Amaranth: The Nutritive Value and Potential Uses of the Grain and Byproducts

In 1966 the National Academy of Sciences held a symposium on the Prospects of World Food Supply, at which Dr. Paul Manglesdorf presented a paper entitled “Genetic Potentials for Increasing Yields of Food Crops and Animals” [1]. Dr. Manglesdorf pointed out that, although humans during the course of their existence have used some 3,000 species of plants, only about 150 of those had entered commercial production. Apart from edible vegetables and fruits, approximately 21 species are today feeding humankind, including eight cereal grains, eight food legumes, two oil-containing food legumes, and three starchy food crops. Significant improvements in production and use have been realized throughout the years of intensive and continuous study by national and international agricultural research institutions. Still, it is recognized that this food base is narrow, and its exclusive use could lead to serious problems if the efforts against disease, insects, and environmental conditions are not continued. Furthermore, an important and vital activity in the effort to improve all these agricultural food crops is collecting their germ plasm as a source of needed genetic variability. The relatively small number of edible grains suggests a need to introduce other food crops into production and commercial systems, and the logical choice would be those that are known to have played an important role in past civilizations and that are still produced and used today to some extent. There are several of these, and one of them is amaranth. Reports by a number of researchers indicate that amaranth was a very important crop in Aztec, Mayan, and Incan civilizations. Current thinking is that its production was significantly reduced as the result of restrictions imposed by the Spanish conquerors due to its association with religious festivities. Today, it is still produced, and foods such as alegría and alboroto are prepared on a small scale in Mexico and Guatemala respectively [2-6]. In Guatemala some native populations consume it as a porridge; however, it is considered a poor man’s food. The leaves, consumed as a vegetable, are highly regarded, and their consumption is widespread throughout many countries. They are an excellent source of carotenes and have a high protein content, and supplement cereal grain efficiently [7, 8]. The research effort to bring amaranth back into production and commercial systems is a relatively recent undertaking. It has been reinforced by the economic support given by the National Academy of Sciences, through its Board on Science and Technology for International Development, to a number of researchers in various parts of the world such as Thailand, Kenya, Mexico, Guatemala, and Peru. In comparison with the funding given to other food crops and with the number of researchers involved, the support for amaranth is relatively small; however, some significant advances have been made, and recognition of the potential of this crop throughout the world is beginning to grow. Expectations for it are great because of its exceptionally high nutritional value [6, 9, 10]. Because of the present availability of high-quality maize, triticale, wing beans, quinua, and the like, the question arises whether amaranth grain will enter into commercial production in the underdeveloped world, where it is most needed. The possibilities are great if integrated research is continued and if the information obtained is disseminated at all levels within a country or region. By integrated research is meant research on all components of the food chain, as well as on their value as vegetable crops and the use of their by-products.