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AYURVEDIC FOODS

AMARANTH

Health Benefits & Uses

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Ayurvedic Perspective on Amaranth
Similars: Foods and herbs similar to Amaranth
Indications: Amaranth may benefit these symptoms
Research: Effects on tongue, nervous system, temperature, elimination, etc.
Comments and reviews

How Does This Ayurvedic Food Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Since Amaranth is lighter and dryer than wheat or corn, it is an ideal grain for Kapha dosha. It is a perfect alternative to oatmeal in the spring diet. Although light, it is still satisfying. It is perhaps the ideal comfort food.

Its light & dry qualities dry up excess mucus and Kapha dampness, which benefits the lungs and respiratory system. Its dryness can dry up mucus congestion in the respiratory system. Amaranth is also a diuretic.

It does not contain any gluten and is safe for those who are gluten intolerant. Amaranth contains 30% more protein than rice, and four times as much calcium as wheat. It is recommended for people with anemia because it is high in iron (blood building). It is also high in manganese and magnesium (a muscle relaxor).

Amaranth is a cereal of contradictions. It is soft but crunchy, sweet but dry. It energizes but at the same time relaxes the muscles. It is especially soothing and cooling to the eyes, which is evidence of its Pitta reducing effects. At least one client reported, "It makes me feel bright and alert." It has a relatively neutral to warm temperature effect overall.

Amaranth may suppress appetite because of its astringency, which seems to absorb all moisture from the mouth. It is easy to digest for most individuals, although some kapha individuals will report, "The gooeyness of amaranth felt heavy on my stomach. I felt full very fat." Amaranth bulks up the stool, but may also dry out stools as well. As a stool binding agent, it can relieve diarrhea in some individuals.

ABOUT AMARANTH

Amaranth represented up to 80% of the caloric intake of the Aztecs before the Spanish conquest. Amaranth tastes somewhat like corn, but is somewhat less sweet. Others have described the taste as nutty, like bacon or wood, or slightly bitter. It is soft, yet due to astringency leaves a rough sensation on the mouth.

COOKING AMARANTH

Browse Recipes Amaranth is a versatile grain that works well in soups, as a breakfast porridge, or mixed with other grains and served with rice. It improves with seasoning due to its neutral taste. It is easy to cook. It can be popped like popcorn and mixed with honey, nuts and raisins. To balance the dry astringency, oily, sweet, sour and salty ingredients are often paired with amaranth. Amaranth requires alot of water in cooking, and must be fully cooked to be digestible.

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WHY EAT AN AYURVEDIC DIET?

Eating Ayurvedically makes you feel nourished and energized. An Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body type and the specific imbalances you are working with at any given time. Ayurveda shows you your specific body type’s needs and what should be favored in your Ayurvedic menu. Watch as you eat less but feel more satisfied because what you are eating truly nourishes you. Since Ayurveda believes all disease begins in the digestive tract, food is your first medicine. By eating a healthy diet that’s ideal for your body, you experience optimal health.

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When I Eat Amaranth:

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I FEEL BETTER I FEEL WORSE I FEEL THE SAME

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Is Amaranth Good for My Ayurvedic Diet?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether Amaranth is a good fit for your body type. Time to complete: approximately 1 minute.

SERVING SIZE: 1/4 c

SPECIES: Amaranthus L. spp.

FAMILY: Amaranthaceae

MEAL: BREAKFAST, LUNCH-DINNER

STYLE: LATIN-AMERICAN

PREPARATION: BOILED, ROASTED, STEAMED

EAT IN: SPRING, SUMMER

FOR OCCASION: BUSY-DAY, CLEANSE, ON-THE-MEND, TRAVEL-FRIENDLY

AYURVEDIC MEDICINAL BIOCHARACTERISTICS

See a complete list of all biocharacteristics.

INCREASES

Increases These Biocharacteristics (Gunas)

Functional Ayurveda helps you assess imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics (gunas). Aggravating these characteristics weakens your body and causes imbalance. By knowing which characteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct imbalances before you get sick. Every characteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold). You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite characteristic.

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DRY

ABOUT DRY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Dry is identified by lack of moisture, lack of fat, or anything that causes diuresis.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DRY

LIGHT

ABOUT LIGHT BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Lightness is identified by reduced weight.

LEARN MORE ABOUT LIGHT

TASTES

The 6 Tastes

Taste is used to sense the most basic properties and effects of food. Each taste has a specific medicinal effect on your body. Cravings for food with certain tastes indicate your body is craving specific medicinal results from food. Taste is experienced on the tongue and represents your body's reaction to foods. Sweet taste causes physical satisfaction and attraction whereas bitter taste causes discomfort and aversion. Kapha should use less sweet taste while Vata and Pitta would benefit from using more sweet taste. One of the first signs of illness is that your taste and appetite for food changes. The six tastes are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Do you crave foods with any of the tastes below?

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ASTRINGENT

ABOUT ASTRINGENT BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Astringency is characterized by constriction, drawing together, or drying.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ASTRINGENT

SWEET

ABOUT SWEET BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Sweet refers to anything builds tissue, including macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SWEET

DOSHAS

The Three Doshas / Body Types

According to the biocharacteristic theory of medicine, people tend to get sick, over and over again, due to habitual causes and imbalances that are unique to the person. Your body type summarizes this tendency, showing you the 'type' of conditions and imbalances that frequently challenge your health & wellness. Using body type, you can also identify remedies likely to improve your strength and resiliency. Your body type identifies physical and mental characteristics as well as your personal strengths and weaknesses. The calculation of your body type is based on your medical history.

The 3 functional body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha). Catabolic individuals tend to break down body mass into energy. Metabolic individuals tend to burn or use energy. Anabolic individuals tend to store energy as body mass. Catabolic people tend to be easily stimulated, hyperactive, underweight and dry. Metabolic people tend to be rosy-cheeked, easily irritated, focused, driven, and easily inflamed. Anabolic people are heavy, stable and grounded, but if they store too much energy, they could gain weight easily and have congestion.

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PACIFIES	AGGRAVATES

HAS THE FOLLOWING

Moves Energy:

Downward

DOWNWARD

Downward-moving (Adho Gati Marga) substances move food downward in the GI tract, settle the nervous system, and relax muscles.

SEE ALL 'DOWNWARD' FOODS / HERBS

Tissue (dhatu):

Red Blood

RED-BLOOD

Red blood (Rakta Dhatu) includes red blood cells and blood vessels.

SEE ALL 'RED-BLOOD' FOODS / HERBS

Blood Plasma Lymph

BLOOD-PLASMA-LYMPH

Plasma (Rasa Dhatu) includes plasma, white blood cells, and lymph.

SEE ALL 'BLOOD-PLASMA-LYMPH' FOODS / HERBS

Subdosha:
Pitta Alochaka
Affinity:
Bowel Poop Elimination, Cleanse And Detox, Energy Vitality, Muscle Health
Family:
Amaranthaceae

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES

Experiences are Personal

Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.

Here are the herbal actions of Amaranth:

Digestion:

Appetite Suppressant

APPETITE-SUPPRESSANT

Suppresses hunger without causing weight gain.

SEE ALL 'APPETITE-SUPPRESSANT' FOODS / HERBS

Bowel Health:

High Fiber Laxative

HIGH-FIBER-LAXATIVE

A class of laxative that adds bulk and water to stools. The size of a stool stimulates peristalsis and the stool passes more easily through the colon. It is important to drink plenty of water when using high fiber laxatives, as they can be dehydrating.

SEE ALL 'HIGH-FIBER-LAXATIVE' FOODS / HERBS

Mind, Stress & Sleep:

Nerve Relaxant Grounding

NERVE-RELAXANT-GROUNDING

Encourages feelings of stability and heaviness. Makes you feel settled, mentally relaxed. Mildly sedates the nervous system to ease stress. Can bring a spacey or anxious person back to earth. Reduces agitation, irritation, stress and racing thoughts.

SEE ALL 'NERVE-RELAXANT-GROUNDING' FOODS / HERBS

Relaxes Eyes

RELAXES-EYES

Eases tension in eye muscles, so the eyes feel less strained, often by supporting the liver.

SEE ALL 'RELAXES-EYES' FOODS / HERBS

Energy Vitality:

Satisfies Stomach

SATISFIES-STOMACH

Provides a sense of gratification and fullness in the stomach.

SEE ALL 'SATISFIES-STOMACH' FOODS / HERBS

Nutritive

NUTRITIVE

An herb that is strengthening and nourishing.

SEE ALL 'NUTRITIVE' FOODS / HERBS

Skin Care & Beauty:

Soothing

SOOTHING

Calms and alleviates irritation, discomfort or pain in a particular region.

SEE ALL 'SOOTHING' FOODS / HERBS

Demulcent

DEMULCENT

Herbs that coat or form a soothing film over a mucous membrane, relieving minor pain and inflammation of the membrane.

SEE ALL 'DEMULCENT' FOODS / HERBS

Respiratory-Health:

Clears Sinuses

CLEARS-SINUSES

Cleanses sinuses by draining excess mucus, allowing for clear, easy breathing.

SEE ALL 'CLEARS-SINUSES' FOODS / HERBS

Decongestant

DECONGESTANT

An herb that reduces mucus production often by restricting blood flow to mucus membranes.

SEE ALL 'DECONGESTANT' FOODS / HERBS

Heart & Circulation:

Alterative

ALTERATIVE

Restores the proper function of the body by cleansing the blood and balancing blood chemistry. In Ayurveda terms, they pacify Pitta in rakta. They were traditionally used to revitalize and detoxify after a long winter.

SEE ALL 'ALTERATIVE' FOODS / HERBS

Blood Tonic

BLOOD-TONIC

An herb that produces more blood cells in the body, or otherwise improves blood cell quality or hemoglobin content. Helpful for anemia and other types of deficiency.

SEE ALL 'BLOOD-TONIC' FOODS / HERBS

Hemostatic

HEMOSTATIC

An herb that stops bleeding.

SEE ALL 'HEMOSTATIC' FOODS / HERBS

Kidney & Urinary:

Diuretic

DIURETIC

Herbs that promote urine formation, thereby flushing the kidneys and urinary tract while eliminating any excess water retention. As diuretics reduce water retention, they are often used to reduce blood pressure.

SEE ALL 'DIURETIC' FOODS / HERBS

Strength, Muscle Health:

Muscle Relaxant

MUSCLE-RELAXANT

Herbs that relax muscles. Helpful for chronic pain or tension as well as healing from physical trauma.

SEE ALL 'MUSCLE-RELAXANT' FOODS / HERBS

Relieves Tension

RELIEVES-TENSION

An herb that releases tightness, constriction, and rigidity in a muscle.

SEE ALL 'RELIEVES-TENSION' FOODS / HERBS

Muscle Tonic

MUSCLE-TONIC

Herbs that strengthen and tone muscle tissue. Helpful for people recovering from long term illness and debility, or after a sprain.

SEE ALL 'MUSCLE-TONIC' FOODS / HERBS

Constituents:

Betaine

STRONG BETAINE

Used to reduce homocysteine in the blood, which supports proper liver function and prevents fatigue and blood clots. Improves muscle stamina and weight loss.

SEE ALL 'BETAINE' FOODS / HERBS

Calcium

CALCIUM

Calcium nourishes bones and muscles. A muscle cell is activated when calcium enters the cell. It relaxes when the calcium is secreted.

SEE ALL 'CALCIUM' FOODS / HERBS

Iron

IRON

Iron is necessary for the transport of oxygen in red blood cells.

SEE ALL 'IRON' FOODS / HERBS

Magnesium

MAGNESIUM

Helps muscles relax. Laxative.

SEE ALL 'MAGNESIUM' FOODS / HERBS

, Manganese, Protein, Selenium, Carbohydrate,

Phytates

PHYTATES

Phytates prevent absorption of nutrients. They are commonly found in all seeds, including nuts, grains, and beans. Sprouting greatly reduces phytate content, as well as long, slow cooking with vinegar.

SEE ALL 'PHYTATES' FOODS / HERBS

Joyful Belly is a recognized school of biocharacteristics medicine.

Compare Amaranth with these Foods

Compare the following foods with Amaranth:

Popped Amaranth

Popped Amaranth has these Actions in Common

Soothing, Blood-tonic, Demulcent, High-fiber-laxative, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Relieves-tension, Alterative, Clears-sinuses, Diuretic, Muscle-relaxant, Nutritive, Satisfies-stomach, Appetite-suppressant, Decongestant, Hemostatic, Muscle-tonic, Relaxes-eyes

LEARN MORE

Sorghum Flour

Sorghum Flour has these Actions in Common

Diuretic, Nutritive, Blood-tonic, High-fiber-laxative, Relaxes-eyes, Demulcent, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Satisfies-stomach

LEARN MORE

Jackfruit

Jackfruit has these Actions in Common

Muscle-tonic, Satisfies-stomach, Hemostatic, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Soothing, High-fiber-laxative, Nutritive, Demulcent

LEARN MORE

Pumpkin

Pumpkin has these Actions in Common

Muscle-relaxant, Relaxes-eyes, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Relieves-tension, Alterative, Nutritive, Satisfies-stomach

LEARN MORE

Buckwheat

Buckwheat has these Actions in Common

Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Muscle-relaxant, Nutritive, Blood-tonic, Muscle-tonic, Satisfies-stomach, Diuretic

LEARN MORE

Hemp Seed

Hemp Seed has these Actions in Common

Muscle-relaxant, Relaxes-eyes, Diuretic, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Satisfies-stomach, High-fiber-laxative, Nutritive

LEARN MORE

Dates (dried)

Dates (dried) has these Actions in Common

Blood-tonic, High-fiber-laxative, Demulcent, Muscle-tonic, Alterative, Diuretic, Nutritive

LEARN MORE

Almonds

Almonds has these Actions in Common

Muscle-relaxant, Nutritive, Blood-tonic, Muscle-tonic, Satisfies-stomach, High-fiber-laxative, Nerve-relaxant-grounding

LEARN MORE

Cassava Root / Yuca

Cassava Root / Yuca has these Actions in Common

Appetite-suppressant, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Soothing, Demulcent, Nutritive, High-fiber-laxative, Satisfies-stomach

LEARN MORE

Beets

Beets has these Actions in Common

Muscle-relaxant, Relaxes-eyes, Alterative, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Satisfies-stomach, Blood-tonic, Nutritive

LEARN MORE

Compare Amaranth with these Herb Supplements

Compare the following herb supplements with Amaranth:

Gokshura

Gokshura has these Actions in Common

Diuretic, Muscle-relaxant, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Nutritive, Relieves-tension, Soothing, Alterative, Demulcent

LEARN MORE

Vidari

Vidari has these Actions in Common

Nutritive, Soothing, Alterative, Demulcent, Diuretic, Hemostatic, Muscle-tonic, Nerve-relaxant-grounding

LEARN MORE

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha has these Actions in Common

Muscle-relaxant, Muscle-tonic, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Nutritive, Relieves-tension, Alterative, Blood-tonic, Diuretic

LEARN MORE

Oats, Fresh Milky Seed

Oats, Fresh Milky Seed has these Actions in Common

Soothing, Blood-tonic, Muscle-relaxant, Muscle-tonic, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Nutritive, Relieves-tension

LEARN MORE

Cornsilk

Cornsilk has these Actions in Common

Hemostatic, Nutritive, Soothing, Alterative, Demulcent, Diuretic

LEARN MORE

Shatavari

Shatavari has these Actions in Common

Demulcent, Muscle-tonic, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Nutritive, Relaxes-eyes, Relieves-tension

LEARN MORE

Motherwort

Motherwort has these Actions in Common

Muscle-relaxant, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Relieves-tension, Alterative, Diuretic, Hemostatic

LEARN MORE

Holy Basil Leaf (Tulsi)

Holy Basil Leaf (Tulsi) has these Actions in Common

Blood-tonic, Clears-sinuses, Decongestant, Diuretic, Muscle-relaxant, Nerve-relaxant-grounding

LEARN MORE

Shirodhara Treatment

Shirodhara Treatment has these Actions in Common

Muscle-relaxant, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Nutritive, Relieves-tension, Soothing

LEARN MORE

Self Massage

Self Massage has these Actions in Common

Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Nutritive, Relieves-tension, Soothing, Muscle-relaxant

LEARN MORE

Vata Shirodhara Oil

Vata Shirodhara Oil has these Actions in Common

Demulcent, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Nutritive, Relaxes-eyes, Relieves-tension

LEARN MORE

Amaranth Research & Clinical Trials

In each clinical research trial below, students from the Joyful Belly School of Ayurveda ate the selected food for 3 days and reported the pharmacological effects. See other clinical research trials for diet & herbs at Joyful Belly.