Thursday, September 20, 2012

Cereal bars with quinoa reduce risk factors related to cardiovascular diseases

Quinoa is considered a pseudocereal with proteins of high biological value, carbohydrates of low glycemic index, phytosteroids, and omega-3 and 6 fatty acids that bring benefits to the human health. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of quinoa on the biochemical and anthropometric profile and blood pressure in humans, parameters for measuring risk of cardiovascular diseases. Twenty-two 18 to 45-year-old students were treated daily for 30 days with quinoa in the form of a cereal bar. Blood samples were collected before and after 30 days of treatment to determine glycemic and biochemical profile of the group. The results indicated that quinoa had beneficial effects on part of the population studied since the levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL-c showed reduction. It can be concluded that the use of quinoa in diet can be considered beneficial in the prevention and treatment of risk factors related to cardiovascular diseases that are among the leading causes of death in today’s globalized world. However, further studies are needed to prove the benefits observed.

Source:
FARINAZZI-MACHADO, Flávia Maria Vasques et al. Use of cereal bars with quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa W.) to reduce risk factors related to cardiovascular diseases. Ciênc. Tecnol. Aliment. [online]. 2012, vol.32, n.2, pp. 239-244. Epub Apr 12, 2012. ISSN 0101-2061.

2 comments:

JoLynn said...

What kind of cereal bars were used or is there a recipe for the cereal bars one could make? I would love to have this information. It is very interesting.

JoLynn said...

We use quinoa in stir-fry dishes in place of rice. It has a nutty taste and settles well.