Quinoa & Amaranth can feed the world.

Republished from DailyKos Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 01:00 PM PDT

Amaranth can feed the world..

by Demfem

Amaranth grain

This is a diary which will try to bring to the attention of those that are interested in food resources a grain that may well be what saves the human race from starving to death. It is an ancientt grain, grown by early American civilizations. The article linked above, one of many that I will be using, says

Amaranth has a long and interesting history in Mexico where it's been grown and harvested for thousands of years by the Mayan and Incan civilizations. The Aztecs believed Amaranth had magical properties that would give them amazing strength.

Because it was important culturally to the Aztecs, the conquistadors did their best to eradicate it. Fortunately for us, they were not entirely successful. I say fortunately because it may be the grain that saves us from mass starvation on a global scale.
More below the fold..

Amaranth is a very interesting plant. It will grow just about anywhere, under conditions that would kill any other food plant. It needs a little water when planted and can do without until harvest if necessary. Amaranth will grow in poor soil, in rich soil, and in rocky or clayey soil that other crops will not grow in.
Mixed with corn flour or meal, amaranth flour or meal, is a complete food for humans. It has all the proteins and amino acids the human body requires for maintenance.
Amaranth is also a dual crop, the grain is a foodstuff for people, the stalks and leaves combined with corn stalks and leaves, are a complete feed for livestock. It can be fed in round bales or as silage.

Amaranth puts nitrogen back into the soil naturally, eliminating the need for artificial nitrates which run off and pollute the water ways. A field can be kept in good shape by rotating amaranth with corn without adding any artificial fertilizer.

 Amaranth’s great nutritional qualities are the driving force powering it’s comeback. It’s high in protein, particularly in the amino acid, Lysine, which is low in the cereal grains. In fact, Amaranth has the highest lysine content of all the grains in this study with Quinoa coming in a close second. To make your whole wheat bread a complete protein, substitute about 25% of your wheat flour with Amaranth flour. Amaranth, by itself, has a really nice amino acid blend. Just 150 grams of the grain is all that’s required to supply an adult with 100% of the daily requirement of protein. Amaranth is one of the highest grains in fiber content. This makes Amaranth an effective agent against cancer and heart disease. Amaranth is also the only grain in this study that contains significant amounts of phytosterols which scientists are just now learning play a major part in the prevention of all kinds of diseases. Amaranth is also rich in many vitamins and minerals.
Amaranth must be cooked before it is eaten because it contains components in it’s raw form that block the absorption of some nutrients in our digestive system. You should cook Amaranth whether you plan on giving it to your family or your pets.

Here is the table comparing amaranth with wheat. Stunning to say the least.

Nutrients in 100 Grams of Amaranth
                      Unit       Amount   % More
                       of          In      Than
Nutrient              Measure    Amaranth   Wheat
Food energy                KCal:    374.000      114
Protein                    Gms:     14.450      115
Total lipid (fat)          Gms:      6.510      423
Total saturated fat        Gms:      1.662      618
Ttl monounsaturated fat    Gms:      1.433      717
Ttl polyunsaturated fat    Gms:      2.891      461
Total dietary fiber        Gms:     15.200      121
Ascorbic acid              Mg :      4.200    Infinite
Riboflavin                 Mg :      0.208      181
Folacin                    Mcg:     49.000      129
Potassium                  Mg :    366.000      101
Calcium                    Mg :    153.000      528
Phosphorus                 Mg :    455.000      158
Magnesium                  Mg :    266.000      211
Iron                       Mg :      7.590      238
Zinc                       Mg :      3.180      120
Copper                     Mg :      0.777      179
Palmitic acid (16:0)       Gms:      1.284      549
Oleic acid      (18:1)     Gms:      1.433      746
Linoleic acid (18:2/n6)    Gms:      2.834      472
Phytosterols               Mg :     24.000    Infinite
Histidine                  Gms:      0.389      136
Isoleucine                 Gms:      0.582      127
Leucine                    Gms:      0.879      103
Lysine                     Gms:      0.747      223
Methionine                 Gms:      0.226      112
Threonine                  Gms:      0.558      153
Tryptophan                 Gms:      0.181      113
Valine                     Gms:      0.679      122
Arginine                   Gms:      1.060      178
Alanine                    Gms:      0.799      176

(Sorry about the wiggly table, I tried to correct, but wasn't able to make it work right.)
Amaranth can be grown successfully in just about every place on the planet, from Nepal to South America, from India to East Africa. It grows in poor soils, and improves them while growing.
Here are some links to pages that will give you more information, and recipes, on amaranth.
Puente a la Salud Comunitaria
Special Foods

Originally posted to Demfem on Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 01:00 PM PDT.