Quinoa

Quinoa, although it is often categorized with grains, is a seed crop native to South America. It falls under the goosefoot family (Chenopodium), which includes weeds like lambs quarters, swiss chard, and sugar beet. The seeds and leaves of a happily-growing quinoa plant are edible. Its seeds are treated like a grain in cooking and the leaves are used like spinach. Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) is commonly known among Quechua peoples as kinwa or kinuwa. Quechua people are descendants of the Inca who made contact with conquistadors over 500 years ago, hence its common name, Inca wheat.

Plant seeds sparsely in a thin layer in sandy, loamy soil up to one inch deep, a few inches apart if you are sowing outdoors. When seedlings become three to four inches tall, thin them to 18 inches apart or transplant them to separate areas in your garden. Within just a few months you’ll have a tall brightly colored stem and lots of seeds to harvest from your garden. Naturally, quinoa plants grow in mountainous areas with little irrigation. Most quinoa varieties grow with only 10-15 inches of rainfall in one year.

Cumin seeds is full flavored seeds from  the cumin plant and it is used as a spice to make many good recipes. In modern-day food culture, cumin is a key ingredient in Mexican, Asian, Indian, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern cuisines.

It can be said that all the components of quinoa, from the stem and the leaves of the plant itself, have medicinal and food uses. Saponins obtained from quinoa can be used in the pharmaceutical industry. Because saponins can cause changes in intestinal permeability, which can be useful for the absorption of certain drugs and in the effect of hypocholesterolemia. Saponin can also be used as an antibiotic and to control fungi among other medicinal properties.

Medicinal uses

• People take quinoa by mouth for high levels of blood fats called triglycerides and cholesterol.
• It helps to improve urinary tract infections.
• It is also used for weight loss.
• The carbohydrates in quinoa are known as one of the best sources of energy for athletes and bodybuilders. Quinoa contains high amounts of protein and essential amino acids that help improve muscle building during bodybuilding exercises.
• Quinoa is also used in foods to replace grains like wheat for people who need to avoid gluten, like those with celiac disease.

Precautions

• When taken by mouth: Quinoa is LIKELY SAFE when eaten as a food. There isn't enough reliable information available to know if quinoa is safe to use in larger amounts as a medicine or what the side effects might be. Some people are allergic to quinoa. Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if quinoa is safe to use when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use of amounts higher than those found in food.
• Allergy to other foods used as grains: Quinoa may cause an allergic reaction in people who are sensitive to foods used as grains, such as buckwheat, wheat, and rice. If you have allergies to grains, be sure to check with your healthcare provider before using quinoa.

The only thing that should be observed about quinoa, which is actually considered one of the disadvantages of quinoa seeds, is that quinoa contains some oxalate. This substance interferes with the absorption of calcium and is harmful for people with kidney problems or those whose kidneys produce oxalate stones, so they should be careful when using it.