Amaranth is a grain that originated in the ancient Americas. The grain is ground into a flour and used to make bread, noodles, cookies, cereal and other grain-based products. It is also gluten-free, and makes a healthy alternative to wheat-based flours. However, as a grain, amaranth contains carbohydrates and can raise your glucose levels.
Glucose
Blood glucose is the measure of the amount of sugar, or glucose, levels in your blood. The glucose comes from the food you eat, primarily carbohydrate-containing foods such as grains, flour, fruit, milk and sweets. The glucose in your blood is used as a source of energy. For most people, the body is able to regulate the amount of glucose in the blood to keep it within safe levels. However, if you have diabetes your body either does not make enough or cannot properly use one of the hormones that helps regulate blood sugar, known as insulin.
Amaranth Flour Nutrition
While amaranth flour is a source of carbohydrates, it is also higher in protein than most other grains. It is also high in lysine, one of the essential amino acids, that is lacking in most other grain foods. A 1/4 cup serving of ground amaranth flour contains 110 calories, 2 g of total fat, 0.5 g of saturated fat, 20 g of carbohydrates, 3 g of fiber, 4 g of protein and 6 mg of sodium. Amaranth flour can also help you meet some of your vitamin and mineral needs. One serving meets 2 percent of your daily value for vitamin C, 4 percent of your daily value for calcium and 12 percent of your daily value for iron.
Carbohydrates and Glucose
After you eat a food containing carbohydrates, like the amaranth flour, your body breaks it into sugar, which in turn raises your blood glucose levels. However, you can manage the effects the carbohydrates have on your blood sugar by controlling the amount of carbohydrates you eat. The American Diabetes Association suggests you limit your meal carbohydrate intake to 45 to 60 g. While you don't eat amaranth flour by itself, a slice of amaranth flat bread contains 15 g of carbohydrates, according to the Glycemic Index website.
Glycemic Index
Not all carbohydrates affect your blood sugar in the same manner. Some cause a rapid spike in blood sugar, referred to as high glycemic foods, while others cause only a slight rise in blood sugar over a longer period of time, referred to as low-glycemic foods. The amaranth flat bread has a high glycemic index, as do most other foods made with the amaranth flour. Eating foods made with amaranth flour causes a rapid spike in your blood sugar.
References
- Purdue University; Amaranth; D.H. Putnam, et al.; November 1989
- MedlinePlus; Glucose Test - Blood; David Dugdale
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders; Celiac Disease; September 2008
- American Diabetes Association: Carbohydrate Counting
- Bob's Red Mill: Organic Amaranth Flour Nutrition Information
- The Glycemic Index: GI Database
