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Adding superfoods to your diet is always an excellent idea. As a superfood, quinoa is especially rich in certain vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that can make you healthier. Superfoods range from the very familiar, such as spinach, salmon, black beans, cinnamon, and blueberries, to the exotic, such as algae, kombucha, goji berries, hempseed, and noni. Over the past several years, quinoa has moved from the exotic category to the familiar, becoming widely available in stores and widely used in everyday recipes.

What makes quinoa a superfood?

• Quinoa is mega-nutritious . A cup of cooked quinoa contains 222 calories, 39 grams of carbs, 8 grams of protein, and 4 grams of fat and delivers 58 percent of the RDA (recommended daily allowance) of manganese, 30 percent of the magnesium, 28 percent of the phosphorus, 19 percent of the folate, 18 percent of the copper, 15 percent of the iron, and 13 percent of the zinc.

• Quinoa is a fantastic source of antioxidants. Antioxidant molecules do their work by slowing down or blocking a chemical reaction in the body called oxidation, which affects the components in the food you eat: fat, protein, and carbohydrates. Oxidation can damage or kill cells in your body. Antioxidants stop this process, which means they help prevent cellular damage and, say many nutrition experts, a lot of the disorders related to it. Antioxidants also fight disease by supporting immune function.

• Quinoa has powerful anti-inflammatory capabilities . Its antioxidants fight chronic inflammation caused by persistent injuries, toxins, or viruses in the body, or by autoimmune reactions. Lasting weeks, months, or even years, chronic inflammation can lead to fibrosis (as in Crohns disease), tissue destruction (as in gum disease), and wounds that dont heal. It has been implicated in disorders from allergies to rheumatoid arthritis, and scientific evidence now suggests that inflammation can play a part in depression.

• Quinoa is said to be a cancer fighter . By helping reduce oxidation and prevent cellular damageespecially damage to DNAquinoas antioxidant punch could help reduce your risk of cancer. Similarly, the anti-inflammatory power of quinoa may protect you against various cancers related to chronic inflammation.

• Quinoa is heart-healthy . A great delivery system for good fats, quinoa has monounsaturated fat oleic acid and the omega-3 fat alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). ALA is an anti-inflammatory, which suggests it could reduce inflammatory damage to your blood vessels and your risk of various cardiovascular diseases, including atherosclerosis and angina.

• Quinoa combat obesity . An unhealthy diet high in calories and saturated fat not only adds to your waistline, it can also cause chronic inflammation. This is especially true for habitual overeaters, who consistently trigger acute (short-term) inflammation that over time becomes chronic.

• Quinoa may reduce your risk of diabetes . Studies have shown that eating high-fiber, high-protein foods like quinoa decrease your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Quinoa also has a low glycemic index of 53, so it doesnt cause the blood sugar spikes that can send insulin levels haywire. Quinoas anti-inflammatory properties also come into play, reducing the chronic inflammation thats a type 2 diabetes risk factor.

• Quinoa may help delay the aging process . It can help reduce the chronic inflammation that some scientists think contributes to the muscle loss that comes with aging. Researchers are also studying anti-inflammatories in the treatment of stroke and neurodegenerative problems such as memory loss.
  
• Quinoa is much richer in fiber than most grains . It gives you more of the benefits of fiber, such as improved digestive health and lower cholesterol levels. All that fiber makes you feel full without eating a whole lot of quinoa, and feeling satisfied longer means you eat less of the fattening stuff.