1.
Sources and Composition
1.1
Sources
Amaranth is the common name used to refer to plants in the amaranthus genus (of the Amaranthaceae family).
Species used in supplementation include amaranthus tricolor,[1] amaranthus paniculatus, amaranthus caudatus, and amaranthus cruentus.[2]
While the grain of these plants is used nutritively, the leaves are also sometimes used as dietary supplements.[1]
1.2
Composition
2.
Cardiovascular Health
3.
Interactions with Glucose Metabolism
3.1
Blood Glucose
One study using the leaves of amaranthus tricolor (9 grams over three months) in postmenopausal women found that supplementation was associated with a 10.4% reduction in fasting glucose compared to control.[1] This change was attributed to the antioxidant properties of the leaves, as benefit was also found in this study with Moringa oleifera which acts via its antioxidant content.[1]
4.
Inflammation and Immunology
4.1
Macrophages
When tested in RAW 264.7 macrophages, amaranth seeds and sprouts from amaranthus cruentus (10 μg/mL) appeared to exert an antiinflammatory effect by inhibiting NF-kB translocation and limiting the amount of IL-6 secreted after stimulation from LPS.[2]
5.
Interactions with Oxidation
5.1
General
In postmenopausal women given supplemental amaranth (9 grams of the leaf powder) over the course of three months, supplementation appeared to have a small benefit to the amount of the antioxidant enzyme known as superoxide dismutase (SOD; increase of 10.8%) and concomitant decrease in lipid peroxidation (9.6% assessed by MDA).[1]
References
- ^Kushwaha S, Chawla P, Kochhar AEffect of supplementation of drumstick (Moringa oleifera) and amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor) leaves powder on antioxidant profile and oxidative status among postmenopausal womenJ Food Sci Technol.(2014)
- ^Tyszka-Czochara M et al.Selenium Supplementation of Amaranth Sprouts Influences Betacyanin Content and Improves Anti-Inflammatory Properties via NFκB in Murine RAW 264.7 MacrophagesBiol Trace Elem Res.(2016)
- ^Khandaker L, Ali MB, Oba STotal Polyphenol and Antioxidant Activity of Red Amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor L.) as Affected by Different Sunlight LevelJ Japan Soc Hortic Sci.(2008)
- ^Subramanian D, Gupta SPharmacokinetic study of amaranth extract in healthy humans: A randomized trialNutrition.(2016)