Red amaranth is a summer vegetable with a characteristic purple-red color thanks to its rich betacyanin content, a powerful antioxidant compound, similar to that in amaranth.
According to research from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), red amaranth has the ability to reduce oxidative stress in the liver, preventing liver cell damage caused by environmental toxins or metabolic disorders.
In addition, red amber is rich in vitamins A, C, iron, magnesium and soluble fiber, which help reduce cholesterol, improve liver enzymes and support the regulation of blood glucose, an important factor in preventing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
A report by the World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes amaranth as one of the 10 vegetables with the highest anti-inflammatory ability among tropical vegetables.
Here are 3 healthy dishes from this rustic vegetable:
recipes 1: Red amaranth soup with shrimp - anti-inflammatory, liver-healthy
Ingredients:
1 bunch of washed red amaranth, cut into pieces
150g peeled fresh shrimp
Spices: purple onions, fish sauce, pepper
Shrimp is rich in zinc and protein, when combined with betacyanin and vitamin C from amaranth, it helps enhance liver detoxification function and reduce acute hepatitis.
Shrimp paste provides a large amount of flavonoids, helping to increase the synthesis of glutathione - an important antioxidant of the liver.
recipes 2: Red amaranth smoothie with pineapple and apple - support fatty liver
Ingredients:
1 handful of boiled red amaranth
1⁄2 pineapple
1⁄2 green apple
1 tablespoon lemon juice, 100ml filtered water
This is a detox dish suitable for people who are on a diet or have signs of fatty liver.
Red amaranth provides phenolic acid and betanin, pineapple contains bromelain - an enzyme that helps rid inflammation, while green apples supplement pectin, which helps eliminate toxins through the intestines.
Vegetable smoothies rich in antioxidants help reduce blood lipids and improve liver enzymes ALT, AST after 4 weeks of regular use.
recipes 3: stir-fried red amaranth with garlic - increases liver detoxification enzymes
Ingredients:
Wash the red amaranth, drain
2-3 cloves minced garlic
every once in a while, olive oil or sesame oil, spices are just enough
Garlic contains allicin - an active ingredient that can activate liver enzymes such as cytochrome P450, helping the liver detoxify more effectively. Combined with red amaranth rich in anthocyanin helps protect liver cell membranes from oxidants.
Notes when using red amaranth:
People with kidney stones or oxalate metabolism disorders should eat in moderation (2-3 meals/week) because amaranth can contain oxalate.
Choose clean vegetables, wash them thoroughly and cook them to avoid pesticide or parasitic leftovers.
Do not eat amaranth in combination with foods rich in calcium (such as field crab) because it can create fruit that is not good for digestion.
