Experts are praising the benefits of an ancient grain, amaranth, which they believe deserves a spot in the kitchen of anyone focused on healthy living.

Amaranth, often referred to as a pseudograin due to its seed-like nature, is brimming with more nutrients than popular health foods like brown rice and quinoa.

Originally cultivated by the Aztecs for its impressive nutritional value, amaranth is rich in essential vitamins and minerals. A 3.5-ounce serving can provide an entire day’s worth of manganese and nearly half of an individual’s daily iron requirements.

Research indicates that incorporating amaranth into one’s diet may contribute to lowering cholesterol, aiding weight loss, and reducing inflammation.

This versatile grain is readily available at health food stores and major retailers such as Target and Walmart, with prices around $15 for a 24-ounce bag. It can be prepared similarly to rice or quinoa and is an excellent addition to meals like vegetable stir-fries.

Lindsay Schoenfeld, a registered dietitian based in Texas, shared with the Daily Mail, “Amaranth is a great source of fiber, iron, magnesium, and antioxidants. It is renowned for its high-quality protein, fiber content, and being naturally gluten-free.”

‘It provides all nine essential amino acids, making it an excellent grain for plant-forward or vegetarian meals.’

She added, however, that it was best as part of a balanced diet, and said people should consider consuming the grain alongside a variety of other foods.

Amaranth was first cultivated by the Aztecs, but is prized today for its nutrient profile

Amaranth, microgreen shoots pictured above, is a pseudograin, technically a seed, packed with nutrients (stock image)

A 3.5oz serving of amaranth contains about 100 calories, 3.6g of protein and 2g of fiber. 

The same serving size of brown rice has 89 calories, 2g of protein and 1.4g of fiber. For quinoa, it is 96 calories, 3.5 g of protein and 2.2g of fiber.  

Amaranth is also gluten-free and has beneficial amino acids. 

It also contains 105 percent, 2.4mg, of the daily value of manganese, which supports metabolism, antioxidant defenses and bone health, and 42 percent, 7.5mg, of the daily value of iron. 

Previous research has already pointed to its cholesterol-lowering potential, with a 2003 study on hamsters fed amaranth oil finding their total and ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol levels dropped by 15 and 22 percent, respectively. 

Another study in which chickens were fed amaranth found that the birds’ cholesterol levels were reduced by up to 30 percent.

It isn’t clear why it may lower cholesterol levels, but experts have previously suggested this may be because it binds to cholesterol in the gut, stopping it from being reabsorbed into the body.

It is also possible that the high fiber content in amaranth could help someone lose weight. Fiber helps someone feel full for longer, and, as a result, consume less food, triggering weight loss.

In a 2023 paper, researchers followed 4,477 people and found that those who ate more fiber had a lower risk of gaining body weight and fat.

A 3.5oz serving of amaranth has 100 calories, 3.6g of protein and 2g of fiber (stock image) 

There is also some evidence that amaranth can further boost health by reducing inflammation levels. 

It is high in the antioxidant phenolic acid, which researchers say can reduce inflammation and help to protect against conditions such as heart disease.

Despite the strong profile, however, Schoenfeld urged people to eat a range of foods rather than just focus on amaranth. 

She told the Daily Mail: ‘Amaranth is strong, but not magical alone. What’s magical is eating a variety of grains. 

‘One grain should not stand alone. They complement each other!’

She added: ‘It’s more important to rotate foods than to rank foods. Eat a variety of grains like amaranth, brown rice, quinoa, oats and farro. 

‘If we put one food on a pedestal, people often eat only that food, and then they burn out. They also miss the nutritional benefits of mixing a variety of whole grains and pseudograins, which support gut health and is much more realistic for people to enjoy.

‘No one wants to eat one food for life! Not even my pickiest eater at home!’