Amaranth represents something of a two-for-one food crop. When young, the plant yields large quantities of a spinachlike cooking green. Later in the season, the plant's seeds mature, yielding a nutritious grain suitable for cooking or flour making. Along with dietary fiber and minerals, amaranth contributes vitamins to the daily diet, in some cases surpassing more familiar foods. Amaranth leaves beat out spinach on vitamin C, while amaranth grains boast more Vitamin B-6 and folate than barley.
Vitamin A
The cooked leaves of amaranth provide 73 percent of the vitamin A you need each day. Vitamin A promotes healthy vision, contributes toward fetal development and helps bolster your immune system, according the University of Maryland Medical Center. Children who don't get enough vitamin A are more likely to develop measles, according to a study cited by UMMC. Vitamin A also promotes healthy bones and skin.
Vitamin C
At 90 percent of the recommended daily value, one serving of cooked amaranth leaves provides almost all of the vitamin C you need for the day. Vitamin C is one of the antioxidant vitamins that help fight free radicals. The damaging particles known as free radicals threaten your immune system and hasten the effects of aging. Vitamin C also helps maintain teeth and bones. It also builds collagen, for faster wound healing and younger-looking skin. Among the conditions that vitamin C may help protect you from are high blood pressure, heart disease, some cancers, macular degeneration and the common cold.
Riboflavin
A cup of cooked amaranth greens contains 10 percent of the vitamin B-2, or riboflavin, that your body requires each day. Riboflavin is one of the B-complex vitamins, which provide energy by turning food into fuel. Elderly people are at most risk of developing a deficiency in the nutrient, according to UMMC. Signs of poor B-2 intake include sores, weakness and frequent headaches. Proper amounts of riboflavin may help prevent cataracts, according to the medical university.
Vitamin B-6
Both the leaves and the grains of amaranth are a good source of vitamin B-6, with the leaves contributing 12 percent and the grains 14 percent of your daily recommended value of the vitamin. Another energy boosting B-complex vitamin, B-6 may also be an important tool for fighting depression, premenstrual syndrome, and vomiting and nausea experienced during pregnancy, according to UMMC. It also advises proper B-6 consumption to protect you from heart disease, Parkinson's disease and rheumatoid arthritis.
Folate
Both leaves and grains of amaranth are a good source of folate (vitamin B-9), with the cooked greens providing 19 percent of your daily recommended value of the nutrient, and the grains providing 14 percent. Folate helps the body turn food into fuel; may help prevent certain birth defects; and protects the body against heart disease, cancer and hearing loss, according to UMMC. Researchers link depression in some patients to low levels of folate in their systems, the medical university notes.
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