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Amaranth

What is amaranth?

  • amaranth belongs to the so called improper cereals (pseudo-cereals) 
  • ancient Mayas and Aztecs grew it already; it became their sacred plant 
  • it is called the third-millennium crop-plant due to its high nutritional value and modest demands at growing 
  • it contains a high-quality protein, oil with squalene and high proportion of unsaturated fatty acids, high-quality roughage and starch 
  • it does not contain any gluten – protein, which otherwise causes damage in intestines at celiac patients

Reasons for the amaranth rediscovery as a farm crop

In the last decades of our century the population of the planet has been extremely increasing and currently about 800 millions people suffer from hunger and sub nutrition. The worldwide cereal stock has been slashed since the beginning of the 90s. In 1995 they were reduced to 17 %, which is below the critical limit of 19 %. Advanced states and international organisations deal with the question of ensuring enough food for the starvings mostly in developing countries. Food surplus, indeed improper for its constitution and nutritional values, is typical in the developed countries, which is one of the causes of increasing civilizing diseases.

That is why new recourses and new ways to produce agricultural commodities are looked for, which would influence current unfavourable nutritional trend. The priority is to find ways to increase supply of high quality protein, fiber, minerals and vitamins.

Amaranth – general information

Amaranth was grown by Aztecs, Incas and Mayas as their main food, they called it “the golden grain” and even healers used it for their ritual ceremonies. The rarest was its grain, which could be stocked for the whole year. For its features amaranth is important as a prevention for people of all ages. Lysine has a unique meaning for small children (it supports the production of brain cells) and minerals,Amaranth (Caudatus) - garden sort vitamins, unsaturated fatty acids, quality protein for sportsmen, which support the growth of muscular matter. Amaranth recovers cells and influences metabolism significantly. In the last several years amaranth was rediscovered as a cereal for common use and since then sponsored by general public.

High content of protein and outstanding assimilation ability is characteristic for amaranth. Also portion of essential amino acid lysine indispensable for mental development is higher than in other known cereals. The portion of high valuable vegetable fats is substantial. Amaranth assures well-balanced nourishment concerning minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and vitamins B, C and E.

So far according to the botanical classification 60 species of amaranth genus have been preserved in the nature. Generally they are wild plants and only a few of them are grown for the harvest. These plants resemble classical utility grasses (cereals), but they have a lot of differences as well. They provide two Amaranth (Olpir) - agricultural sort food profits. Not only grains, but also their eatable leaves. They are yearlong, fast growing, requiring straight sunshine, they do not need any special soil and they are dry resistant. They originate from the tropics of the American and Asian continents. Some species assimilated to shorter light days and to the elevation of 3500 metres. The optimum temperature is 20 °C to 45 °C.

The amaranth plant has a very tiny grain, in diameter 1 to 1,5 mm, small weight (1000 grains/g), whitish to beige and brownish to black colour. The utility species prefer light colours. The grain’s shape is lenticular. The harvest is possible three times a year according to the climate.


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What is amaranth?

Amaranth belongs to the so called improper cereals (pseudo-cereals), ancient Mayas and Aztecs grew it already. It became their sacred plant it is called the third-millennium crop-plant due to its high nutritional value and modest demands at growing. It contains a high-quality protein, oil with squalene and high proportion of unsaturated fatty acids, high-quality roughage and starch. It does not contain any gluten – protein, which otherwise causes damage in intestines at celiac patients.

Amaranth – general information

Chemical constitution of amaranth grains and leaves

Qualitative chemical composition of amaranth grains is for all species typical, but their values can differ. The leaves of amaranth contain proteins with advantageous portions of essential amino acids; they are extremely rich in minerals (Ca, K, P, Mg, Fe) and especially in anti-oxygen vitamin C and beta-carotene. The grain contains 7 % of oil, where a high portion of essential fatty linoleic acid (70% unsaturated fatty acids) and essential squalene (6,5 %) is. High protein content (17%), gluten free, dietary fiber (15%) and high content of minerals (Ca, K, P, Fe) put amaranth on remarkable place in comparison to other plants.

Amaranth growing

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