It is a "cheap eye-protecting vegetable". The more you eat it, the brighter your eyes will be! It can also supplement calcium and resist aging. It is now on the market!

Recently, amaranth is in season. As the old saying goes, "Amaranth in July is worth more than gold." In some areas, amaranth is also known as the "longevity vegetable." Many people believe that amaranth can "replenish blood and strengthen the body." Are these claims true? What are the nutritional values ​​of amaranth?

Today we are going to talk about this seasonal vegetable with some special colors~

High appearance, high calcium content

Amaranth is a plant of the genus Amaranth in the family Amaranthaceae. The most eye-catching thing about fried amaranth is the bright red juice at the bottom of the dish. In addition to red amaranth, the amaranth family also includes green amaranth and amaranth with yellow and purple leaves. However, only red amaranth and green amaranth are often used as vegetables, while other varieties are widely planted as ornamental plants because of their rich leaf colors.

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Whether it is red amaranth or green amaranth, both can make it into the top five in the list of high-calcium vegetables.

The calcium content of red amaranth is 178 mg/100 g, while the calcium content of green amaranth is even higher, reaching 187 mg/100 g. This is 60% higher than the calcium content of ordinary milk (115 mg/100 g)!

Among common vegetables, the ones that contain higher calcium than amaranth are shepherd's purse (294 mg/100 g), mustard greens (230 mg/100 g), and chicory (230 mg/100 g).

Although the calcium in green leafy vegetables is affected by oxalic acid and phytic acid, and its absorption and utilization rate is not as good as that in milk and dairy products, this problem is actually easy to solve - we can remove most of the oxalic acid by blanching, thereby reducing its impact on calcium absorption.

On the other hand, the magnesium content in amaranth is not low. The presence of magnesium can promote the absorption of calcium and the deposition in bones. For example, the magnesium content in green amaranth reaches 119 mg/100 g, which is twice as high as spinach (58 mg/100 g) and three times that of kale (40 mg/100 g).

What is even more surprising is that amaranth is also high in vitamin C. The vitamin C content of wild amaranth is as high as 153 mg/100 g, which is much higher than the sweet pepper (130 mg/100 g), which is known as the "vitamin C bank", and 3.3 times the vitamin C content of Chinese cabbage (47 mg/100 g). You know, the presence of vitamin C can also promote calcium absorption.

Overall, amaranth is one of the few vegetables that has a high calcium content and good calcium absorption. For those who don't like drinking milk or eating dairy products, it is also a great way to supplement some calcium through delicious amaranth.

It may not be a blood supplement, but the iron content is really high

There is a folk saying that eating red amaranth can "replenish blood", which is more influenced by the traditional concept of "like replenishes like", which is exactly the same as people's belief that dates and red beans can replenish blood.

However, the iron content in amaranth is really high, especially in green amaranth , which contains 5.4 mg of iron per 100 grams, which is 1.4 times the iron content of rapeseed (3.9 mg/100 g) and nearly 2 times that of spinach (2.9 mg/100 g). The "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents" recommends that the average adult woman should consume 18 mg of iron per day, and the calcium content of 100 grams of amaranth is nearly 1/3 of the recommended intake.

Of course, the iron in amaranth is trivalent iron, which is not easily absorbed by the human body and is also affected by oxalic acid. Its absorption rate is indeed not as good as the divalent iron in animal liver and red meat. However, as long as it is processed properly (such as blanching) and adequate vitamin C intake is ensured, it can also appropriately promote iron absorption and have a certain iron supplement effect.

The king of folic acid content, ordinary people also need to supplement

When it comes to folic acid, everyone’s first reaction may be that “only those preparing for pregnancy and pregnant women need to supplement it.” In fact, folic acid plays a very important role in the body’s metabolism.

For example, folic acid participates in the synthesis of genetic material. When folic acid is deficient during pregnancy, it may lead to serious consequences such as abnormal fetal neural tube development. Another example is that it participates in the formation of red blood cells. Severe deficiency can cause megaloblastic anemia. Also, it participates in the metabolism of homocysteine. When it is deficient, it can lead to elevated homocysteine, increasing the risk of hypertension, arteriosclerosis, and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

In recent years, people even call elevated homocysteine ​​together with high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high blood lipids, and high uric acid as the "five highs", which shows how harmful it is.

Moreover, since our human body cannot synthesize folic acid, we can only rely on food to meet our needs. For ordinary adults, the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents" recommends a daily intake of 400 micrograms of folic acid. It is also recommended to supplement folic acid through natural foods as much as possible. The folic acid content of red amaranth is as high as 419.8 micrograms/100 grams, which is higher than the recommended daily intake. Even if the loss of cooking is taken into account, eating a plate of red amaranth every day, plus the folic acid provided by other foods, can almost meet the needs of the human body.

In addition to red amaranth, folic acid is widely found in various green leafy vegetables, animal liver, lean meat, soy products, eggs and other foods. However, since folic acid is easily destroyed during high-temperature cooking, special attention should be paid to cooking methods, such as using cold salad, quick stir-frying and other methods to process amaranth to minimize the loss of folic acid, and attention should also be paid to reasonable matching and balanced diet to meet the need for folic acid through various foods.

For women who are planning to become pregnant or who are pregnant, in addition to eating more foods high in folic acid, such as amaranth, they should also take folic acid supplements under the guidance of professionals.

In the antioxidant track, amaranth is also worth mentioning

As we all know, dark red and dark purple vegetables are rich in anthocyanins, and amaranth is no exception. The red juice that oozes out after stir-frying amaranth comes from the anthocyanins in it. Studies have found that the anthocyanin content of fresh red amaranth is 5.46 mg/g , which is 1 times higher than that of other purple vegetables, such as purple rapeseed [2]. Anthocyanins have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and have a positive impact on protecting cardiovascular health and preventing aging. In addition, the antioxidant effect of anthocyanins also has a certain effect on protecting eyesight and improving visual fatigue.

The lutein content in amaranth is also high . Studies have found that the lutein content in amaranth can reach 14.4 mg/100 g [3], which is 1 times more than that in spinach. Lutein can resist blue light damage and protect retinal health by resisting oxidation and removing retinal free radicals. It can be seen that for modern urban people who overuse their eyes, eating more amaranth on a daily basis is also a good thing for protecting the eyes.

Amaranth tastes better this way

Okay, we have finally come to the stage that everyone loves, which is how to eat good ingredients.

There are many delicious ways to eat amaranth, but in order to remove the impact of oxalic acid on other nutrients, it is recommended that you blanch it in water before eating it. The blanching time should not be too long, just blanch it in water for one minute after the water boils, so as to retain the crisp taste of amaranth.

1

The simplest method: Garlic-mashed amaranth

Blanching and then serving it cold avoids the destruction of folic acid and vitamin C by high temperature, and retains the taste and nutrition of amaranth to the greatest extent.

In addition to salt, balsamic vinegar, sesame oil and other seasonings, just a little bit of mashed garlic will make this dish very delicious.

2

The most classic method: garlic red amaranth

After blanching the tender red amaranth, sauté the minced garlic and chopped green onions in a pan over high heat. In just three or two minutes, you can have a bright red and fragrant dish, which is best served with rice.

3

The most artistic method: Amaranth soup

From Lu You's poem "The pickles are white autumn radish, and the soup is red wild amaranth", we can see how charming soups made with amaranth are. There is a preserved egg amaranth soup in Hunan cuisine, which is made with preserved eggs to make a rich soup base, and then fresh amaranth leaves are added. As you can imagine, the red and green, the dense preserved eggs and the smooth amaranth, the different flavors of the two are intertwined, and those who love preserved eggs will probably salivate.

4

The darkest practice: stinky amaranth stems

Wang Zengqi believes that stinky amaranth stems are the best dish to go with porridge. This stinky vegetable, which is said to be more stinky than stinky tofu and canned herring, is made by fermenting the thick stems of amaranth and is popular in Shaoxing. It is said that the smell can make people run away, but those who like it love it. However, no matter how much you like it, considering that nitrite is produced during the pickling process, it is not advisable to eat too much stinky amaranth stems at one time, but it should be eaten with fresh vegetables.

By the way, one last reminder: Amaranth is a seasonal vegetable and is not resistant to storage. It is best to buy it and eat it now. Now is the time to pick fresh, spotless, and tender amaranth, and go home and stir-fry a plate to satisfy your craving!

References

[1] Chinese Nutrition Society. Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents[M]. Beijing, 2022.

[2] Yao Huakai, Zheng Yuanli, Zhou Anwei, et al. Determination and analysis of anthocyanin content in five purple vegetables[J]. Southern Horticulture, 2020, 31(3): 14-18.

[3] Wang Zixin, Lin Xiaoming. Determination and content of lutein, zeaxanthin and β-carotene in common vegetables in Beijing [J]. Journal of Nutrition, 2010, 32(03): 290-294.

Planning and production

Author: Wang Lu, registered dietitian

Review丨Zhang Yu, researcher/PhD, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, national health science expert

Planning丨Yang Yaping

Editor: Yang Yaping

Proofread by Xu Lailinlin