Amaranth
In short
Summary of findings for quick reference
The same tiny seeds can become a soft porridge, flour or crisp popped grains. In Mexico they go into alegría sweets, while in India the grain is known as rajgira and eaten during fasting. The three principal grain species originated in the Americas. Leaves have their own history as vegetables in Africa and Asia, including Chinese spinach from Amaranthus tricolor. Amaranth therefore covers several foods whose properties cannot simply be interchanged.
The grain is naturally gluten free, contains around 14 to 15.5 % protein and supplies more lysine than most cereals. For a coeliac diet, choose products labelled gluten free, since shared mills or packing lines can introduce gluten. Leaves contain oxalate and nitrate, and boiling in water followed by draining reduces both substantially. Grain also contains oxalate. Anyone who forms calcium oxalate stones should discuss both grain and leaves with their dietitian.
In law, amaranth is a food. Nutrition claims such as “source of protein” or “source of magnesium” may appear on a product that meets the set conditions. They do not confirm any effect of the plant. The European Commission has not yet completed its assessment of health claims for botanicals, and in 2025 the Court of Justice confirmed that such claims cannot be used until it has, apart from transitional arrangements. The oil deserves a close look. In one small controlled trial, total and LDL cholesterol were higher with amaranth oil than with rapeseed oil. The red colour Amaranth E123, meanwhile, is a synthetic azo dye whose safety assessment says nothing about the plant.
Clinical evidence ↔ Historical significanceWe display two separate evidence categories: clinical evidence from modern trials and historical significance from documented healing tradition. Both are valuable, but they answer different questions.Read more
In every encyclopedia entry we evaluate two distinct categories of evidence. Clinical evidence as used in trials meets a narrower but scientifically essential bar. At the same time, the hundreds of thousands of plant species worldwide have only partially been captured and tested in modern studies.
Alongside the trial picture our researchers compile a comprehensive overview of where and since when a plant has been used across different traditions of natural medicine. When a plant has been used as a medicinal plant in many cultures across many generations, that historical significance deserves to be visible too.
Our position: a truly informative overview emerges only when both categories sit side by side. We communicate transparently what counts as what.
Overview
Amaranth belongs to the genus Amaranthus in the family Amaranthaceae. The principal grain crops are the Mesoamerican Amaranthus cruentus and Amaranthus hypochondriacus and the Andean Amaranthus caudatus, known as kiwicha. Their tiny seeds are pseudocereals: you can cook them like cereals, although the plants are not grasses. Vegetable amaranths include Amaranthus dubius, Amaranthus hybridus and Amaranthus tricolor, widely grown in Asia. Both the species and the plant part determine which food use or study result is relevant.
The American grain species have a long history of cultivation. In Mexico, huauhtli belonged to Aztec meals and religious ceremonies, while kiwicha was grown in the Andes. Leaf vegetables have their own traditions in Africa and Asia. The grain contains protein with comparatively abundant lysine, minerals and fibre, and its oil contains squalene. These constituents make amaranth a versatile kitchen ingredient. They do not establish a reliable cholesterol-lowering benefit. One small human trial found higher cholesterol values with amaranth oil than with rapeseed oil.
History
Grain amaranth was cultivated in Mesoamerica and the Andes. One important early site is Coxcatlán Cave in Mexico’s Tehuacán Valley. There Jonathan Sauer identified Amaranthus cruentus only tentatively in a layer dated to about 4000 BCE, but positively in six layers dated between about 2500 BCE and the Spanish conquest. The dates belong to the layers, not to individual seeds, and Sauer found no evidence that the plant was domesticated at the site. The Andes have their own grain crop, Amaranthus caudatus, or kiwicha. All of this concerns the grain species. Leaf amaranths have ancient traditions of their own in Africa and Asia.
The Aztec names huauhtli for the grain and tzoalli for its dough connect everyday food with ceremony. In the Florentine Codex, Book 3 tells how the body of Huitzilopochtli, shaped from amaranth dough, was broken up and shared out, and Book 7 describes a dough figure topped with cooked maize grains so that people could eat it. Today’s Mexican sweet alegría binds popped seeds with honey. Grain amaranth lost prominence after the conquest but stayed in the kitchen. The story that the Spanish formally banned its cultivation is often told, but it is less securely documented than the ceremonial use itself.
Mechanism
Composition varies with species, variety and processing. Reviews put the protein content of dry amaranth grain at around 14 to 15.5 %, and that protein is rich in lysine, the amino acid in short supply in wheat, maize and most other cereals. The grain also supplies magnesium, calcium, iron and fibre. Its seed oil contains squalene, a hydrocarbon, up to 8 % of the oil according to a 2007 publication. What a high concentration means for a person’s health is something only a human study can show.
The oil, fibre and plant sterols prompted experiments on cholesterol metabolism. In hamsters, grain and oil altered cholesterol distribution and the excretion of particular sterols, but they did not act identically across the pathways studied. A human comparison with rapeseed oil produced a different result. Mineral concentrations also do not reveal how much the body absorbs: phytate and oxalate can affect availability. Nitrate concentrates particularly in leaves, while oxalate occurs in both leaves and grain. Preparation and safety therefore need to be considered separately for each plant part.
In 2003, Berger and colleagues studied hamsters on a high-cholesterol diet for four weeks. Their feed contained 10 or 20 % Amaranthus cruentus grain, or 2.5 or 5 % crude amaranth oil. With 5 % oil, total and non-HDL cholesterol were 15 and 22 % lower than in controls. With 20 % grain, non-HDL cholesterol fell and HDL rose. Both preparations also changed faecal excretion of particular neutral sterols and the bile acid ursodeoxycholate. These results describe an animal model, rather than a serving recommendation or an established human effect.
In 2011, Ballabio and colleagues examined proteins from 40 amaranth varieties using biochemical and immunological laboratory methods. In most samples, gluten-like proteins measured by ELISA were below 20 ppm. The study supports using suitable amaranth varieties in gluten-free foods, but it was not a feeding trial in people with coeliac disease. Avoiding gluten contamination remains essential for finished products.
A double-blind randomised comparison published in 2019 studied 44 adults with overweight or obesity, none of whom dropped out. They took 20 ml of amaranth or rapeseed oil daily for three weeks and, after a three-week washout, the other oil for the same period. Mean total cholesterol rose by 5.52 mg/dl with amaranth oil and fell by 8.43 mg/dl with rapeseed oil. The LDL changes were +4.43 and −7.55 mg/dl. Both between-oil differences were statistically significant, with p = 0.002 for each, while the other markers showed no statistically significant difference. This short trial measured blood markers rather than heart attacks, and tested oil rather than cooked grain.
In 2007, Gélinas and Seguin analysed grain from 30 field-grown amaranth genotypes. Total oxalate ranged from 178 to 278 mg per 100 g of grain, with a mean of 229 mg. Around 80 % was insoluble. Boiling did not reduce total oxalate in this experiment and increased the soluble proportion. Human absorption was not measured. The authors suggested that absorption might be low because of the large insoluble fraction and the calcium and magnesium content, and called for bioavailability studies to test this.
Another randomised trial in 2020 accompanied a 21-day inpatient programme of calorie restriction and physical activity. Of 95 people with obesity who were randomised, 81 were analysed: 26 each received 20 ml of amaranth or rapeseed oil daily, and 29 received no added oil. Cholesterol fell within the amaranth group, but at the end total cholesterol, LDL, glucose and triglycerides showed no statistically significant difference between the groups. Only HOMA-IR, a calculated measure of insulin resistance, differed. This short trial tested oil within a broader programme and establishes neither a diabetes treatment nor long-term protection against heart disease.
Evidence
| Outcome | Class | Grade | Effect | Studies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nutritious staple food (grain and cooked leaf)Amaranth has several food traditions: American grain crops and cooked leafy vegetables in Africa and Asia. Historical texts document huauhtli and tzoalli. In Jamaica, callaloo refers to amaranth, while other Caribbean cuisines can use the name for other leaves. These records document food and culture rather than efficacy in treating disease.General population across many cultures using it as a food | TraditionalTraditional use. Long-standing folk practice or EMA HMPC traditional-use monograph. | DEvidence quality grade D. Preliminary signal. A single small trial, pilot result, or laboratory or animal model. Clinical relevance unclear. This is an evidence rating, not a product endorsement. | Traditional food use | |
| Gluten-free grain for gluten-free and coeliac dietsIn 2011, Ballabio examined proteins from 40 amaranth varieties in the laboratory. Gluten-like proteins measured by ELISA were below 20 ppm in most samples. The study was not a tolerance trial in people with coeliac disease. It supports suitable amaranth varieties as gluten-free ingredients, while finished foods still require prevention of gluten contamination.People avoiding gluten, including coeliac disease | EmergingEmerging research. Early small trials suggest an effect but await replication. | IEvidence quality grade I (Insufficient). Not enough evidence to draw a conclusion. More research needed. This is an evidence rating, not a product endorsement. | Compositional fact (gluten-free grain) | |
| Cholesterol markers (grain and squalene-rich oil)In 2003, Berger studied hamsters for four weeks with 10 or 20 % Amaranthus cruentus grain or 2.5 or 5 % crude seed oil in the diet. At 5 % oil, total and non-HDL cholesterol fell by 15 and 22 %, respectively. At 20 % grain, non-HDL fell and HDL rose. Animal findings do not establish a cholesterol-lowering effect in people, and a later human oil comparison was less favourable than rapeseed oil.Animal model (hamsters on a high-cholesterol diet) | EmergingEmerging research. Early small trials suggest an effect but await replication. | IEvidence quality grade I (Insufficient). Not enough evidence to draw a conclusion. More research needed. This is an evidence rating, not a product endorsement. | Animal model only | |
| Protein and lysine nutritionA review reports approximately 14 to 15.5 % protein in dry amaranth grain and 5.2 to 6.1 g lysine per 100 g protein. Most cereal proteins contain considerably less lysine. Composition varies with species, variety and processing. This is a nutritional finding rather than a measured benefit in treating disease.Dietary composition (the grain as a food) | EmergingEmerging research. Early small trials suggest an effect but await replication. | IEvidence quality grade I (Insufficient). Not enough evidence to draw a conclusion. More research needed. This is an evidence rating, not a product endorsement. | Compositional fact (high-lysine protein) | |
| Total and LDL cholesterol with seed oilIn a randomised crossover trial of 20 ml oil daily, total and LDL cholesterol were higher with amaranth oil than with rapeseed oil, with p = 0.002 for each. The 2021 publication concerns the same participants rather than an independent replication. The harm signal concerns this oil comparison and blood markers, not an ordinary serving of cooked grain or demonstrated heart attacks.44 adults with overweight or obesity | EmergingEmerging research. Early small trials suggest an effect but await replication. | FEvidence quality grade F. Evidence of harm at typical dose. Use not recommended. This is an evidence rating, not a product endorsement. | Less favourable human comparison |
The studies that matter.
44 adults with overweight or obesity completed a randomised crossover comparison of 20 ml amaranth or rapeseed oil daily. Total cholesterol changed by +5.52 versus −8.43 mg/dl and LDL by +4.43 versus −7.55 mg/dl, both differences p = 0.002. The short trial tested blood markers and oil, not heart attacks or cooked grain.
Dus-Zuchowska M et al. Amaranth Oil Increases Total and LDL Cholesterol Levels without Influencing Early Markers of Atherosclerosis in an Overweight and Obese Population: A Randomized Double-Blind Cross-Over Study in Comparison with Rapeseed Oil Supplementation. Nutrients 11(12):3069. doi:10.3390/nu1112306995 people with obesity were randomised and 81 analysed: 26 each received 20 ml amaranth or rapeseed oil daily and 29 had no added oil. All followed a 21-day inpatient programme of calorie restriction and activity. Final total cholesterol, LDL, glucose and triglycerides showed no statistically significant difference between groups, while HOMA-IR did. Within-group changes do not establish an advantage over the other groups.
Moszak M et al. Comparison of the effect of rapeseed oil or amaranth seed oil supplementation on weight loss, body composition and changes in the metabolic profile of obese patients following a 3-week body mass reduction program: a randomized clinical trial. Lipids in Health and Disease 19:143. doi:10.1186/s12944-020-01330-7Proteins from 40 amaranth varieties were examined biochemically and immunologically in the laboratory. Gluten-like proteins measured by ELISA were below 20 ppm in most samples. This supports suitable varieties as gluten-free ingredients, but is not a tolerance trial in people with coeliac disease. Contamination of the finished product must still be avoided.
Ballabio C et al. Biochemical and immunochemical characterization of different varieties of amaranth (Amaranthus L. ssp.) as a safe ingredient for gluten-free products. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 59(24):12969 to 12974. doi:10.1021/jf2041824Grain from 30 field-grown genotypes contained 178 to 278 mg total oxalate per 100 g, with a mean of 229 mg. Around 80 % was insoluble. Boiling did not reduce the total and increased the soluble proportion. Lower absorption because of the insoluble fraction, calcium and magnesium was a hypothesis, and actual bioavailability and clinical stone risk were not measured.
Gélinas B, Seguin P. Oxalate in grain amaranth. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 55(12):4789 to 4794. doi:10.1021/jf070384dThe archaeobotanical study tentatively identified Amaranthus cruentus in a Tehuacán layer around 4000 BCE and positively identified it in six layers from about 2500 BCE. Amaranthus hypochondriacus was identified only around 500 CE. The dates concern layers and establish neither direct radiocarbon testing of every seed nor local domestication at a precise date.
Sauer JD. Identity of Archaeologic Grain Amaranths from the Valley of Tehuacan, Puebla, Mexico. American Antiquity 34(1):80 to 81. doi:10.2307/278318
Usage
Forms and preparation
For cooked grain, the Whole Grains Council suggests one part amaranth to two parts water or stock, simmered for about 15 to 20 minutes. Variety, storage time and the texture you want affect cooking time, so add more liquid if needed. The soft result suits porridge or a side dish. Popped dry in a hot pan, the seeds burst open, and bound with honey they become the Mexican sweet alegría. Amaranth flour is often blended with other flours for bread and baking because it lacks the gluten that gives dough its structure. Seed oil is a separate ingredient with studies of its own and plays no part in these preparations. Wash young, tender leaves and boil them in water. Discard the cooking water when aiming to reduce oxalate and nitrate. A study of Amaranthus hybridus from four growing sites in Dar es Salaam found mean reductions of 39.2 % for nitrate and 40.2 % for oxalate after boiling and draining. These are results from that experiment rather than guaranteed reductions for every serving. Steaming and brief frying have not been established as equivalent for this purpose. Avoid large quantities of raw leaves. The vegetable is known as callaloo in Jamaica, while other Caribbean dishes can use the same name for other plant leaves.
Dosage
The studies described here do not establish a treatment dose for amaranth as a food. Use grain like rice, quinoa or porridge, and flour as part of a gluten-free blend. Serving size depends on your meals and any individual dietary plan. Leaves are eaten cooked in ordinary vegetable portions. The 20 ml of oil daily used in one short trial is an experimental protocol rather than a recommendation for treating cholesterol. The same applies to the large amaranth proportions in the hamster diet. Variety remains sensible. When avoiding gluten, choose products labelled gluten free, cook leaves appropriately, and obtain individual advice about grain as well if you form calcium oxalate stones.
Special populations
For children, older people, pregnancy and breastfeeding, grain use means ordinary food servings rather than a tested treatment. The short oil studies do not establish blanket safety for these groups. If you have coeliac disease, choose products labelled gluten free and avoid contamination. Leaves are eaten cooked, and large amounts of raw leaves should be avoided. Avoid the food if you have an amaranth allergy, and discuss leaves and grain with your dietitian if you form calcium oxalate stones. For concentrated oils and extracts, a label does not replace individual assessment, especially during pregnancy or breastfeeding or when taking regular medicines.
Safety
Drug interactions
Amaranth grain and leaves fall under the known interactions between medicines and diet. One of them concerns leafy vegetables and warfarin. The NHS advises against frequent changes in the amount of green vegetables you eat, because foods rich in vitamin K can affect how warfarin works. Keep your intake consistent and discuss changes with your anticoagulation clinic. The rule belongs to the medicine and applies to every green leafy vegetable alike. Concentrated oils and extracts are a different matter from a serving of grain or vegetables. If you take regular medicines, discuss such supplements with your doctor or pharmacist first. Oxalate and nitrate are separate questions of preparation and safety.
Contraindications
Even a food does not suit everyone. With allergy, coeliac disease, kidney stones or medicines, individual assessment matters, and grain, leaves and concentrated oils or extracts need separate consideration. Hypersensitivity to amaranth: anyone who reacts to it should avoid it. Coeliac disease or gluten avoidance: amaranth grain is naturally gluten free, but choose products processed to a gluten free standard to avoid cross contamination with gluten grains. If you form calcium oxalate stones or have been advised to follow a low-oxalate diet, discuss both amaranth leaves and grain with your dietitian. Large amounts of oxalate-rich foods should be limited when this is part of your treatment plan. Grain is not oxalate free, and boiling did not reduce its total oxalate in the reported experiment. Actual absorption and individual stone risk cannot be calculated from these laboratory values.
Side effects
Amaranth is eaten as grain and cooked greens, but food use does not rule out adverse reactions. Large quantities of fibre-rich foods can cause fullness. Allergic reactions are possible, up to and including anaphylaxis. In a case report from India, a 60-year-old woman developed itching in the mouth, a choking throat and facial swelling within minutes of eating rajgira flour, the amaranth flour eaten there on fasting days. Breathing difficulty, swelling in the mouth or throat, or circulatory symptoms require immediate medical help. Stop eating it and seek advice for other unexpected symptoms. Gluten from processing, nitrate in the leaves and oxalate in both leaves and grain give no immediate warning, so the advice on them still applies.
Look-alikes
Similar plants and look-alikes
Amaranth food colour (E123, FD&C Red No. 2)
A name collision, not a plant. The red food colour called Amaranth (E number E123, also FD&C Red No. 2) is a synthetic azo dye that has nothing to do with the plant Amaranthus. It is not made from amaranth, and its toxicology, acceptable daily intake and any restrictions belong to the dye, not to the food plant. Always check whether a source means the grain and leaf plant or the synthetic colour, because the shared name causes frequent confusion.
Grain amaranth versus leaf amaranth (different plant parts)
Grain, oil and leaves are different foods within the same genus. Grain is cooked or popped, seed oil contains squalene among other constituents, and leaves are used as vegetables. Nitrate is particularly relevant to leaves, while oxalate also occurs in grain. Findings for one species and plant part do not automatically apply to other species, plant parts or concentrated extracts. When reading a study, check whether it actually examined grain, seed oil or leaves.
Weedy pigweed amaranths (e.g. Amaranthus retroflexus) on nitrate-rich soil
Wild species such as Amaranthus retroflexus can accumulate nitrate under adverse growing conditions or with a high nitrogen supply. Nitrate-rich plants have caused poisoning in livestock. These reports cannot define a safe serving size for people. Use correctly identified vegetable species from known food sources. Choose young leaves, boil them and discard the water. Avoid large quantities of unknown wild plants or raw leaves. Cooking alone does not make a misidentified or heavily contaminated plant safe to eat.
FAQs
What part of amaranth is used, the grain or the leaf?
You can use the grain, its oil or the leaves. Grain is cooked, milled into flour or popped. Leaves are prepared as a vegetable and are known as callaloo in Jamaica. Elsewhere in the Caribbean, callaloo may contain leaves from other plants. Grain and leaves differ in composition, but both contain oxalate. A result for seed oil cannot be transferred to cooked grain or leafy vegetables.
Is amaranth gluten-free and safe for coeliac disease?
Amaranth grain is naturally gluten free. In a laboratory study of 40 varieties, gluten-like proteins measured by ELISA were below 20 ppm in most samples. This was not a tolerance trial in people with coeliac disease. In everyday use, the finished product matters: choose amaranth labelled gluten free and avoid contamination during milling, storage and preparation. Gluten-free status also does not prevent a separate allergy to amaranth.
Is amaranth approved by the European regulator for any health use?
The grain is a food. Nutrition claims such as “source of protein” are possible when the particular product meets the legal conditions. They do not authorise a therapeutic effect. Health claims require their own legal basis. In 2025 the Court of Justice clarified that pending assessment of botanical claims does not create a general permission to advertise with them. Exceptions depend on the applicable transitional provisions.
Does amaranth lower cholesterol?
A reliable cholesterol-lowering effect in people has not been established. The often-cited 2003 study tested hamsters rather than people. A small randomised comparison in 44 adults with overweight or obesity found higher total and LDL cholesterol with 20 ml of amaranth oil daily than with rapeseed oil. This argues against replacing rapeseed oil with amaranth oil to lower cholesterol. The effect of an ordinary serving of cooked amaranth grain remains unknown from this trial.
Why are amaranth leaves eaten cooked and not raw?
Amaranth leaves contain oxalate and nitrate. Boiling in water and then draining can reduce the amounts, but does not remove every compound completely. Steaming or briefly frying has not been established as equivalent to boiling and draining for this purpose. Young, tender leaves are the usual choice, and large quantities of raw leaves should be avoided. Grain also contains oxalate, although its composition and behaviour during cooking differ from those of leaves.
Is the food colour called Amaranth the same as the plant?
No, and this is a common mix-up. The red food colour called Amaranth (E123, also known as FD&C Red No. 2) is an unrelated synthetic azo dye that happens to share the name. It is not made from the plant Amaranthus, and any safety limits or toxicology figures discussed for that colour do not apply to the food plant amaranth.
How old is the tradition of amaranth?
In the Tehuacán Valley, Amaranthus cruentus was tentatively identified in a layer around 4000 BCE and positively identified in layers from about 2500 BCE. These finds do not give an exact date of domestication. Aztec sources document huauhtli as food and tzoalli as ceremonial dough. Leaf amaranths also have ancient traditions in Africa and Asia. The grain species come from the Americas, so European herbals written before the conquest could not yet have known them.
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Legal notice: The depiction of historical significance and traditional use is context within our encyclopedia and not a health claim for any product, not a treatment promise, and not a substitute for medical advice. What may be stated on product labels, product pages, or in advertising is governed by the applicable legal requirements.