Eragrostis tef
2 associations assessed — none with dependable human evidence behind them yet. Strongest first.
The smallest cultivated cereal grain, domesticated in the Ethiopian highlands and fermented into the sourdough flatbread injera. Because the seed is too small to mill into fractions, teff is eaten whole by default. The USDA reference entry is for cooked teff, not the dry grain.
Also known as Tef, Taff, Williams' lovegrass
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.
There is not enough human research on teff and blood glucose to say anything useful. A small number of short studies exist, results conflict, and the wholegrain literature is not specific enough to fill the gap.
Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.
There is no dependable evidence that teff improves iron status. The high iron figures often quoted are confounded by soil contamination during traditional threshing, and no trial has measured haemoglobin or ferritin against a comparator grain.
Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.
Randomised controlled trial · International journal of food sciences and nutrition · 2012 · PMID 22081981
Unclassified · Journal of human nutrition and dietetics : the official journal of the British Dietetic Association · 2012 · PMID 21749488
Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.
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.
| Nutrient | Amount | % DV |
|---|---|---|
| Macronutrients | ||
| Calories | 101 kcal | 5% |
| Protein | 3.87 g | 8% |
| Total fat | 0.65 g | 1% |
| Carbohydrate | 19.9 g | 7% |
| Fibre | 2.8 g | 10% |
| Water | 74.9 g | — |
| Fats | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Vitamins | ||
| Vitamin A | 0 µg | 0% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.183 mg | 15% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.033 mg | 3% |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.909 mg | 6% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.097 mg | 6% |
| Folate | 18 µg | 5% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 µg | 0% |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium | 49 mg | 4% |
| Iron | 2.05 mg | 11% |
| Magnesium | 50 mg | 12% |
| Phosphorus | 120 mg | 10% |
| Potassium | 107 mg | 2% |
| Sodium | 8 mg | 0% |
| Zinc | 1.11 mg | 10% |
| Copper | 0.226 mg | 25% |
| Manganese | 2.86 mg | 124% |
| Other measured compounds | ||
| Ash | 0.69 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: Teff, cooked (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 168918).
% 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.
Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.
Polyphenol (class)
An umbrella term for thousands of plant phenolic compounds. Useful as a category, but a "high polyphenol" figure says nothing about which compounds…
Fermentable carbohydrate
Starch that escapes digestion in the small intestine and is fermented in the colon. Cooking and cooling starchy foods increases the amount present.
Phosphate ester
The main phosphorus store in seeds. Reduces absorption of iron and zinc from the same meal; soaking, sprouting and fermentation lower it.
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.
The two to three day natural sourdough fermentation of injera batter substantially lowers phytate and improves in-vitro iron and zinc availability, alongside the flavour change.
Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.
Worth knowing
Teff has a reputation as an exceptional iron source that rests partly on contamination: the grain is tiny and traditionally threshed on soil, so iron-rich dust is difficult to separate out. Carefully cleaned teff contains considerably less iron than older analyses suggested, and phytate limits absorption of what is there.
Worth knowing
As a whole grain eaten with its bran, teff carries phytate that binds iron and zinc in the meal. The long natural fermentation used for injera lowers it appreciably.
Worth knowing
Teff itself contains no gluten, but commercially sold injera is frequently made with teff blended with wheat or barley flour, and mills handling multiple grains create cross-contamination risk.