cooked amaranth greens is often discouraged, particularly for consumption by smallchildren, as thenitrates in the leaves can be converted tonitrites,similarly to
spinach.[
]Amaranth seeds, like buckwheatandquinoa, contain protein that is unusually complete
for plant sources.[13]Most fruits and vegetables do not contain a complete set of aminoacids, and thus different sources of protein must be used.Several studies have shown that like oats, amaranth seed or oil may be of benefit for those with hypertension and cardiovascular disease; regular consumption reduces blood pressure and cholesterol levels, while improving antioxidant status and some immune parameters.[14][15][16]While the active ingredient in oats appears to be water soluble
fiber, amaranth appears to lower cholesterol via its content of plant stanols andsqualene.
Amaranth as a weed
Not all amaranth plants are cultivated. Most of the species from
Amaranthus
are summer annual weeds and are commonly referred to as pigweeds.[17]These species have anextended period of germination, rapid growth, and high rates of seed production[17] and
have been causing farmers problems since the mid-1990’s. This is partially due to thereduction in tillage, reduction in herbicidal use and the evolution of herbicidal resistancein several species where herbicides have been applied more often.[18]The following 9
species of
Amaranthus
are considered invasive and noxious weeds in the U.S andCanada:
A. albus
,
A. blitoides
,
A. hybridus
,
A. palmeri
,
A. powellii
,
A. retroflexus
,
A. spinosus
,
A. tuberculatus
, and
A. viridis
.[19]A new strain of the Palmer amaranth has appeared which is Glyphosate-resistant and as a
result cannot be killed by the widely used Roundupherbicide. Also, this hardy plant can
survive in tough conditions. This could be of particular concern to cottonfarmers using
Roundup Readycotton.[20]The species,
Amaranthus palmeri
(Palmer amaranth), causesthe greatest reduction in soybean yields and has the potential to reduce yields by 17-68%in field experiments.[17]Palmer amaranth is among the “top five most troublesomeweeds” in the southeast and has already evolved resistances to dinitroanilines andacetolactate synthase inhibitors.[21]This makes the proper identification of
Amaranthus
species at the seedling stage essential for agriculturalists. Proper herbicide treatmentneeds to be applied before the species successfully colonizes in the crop field and causessignificant yield reductions.Anecdotal reports indicate that some people are allergic to amaranth.[
]
Notes
^
Juan et al (2007). Electrophoretic characterization of
Amaranthus
L. seed proteins and its systematic implication. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society155: 57-63.^
Costea, M & D. DeMason (2001). Stem morphology and anatomy in AmaranthusL. (Amaranthaceae)- Taxonomic significance. Journal of the Torrey BotanicalSociety 128(3): 254-281.
Judd et al (2008). Plant Systematics: A Phylogenetic Approach, Third Edition.Sinauer Associates, Inc. Sunderland, MA
Mosyakin & Robertson (1996). New infrageneric taxa and combinations in
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