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Amaranth unconventional food in human nutrition
ŠESTÁKOVÁ, Irena
The subject of the Bachelor thesis is amaranth as an innovative component in human nutrition. Genus Amaranthus L. belongs to the family of Amaranthaceae. Amaranth is an annual dicotyledonous C4 plant. The seeds are smooth, lenticular and in cultural species are pink or yellow up to cream-colored. In the Czech Republic the weight of thousands of seeds circles around 0.6 to 0.8 grams. The whole aboveground part of the plant is edible. Usually people consume only seeds and leaves. Plant species grown for its seeds are Amaranthus hypochondriacus, Amaranthus cruentus and Amaranthus caudatus. Some species are grown as a leaf vegetable, such as Amaranthus tricolor, Amaranthus dubius and Amaranthus gangeticus. Plants are resistant to the higher salinity and have increased ability to draw nutrients from the soil. The plants are able to manage with the supply of soil moisture; therefore it fits also in drier areas. During the vegetation it is necessary to get rid of weeds, especially removing related wild plants whose seeds cannot be separated from cultural forms. Amaranth seeds ripen unevenly. The date of the harvest is selected depending on the variety, sowing date and weather conditions. Suitable storage humidity is 12%. Yield in our conditions varies between 600 and 2400 kg / ha. The estimated yield per hectare varies between 4 and 14 tons of fresh leaves. The use of amaranth in food industry has a wide range such as bakery, meat industry, children's nutrition, pharmaceutical industry, cosmetic industry and energy industry. Amaranth is from the nutritional standpoint, highly prized plant. The content of proteins is about 18%. Amaranth protein is important in terms of higher lysine content, therefore if it is appropriately used in someone´s diet, it can replace animal protein. Carbohydrates of amaranth are listed in quantities of over 60 %, the most important carbohydrate of amaranth is starch, which has an extremely small grain (1 2 ?m) and it is useful for nutrition, where it can be part of easily digestible nutritional beverages and products. Fats of amaranth are in the range of 6 - 8 %. From the dietary point of view, it is important to sustain high content of unsaturated fatty acids and squalene, which is known for its antioxidant and chemoprotective effect. Another components of amaranth oil are phytosterols, which have a preventive effect against atherosclerosis. Other important ingredients of amaranth are substances such as phenolic flavonoid rutin, which increases the resistance of capillary walls and improves the absorption of vitamin C in the intestines. Amaranth is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. However, Amaranth grain and leaves also contain anti-nutritional and toxic substances. By the influence of the selective breeding, way of storage and processing such substances in the plant gradually decreased. Researches have shown that amaranth has wide preventive effect. It does not cause any allergic reactions and does not contain gluten. For that reason it is suitable for inclusion in the diet of coeliacs. Amaranth contains antihypertensive peptide and in diabetics it reduces the risk of a lack of insulin in the blood and it has been shown and anticancer effect. Eating amaranth has a positive effect on the immune system and body supply of iron. Amaranth is also a good ingredient in nutritional drinks and enteral nutrition. The suitability of this crop in the diet of all age groups is indisputable. In seniors it affects cell regeneration and metabolism, and in children the importance of lysine, which promotes the formation of new brain cells. Amaranth is for its toughness and content of many nutrients, minerals and vitamins referred to as the third crop Millennium, which may be one of the solutions to food shortages in developing countries.
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