Quinoa and its benefits with Diabetes

Quinoa (pronounced Keen-Wah)

I saw this great article from Tracey Roizman, D.C., and it made me hungry for some quinoa salad (recipe to follow). The article is great at explaining some of the benefits of this delicious seed.

Quinoa originates from the Andes, where it has been cultivated for the last 6,000 years. Though not a true grain, quinoa seeds are eaten like a grain and the leaves are also eaten, though they are not widely available commercially. Quinoa is gluten-free and its protein quality is comparable to that of cow's milk, according to the Purdue University website. Recent research has revealed some compelling benefits of quinoa for blood sugar control and diabetes treatment.

Glucose Reduction
Quinoa reduced blood glucose by 10 percent in rats fed a high-fructose diet, according to a Polish study published in the December 2010 "Plant Foods and Human Nutrition." Other elements were similarly improved on the quinoa diet, including a 26 percent reduction in total cholesterol and an 11 percent reduction in triglycerides. Additionally, the researchers noted that while quinoa decreases triglyceride levels, it did not, however, have any ability to prevent adverse effects caused by the elevated triglycerides from the high-fructose diet.

Appetite Control
Its appetite-controlling properties may give quinoa an edge in the weight control aspect of diabetes treatment and prevention. An Italian study published in the November 2005 "British Journal of Nutrition" compared alternative grains, such as quinoa, oats and buckwheat to conventional grains, such as wheat and rice. The researchers concluded that white bread resulted in the least satiety. All of the alternative grains had higher degrees of satiety, resulting in lower overall food consumption. The researchers recommended quinoa for its ability to encourage less food consumption.

Blood Lipids
Decreased oxidation of blood lipids and increased antioxidant capacity of the blood, heart, kidney, testis, lung and pancreas were observed in a Polish study on quinoa in rats fed a high-fructose diet. As part of the study, published in the June 2010 "Plant Foods and Human Nutrition," researchers fed quinoa to the test animals at 310 g per kilogram of body weight for five weeks, along with a high-fructose diet. The researchers noted that the quinoa helped to maintain normal enzyme activity for certain enzymes and decreased levels of malondialdehyde, a byproduct of oxidation.

Antioxidant
In a study of 10 Peruvian Andean grains, pseudocereals and legumes, quinoa was found to be among the richest in the antioxidant quercetin and exhibited the highest antioxidant activity, at 86 percent. The Brazilian study, published in the August 2009 "Journal of Medicinal Food," indicates potential benefits for using these foods as effective management tools for Type II diabetes.