The Gluten-Free Qualities of Quinoa

Originating from the Andean region of South America, quinoa was harvested for thousands of years by Andean civilizations, long before it became popular across the rest of the world in recent years. In fact, the awesome qualities of quinoa have now been celebrated by the United Nations General Assembly, who declared that 2013 would be the International Year of Quinoa. How many other seeds can say that?

Gluten-Free Greatness

Quinoa is not a grain, and has no association to wheat, so it is gloriously gluten-free. Removing gluten from your diet can help tremendously in making you feel less bloated. If you have a gluten intolerance you could find yourself feeling much better when eating quinoa than when eating foods derived from wheat, barley and rye.

Super Appetite Suppressant

Just one of the great things about quinoa is the fact that it helps you to eat less. Researchers at the University of Milan conducted a study where it was found that people consuming quinoa in the morning would feel full and eat less food through the course of a day. Due to its high levels of protein combined with low calorie count, quinoa provides nutritional value and helps you to slim down.

Rich in Vitamins and Minerals

Quinoa is rich in a variety of B vitamins, including riboflavin, thiamine, folate and vitamin B6. If that wasn’t enough, 100 grams of uncooked quinoa contains more than half of your daily recommended intake of magnesium and phosphorus, and a third of zinc and iron.

Packed with Protein

14% of the mass of quinoa is protein, making more protein-rich than both brown rice and barley. It also contains all nine of the essential amino acids in enough proportion to be considered a complete protein, so by eating quinoa regularly you could avoid your body suffering from a deficit in any of the essential amino acids.