How Quinoa Promotes a Healthy Lifestyle

Nutrient Content

Vitamins

Excellent Source of: 

  • Folate – 78%
  • Vitamin B6 – 41%
  • Thiamin – 41%
  • Riboflavin – 32%
  • Vitamin E – 21%

Good Source of: 

  • Niacin – 13%
  • Pantothenic – 13%

Minerals

Excellent Source of: 

  • Manganese – 173%
  • Magnesium – 84%
  • Phosphorus – 78%
  • Copper – 50%
  • Iron – 43%
  • Zinc – 35%
  • Potassium – 27%
  • Selenium – 21%

Also a Source of:

  • Calcium – 8%

Other

Excellent Source of: 

  • Fiber – 48%
  • Protein – 48%

Also a Source of:

Antioxidants – polyphenols, tocopherols

*All nutritional information found at (1, 2)

How Quinoa Helps Prevent Chronic Disease

How Quinoa Helps Prevent Cancer

Quinoa contains bioactive components known to possess chemopreventive (cancer fighting) properties. Rich in antioxidants and bioactive compounds that neutralize free radicals, regular consumption of quinoa can minimize risk of cancer. 

  • Tocopherols, while found in most whole grains and recommended foods, are found in high amounts in quinoa and positively impact cancer prevention, heart disease prevention, and immune system regulation (3).
  • Bioactive peptides derived from quinoa possess antioxidative properties. These peptides reduce risk of diseases associated with oxidative stress, including cancer. These peptides, while not antioxidants, have similarly powerful impacts on cancer prevention, especially colorectal cancer (4).

Quinoa is also an excellent source of folate, supplying 78% of your recommended daily intake. Folate deficiency may lead to colorectal cancer (5).

How Quinoa Helps Prevent Cardiovascular Disease

Studies have linked quinoa consumption to certain markers of cardiovascular disease risk, including glucose response and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc) levels.

  • Quinoa consumption can modify glucose response at least short term (6).
  • Tocopherols in quinoa bind to LDLc and prevent oxidation. Oxidized LDLc is linked to increased risk of heart disease (7).

Quinoa Promises Several Other Health Benefits

The vitamins and minerals found in high numbers in quinoa positively impact other day to day bodily systems.

How Quinoa Improves Cognitive Health and Longevity

Quinoa is rich in folate, an essential vitamin for healthy brain function. Beyond findings that folate deficiency in infants leads to cognitive deterioration or abnormal psychiatric symptoms, numerous studies show folate deficiency can negatively impact overall cognitive health and longevity in adults as well.

  • Folate deficiency can lead to megaloblastic anaemia, which, when left untreated, almost always leads to neurological complications.
  •  Among these neurological complications are depression, dementia, and nervous system degeneration (8).

Another vitamin found in quinoa, vitamin B6, is an essential vitamin for the creation of new neurotransmitters and for nervous system health. A healthy and long lasting brain depends upon regular intake of vitamin B6 (9).

  • Vitamin B6 deficiency is linked to neurological disorders and ailments including seizures, migraines, chronic pain and depression.
  • Vitamin B6 regulates blood homocysteine levels. Homocysteine is a risk factor for cerebrovascular diseases and may be directly toxic to the central nervous system (10).

Quinoa supplies 50% of your recommended daily copper intake. Copper is an essential nutrient for enzyme activity, especially in the brain. The development of some neurological diseases including Menkes, Wilson’s, Alzheimers, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s is linked to copper imbalance in the body (11).

How Quinoa Promotes Immune Health

As a prebiotic, quinoa may substantially improve gut health and prevent certain digestive and chronic ailments.

  • Under lab settings, quinoa reduced risk of inflammatory bowel disease. It may similarly prevent bowel disease and irregular digestion when frequently incorporated into one’s diet (12).

Quinoa is high in many minerals utilized by essential enzymes. Minerals like copper, zinc, and selenium have a direct impact on overall immune health (13).

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