Although quinoa has been around for thousands of years, it hasn't hit America's grocery shelves until recently. Over the last few years, quinoa has exploded in cooking shows, the Internet, and cookbooks. This 'super-food' is becoming quite popular in many circles; which includes gluten-free, weight loss, vegetarian, fitness, and vegan diets.

Quinoa is a seed, related to spinach, Swiss chard, and beets. Since it is not a grass or grain, quinoa is considered the perfect food for individuals with grain, like wheat, sensitivities. The awareness of gluten-free diet plans might have likely introduced quinoa into the spotlight. However, it is proving to fit into a lot of diets for a large range of reasons.

Look at a few benefits that quinoa offers us all:

Protein: Not all foods deemed high in protein contain all the crucial amino acids in correct proportions for optimum effectiveness in the body, but quinoa does. It is a complete protein, that means it consists of all vital amino acids in exact proportions. In fact, quinoa has the exact same protein quality as milk.

Vitamins: Folate is the greatest concentrated vitamin in quinoa. Folate is a B vitamin that is crucial for healthy red blood cell development as well as healthy organ and tissue growth, most notably during a child's early years. Folate is also considered to battle the destructive cell developments of cancer. Other vitamins that are discovered in a good supply in quinoa are niacin, vitamin E, thiamin, vitamin B6, and riboflavin, all important in the functioning, growth, and repair of crucial blood, tissue, and organs.

Minerals: The highest concentrated quantities of minerals in quinoa are magnesium, phosphorus, and maganese. With just one serving, you get more than half the RDA of manganese alone, neutralizing those harmful free radicals that are consistently attacking our organs. together with manganese, quinoa includes high concentrates of phosphorous and magnesium which are both necessary minerals aiding in bone health, heart and cardiovascular health, as well as nerve and brain health. Quinoa completes the mineral wheel with ample supplies of iron, copper, calcium, potassium, and selenium, all essential to our health and well-being.

Dietary Fiber: You almost certainly hear a lot about dietary fiber in ads aimed at curing constipation. But, dietary fiber is important for all of our body functions. With a whopping 21% RDA in one serving of quinoa, eating a normal diet including this super-food makes sense. Why? Not only does fiber assist the digestive system, it also is acknowledged to lower blood cholesterol levels. Studies also show that increasing fiber in your diet will help decrease blood pressure which encourages heart health. A very good diet rich in fiber helps control blood sugar levels by absorbing sugars slowly.