Slender Amaranth

Biological Name:

Amaranthus spp. (Slender-Amaranth)

Natural Habitat:

Slender-Amaranth: Fields and meadows, North America

Description:

Slender-Amaranth also known as Amaranthus is a plant that is native to grassland and prairie regions of North America. It is an annual herb that can grow up to six feet tall and it has small oval-shaped leaves and small inconspicuous flowers that are typically green or yellow in color. The plant is known for its slender upright growth habit and it is often used as a forage crop for livestock.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Is slender amaranth edible?
A: Summary. An excellent substitute for spinach. Leaves, the leafy stems and flower clusters are cooked and have a mild flavour. The seed is cooked whole.
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Q: Does amaranth have side effects?
A: Side-Effects & Allergies of Amaranth Grain For people with intolerance to lysinuric protein, eating amaranth may cause diarrhoea and stomach pain. Moreover, another side effect of lysine increase body’s calcium absorption, and bring free, damage-causing amount of calcium in the body.
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Q: What happens if you eat raw amaranth?
A: Amaranth cannot and should not be eaten raw. While there are no known toxicities associated with this grain, cooking it is essential. It has anti-nutrients. Most grains contain anti-nutrients like oxalates and phytates which can bind to vitamins and minerals, leaving them unavailable to your body.
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Q: Does amaranth cause kidney stones?
A: … The presence of oxalate in food decline the availability of calcium and magnesium and for human being it can promote kidney stone development. From analysis of 30 genotypes amaranth’s grain, the average concentration of oxalate was 229 mg/100 g (Gelinas and Seguin 2017) .
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Q: Is amaranth healthier than quinoa?
A: While quinoa has proteins as good as 8 grams per cup, amaranth has 9 grams per cup. Amaranth has double the protein than rice or wheat, Makhija added. Quinoa has 3 grams of iron per cup and amaranth has 5 grams of iron in the same quantity which makes it a richer food, she points out.
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Q: What is Amaranthus viridis used for?
A: Amaranthus viridis is used as traditional medicine in the treatment of fever, pain, asthma, diabetes, dysentery, urinary disorders, liver disorders, eye disorders and venereal diseases. The plant also possesses anti-microbial properties.
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Q: Is eating amaranth good for you?
A: Amaranth is a nutritious, gluten-free grain that provides plenty of fiber, protein and micronutrients. It has also been associated with a number of health benefits, including reduced inflammation, lower cholesterol levels and increased weight loss.
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Q: Can we eat amaranth daily?
A: There are plenty of ways to enjoy amaranth as a part of your daily diet: Boil whole amaranth grain in a 3/1 ratio of water to amaranth to make porridge. Pop dried amaranth like popcorn and eat it as a snack. Put popped amaranth on salads or in soups.
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Q: Is amaranth a drug?
A: Amaranth is a plant. The seed, oil, and leaf are used as food. The entire plant is used to make medicine. Amaranth is used for ulcers, diarrhea, swelling of the mouth or throat, and high cholesterol, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
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Q: What are the side effects of amaranth?
A: Side-Effects & Allergies of Amaranth Grain For people with intolerance to lysinuric protein, eating amaranth may cause diarrhoea and stomach pain. Moreover, another side effect of lysine increase body’s calcium absorption, and bring free, damage-causing amount of calcium in the body.
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Q: How is amaranth eaten?
A: Cooked amaranth can be used in soups, stews, chili or in place of rice in most recipes. Amaranth seeds can be stored in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 6 months. Amaranth flour can be used to make muffins, breads, and pancakes.
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Q: Is amaranth poisonous?
A: Avoid eating too much amaranth from agricultural fields. The leaves (like those of spinach, sorrel and many other greens) also contain oxalic acid, which can be poisonous to livestock or to humans with kidney issues of eaten in large amounts.
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Q: Why is amaranth seed banned in the US?
A: Like all azo dyes, Amaranth was, during the middle of the 20th century, made from coal tar; modern synthetics are more likely to be made from petroleum byproducts. Since 1976 Amaranth dye has been banned in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a suspected carcinogen.
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Q: What happens if you eat amaranth everyday?
A: The nutrients in amaranth can offer significant health benefits as a part of a healthy diet. It’s a source of vitamin C, which is vital to the body’s healing process because it helps process iron, form blood vessels, repair muscle tissue, and maintain collagen.
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Q: Why did the Spanish ban amaranth?
A: In the 16th century the Spanish conquistadors banned the plant’s cultivation, fearing that the spiritual connection with it would stymie the establishment of Catholicism on the continent. But the Incas and Mayans continued to grow amaranth.
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Q: Can you eat amaranth without cooking it?
A: We can’t digest raw amaranth. It’s like eating raw rice or raw beans. It’ll pass right through our digestive tract without change. It’s necessary to either cook it or puff it so we can digest it and enjoy the benefits of this amazing superfood.
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Q: Is amaranth healthy to eat?
A: Amaranth is a nutritious, gluten-free grain that provides plenty of fiber, protein and micronutrients. It has also been associated with a number of health benefits, including reduced inflammation, lower cholesterol levels and increased weight loss.
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Q: What is the common name of amaranth?
A: graecizans (common names in English include wild amaranth, prostrate amaranth, and spreading pigweed) is a cultivated annual in Nigeria (but also remains as a weed) and the leaves are eaten as vegetables and used as livestock feed.
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Q: What amaranth is best for eating?
A: Although some amaranth plants can grow to 8 feet, the veggie and seed varieties tend to top out at 3 to 4 feet. He suggests the Burgundy variety as a good option if you want to be able to eat the seeds, microgreens, and leaves.
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Q: How do you eat amaranth?
A: Amaranth can be used in savory dishes as well as a sweet breakfast porridge, while the popped amaranth can be sprinkled over salads, stirred into soups, baked into breads and cookies, or simply enjoyed as a snack or even a breakfast cereal. The flour can be incorporated into baked goods like bread and pizza dough.
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Q: What is amaranth called in English?
A: Blood amaranthSpecies:A. cruentusBinomial nameAmaranthus cruentus L.Synonyms
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Q: Is amaranth a spinach?
A: Red spinach is a member of the plant family Amaranthaceae, which includes nearly 2,500 species ranging from spinach to beetroot to grains such as amaranth and quinoa. Belonging to the Amaranthus genus, red spinach is nearly identical to its green cousin Amaranthus viridis, also known as slender amaranth.
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Q: How does amaranth taste like?
A: They have a sweet and nutty flavor and are a bit crunchy when cooked. The greens of the plant are also edible and have a sweet flavor.
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About the author

Samuel is a gardening professional and enthusiast who has spent over 20 years advising homeowners and farm owners on weed identification, prevention and removal. He has an undergraduate degree in plant and soil science from Michigan State University.