replace wheat flour or in combination with other gluten-free flours like rice, buckwheat, or corn flour. This flour is suitable for making cakes and pastries, breads, pasta… It also helps thicken sauces and soups.
Quinoa flakes
Like oat flakes, quinoa flakes can be used to make breakfast mueslis, vegetarian patties, cereal bars… Practical and easy to use in cooking, they allow for countless pleasurable ways to enjoy! They have a fairly neutral taste, are finer than oat flakes, and are very digestible.
Sustainable consumption: favor organic, local, and fair trade quinoa
✓ Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador are the main producing countries. However, due to growing demand, its cultivation has gradually spread worldwide: United States, China, India, Canada, Australia, and even France.
✓ In France, more and more farmers are incorporating it into their plots. In Anjou, for example, red quinoa has acclimated and yields good harvests: in 2020, 375 farmers harvested 4,000 tons. If possible, choose quinoa grown in France and organically farmed.
✓ The success of quinoa has led to significant consequences in the Andes: soil imbalance and family economic disruption, with many abandoning subsistence crops for export crops. A staple for many farmers, it has also become too expensive. Therefore, it is crucial to be mindful of its origin, favor fair trade and environmentally friendly channels.
Dosage
It is recommended to consume between 30 and 150 g of quinoa per day.
Contraindications and side effects
Consuming quinoa has some contraindications :
- People with intestinal disorders must consume it in moderation
- Due to its saponin content, it may cause allergies in sensitive individuals.
Excessive consumption can have certain side effects :
- Intestinal issues
- Increased stool frequency
- Allergic reaction
If you experience side effects, stop consumption and consult a doctor.
Report by Julia Perez
Sources and scientific studies
Thierry Winkel, María Gabriela Aguirre, Carla Marcela Arizio, Carlos Alberto Aschero, María del Pilar Babot, Laure Benoit, Concetta Burgarella, Sabrina Costa-Tártara, Marie-Pierre Dubois, Laurène Gay, Salomón Hocsman, Margaux Jullien, Sara María Luisa López-Campeny, María Marcela, Miguel Navascués, Nurit Oliszewski, Elizabeth Pintar, Saliha Zenboudji, Héctor Daniel Bertero, Richard Joffre, Eric Jellen, 2018. Discontinuities in quinoa biodiversity in the dry Andes: An 18-century perspective based on allelic genotyping.
Samira Dakhili, Leyla Abdolalizadeh, Seyede Marzieh Hosseini, Saeedeh Shojaee-Aliabadi, Leila Mirmoghtadaie, 2019. Quinoa protein: Composition, structure and functional properties.
María Salud Abellán Ruiz, María Dolores Barnuevo Espinosa, Carlos García Santamaría, Carlos Javier Contreras Fernández, Miriam Aldeguer García, Fulgencio Soto Méndez, Isabel Guillén Guillén, Antonio Jesús Luque Rubia, Francisco Javier Quinde Ràzuri, Antonio Martínez Garrido, Francisco Javier López Román, 2017. [Effect of quinua (Chenopodium quinoa) consumption as a coadjuvant in nutritional intervention in prediabetic subjects].
Yang Yao, Xiushi Yang, Zhenxing Shi, Guixing Ren, 2014. Anti-inflammatory activity of saponins from quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) seeds in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages cells.
M. V. Mithila, Farhath Khanum, 2015. Effectual comparison of quinoa and amaranth supplemented diets in controlling appetite; a biochemical study in rats.
