Know2eat

Amaranth

Amaranthus caudatus

What amaranth has been studied for

2 associations assessed — 2 with at least some human evidence behind them. Strongest first.

  • 2 Limited
3 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About amaranth

A pseudocereal domesticated in Mesoamerica and the Andes, related to beets and spinach rather than to grasses, and eaten as a porridge or popped. The USDA reference entry is for cooked grain, which absorbs roughly two and a half times its dry weight in water.

Also known as Amaranth grain, Kiwicha, Rajgira, Huauhtli

Blood Sugar & Metabolic HealthHeart Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Limited

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Blood glucose response

Blood Sugar & Metabolic Health
Limited evidence

Evidence is limited and mixed. Amaranth starch is highly digestible, and some trials report a glucose response no lower than that of refined grains, so its pseudocereal status should not be read as a metabolic advantage.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Blood lipid profile

Heart Health
Limited evidence

Evidence is limited. A few small trials of amaranth grain or amaranth oil report modest reductions in total and LDL cholesterol, and the squalene and phytosterol content offers a plausible route, but the studies are small and not consistently reproduced.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Amaranth

Ask about Amaranth

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories102 kcal5%
Protein3.8 g8%
Total fat1.58 g2%
Carbohydrate18.7 g7%
Fibre2.1 g8%
Water75.2 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin E0.19 mg1%
Thiamin (B1)0.015 mg1%
Riboflavin (B2)0.022 mg2%
Niacin (B3)0.235 mg1%
Vitamin B60.113 mg7%
Folate22 µg6%
Minerals
Calcium47 mg4%
Iron2.1 mg12%
Magnesium65 mg15%
Phosphorus148 mg12%
Potassium135 mg3%
Sodium6 mg0%
Zinc0.86 mg8%
Copper0.149 mg17%
Manganese0.854 mg37%
Selenium5.5 µg10%
Other measured compounds
Ash0.77 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Amaranth grain, cooked (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 170683).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • sproutedReduces phytate

    Germinating amaranth activates phytase and lowers phytate, improving in-vitro availability of iron and zinc.

  • cookedReduces oxalate

    Boiling in plenty of water and draining removes part of the soluble oxalate, as it does for other high-oxalate plants.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Worth knowing

    Oxalate and kidney stones

    Amaranth grain contains more oxalate than cereal grains do, and amaranth leaves contain a great deal. People who form calcium oxalate kidney stones are usually advised to keep total oxalate intake in check, which means treating amaranth differently from rice or oats.

  • Worth knowing

    Gluten-free but cross-contaminated in practice

    Amaranth contains no gluten, but it is frequently milled and packed in facilities handling wheat, so coeliac consumers need certified product rather than bulk-bin grain.

  • Worth knowing

    Phytate and mineral absorption

    The whole seed carries phytate that binds iron, zinc and calcium in the meal. Soaking, sprouting or popping lowers it.