Amaranth

The annual herbaceous plant amaranth (Amaranthus) or ankle has more than 65 subspecies and belongs to the Amaranth family. The appearance of the amaranth is bright and unusual, as befits tropical plant species. The amaranth stem is thick and stable, the leaves are elongated, the plant blooms with bright maroon or crimson inflorescences in the form of long hanging tassels. The International Food Commission at the UN called the plant "a culture of the 21st century, " but the taste and benefits of amaranth have been known to humanity for centuries.

The amaranth received its original name thanks to the Greek word Αμάρανθος, which literally means "a flower that does not fade. " The name reflects the exceptional properties of the amaranth. After harvesting, the plant is able to maintain its consumer characteristics for 4 months. Among the people, for their exceptional properties, amaranth is called the "winter friend of man. " In our latitudes, the amaranth is best known by the names of the cheek, feline tail, velvet, cock scallop or axamitnik. The homeland of the amaranth is considered to be the region of South America.

Amaranth seeds came to Europe thanks to the Spanish conquistadors. The ancient Inca and Aztec tribes considered amaranth an important crop and made flour from the seeds of the plant. Amaranth bakery products have long been the basis of the diet of the ancient inhabitants of the American continent. Amaranth was considered as important a food as beans, corn or wheat. Amaranth is still called "Aztec wheat and Inca bread. " In the Russian Empire, amaranth appeared only at the end of the 19th century. The plant was classified as weedy and for a long time cultivated only because of the bright appearance of the amaranth.

Amaranth composition

The benefits of amaranth have been known since ancient times, but only in the 20th century were scientists able to thoroughly study the chemical composition of the plant. The amaranth contains an unprecedented amount of vitamins and biologically active compounds of natural origin. For example, amaranth contains up to 16% of natural protein, which is enriched with the amino acid lysine essential for the human body. Amaranth is superior to wheat and other cereal crops in its saturated fatty acid content. In addition, the leaves and stems of the plant contain 18 sterols, a huge amount of vitamins C, E and B, as well as flavonoids.

Benefit of amaranth

The benefits of amaranth are so obvious that residents of the American continent, as well as countries of Southeast Asia and China, make more than 30 items of food products from the plant. Flour, bread, pasta, chips, muffins, waffles and biscuits, drinks and baby food are all just the tip of the iceberg. Amaranth is valued for the chemical composition of the plant, in which the vitamin-mineral and nutritional components are perfectly balanced. All components of amaranth are consumed. From the seeds of the plant, flour and healing amaranth oil are made, which is actively used in medicine.