Amaranth- a unique plant that can feed everyone, and not only. Amaranth got its name from the Greek word “maraino” (translated as “I do not wither” and “anthos” - “flower”).
Amaranth is a plant with a very ancient and dramatic history of cultivation. More than eight thousand years ago, amaranth began to be cultivated in South America and was the second grain crop after corn.
Amaranth products were part of the diet of the Aztecs and Incas. It is also known that amaranth was not only considered a grain crop, but also had medicinal and sacred powers.
In honor of amaranth, holidays and celebrations were held, rituals involving human sacrifices. Then amaranth was banned from cultivation and was forgotten; and only four centuries later they remembered him again.
In the 30s of the last century, the Russian scientist N. Vavilov became interested and began to study amaranth.
He became an active promoter of this culture in Russia.
But soon repression fell on a number of the largest scientists and scientific fields.
Persecution of genetics began, academician Nikolai Vavilov was arrested,
Research on amaranth is prohibited in Russia, and this crop is declared a weed.
N. Vavilov died in Saratov prison from exhaustion 3 years later, and amaranth was forgotten in Russia again..
Since the 80s, active research into the properties of amaranth in Russia has resumed.
It is interesting that our research institutes, when trying to find amaranth seeds for seedlings and food from several producers (and they can only be counted on one hand), received answers: everything was purchased in advance by government organizations.
Many people have already heard about the unique properties of this plant. And everywhere there is active research into the possibilities of its food and medical use, the benefits of which for the body are difficult to overestimate.
HEALING PROPERTIES amaranth have been known since ancient times. Amaranth oil is a well-known source of squalene.
SQUALENE– a substance that captures oxygen and saturates the tissues and organs of our body with it.
Squalene is a powerful antitumor agent that prevents the destructive cancerous effects of free radicals on cells. In addition, squalene easily penetrates through the skin into the body, affects the entire body and is a powerful immunostimulant.
The unique chemical composition of amaranth determines the limitlessness of its use as a remedy.
Ancient Russians used amaranth to feed newborn children; warriors took amaranth grains with them on difficult campaigns as a source of strength and health.
Currently, amaranth is successfully used in different countries in the treatment of inflammatory processes of the genitourinary system in women and men, hemorrhoids, anemia, vitamin deficiencies, loss of strength, diabetes, obesity, neuroses, various skin diseases and burns, stomatitis, periodontitis, gastric ulcers and duodenum, atherosclerosis.
Preparations containing amaranth oil reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood, protect the body from the effects of radiation exposure, and promote the resorption of malignant tumors, thanks to squalene, a unique substance included in its composition.
Squalene was first discovered in 1906. Dr. Mitsumaro Tsujimoto from Japan isolated an extract from the liver of a deep-sea shark, which was later identified as squalene (from the Latin squalus - shark).
From a biochemical and physiological point of view, squalene is a biological compound, a natural unsaturated hydrocarbon. In 1931, Professor of the University of Zurich (Switzerland), Nobel Prize winner Dr. Claur proved that this compound lacks 12 hydrogen atoms to achieve a stable state, so this unsaturated hydrocarbon captures these atoms from any source available to it.
And since the most common source of oxygen in the body is water, squalene easily reacts with it, releasing oxygen and saturating organs and tissues with it.
Deep-sea sharks need squalene to survive in conditions of severe hypoxia (low oxygen) when swimming at great depths.
And people need SQUALEN as an anticarcinogenic, antimicrobial and fungicidal agent, since it has long been proven that oxygen deficiency and oxidative damage to cells are the main causes of aging of the body, as well as the occurrence and development of tumors.
Until recently, squalene was extracted exclusively from the liver of deep-sea sharks, which made it one of the most scarce and expensive products. But the problem was not only its high cost, but also the fact that there is not so much squalene in the shark’s liver - only 1-1.5%.
UNIQUE ANTI-TUMOR PROPERTIES OF SQUALENE And such great difficulties in obtaining it have forced scientists to intensify their search to discover alternative sources of this substance.
It turned out that AMARANTH OIL contains 8-10% squalene!
This is several times more than in the liver of a deep-sea shark!
* During biochemical studies of squalene, many other interesting properties were discovered.
Thus, it turned out that squalene is a derivative of vitamin A and, during the synthesis of cholesterol, is converted into its biochemical analogue 7-dehydrocholesterol, which in sunlight becomes vitamin D, thereby providing ANTI-RADIATION properties. In addition, vitamin A is absorbed much better when it is dissolved in squalene.
Then squalene was discovered in the human sebaceous glands and caused a whole revolution in cosmetology. After all, being a natural component of human skin (up to 12-14%), it is able to easily be absorbed and penetrate into the body, while accelerating the penetration of substances dissolved in the cosmetic product.
In addition, it turned out that squalene in amaranth oil has unique WOUND-HEALING properties, easily copes with most skin diseases, including eczema, psoriasis, trophic ulcers and burns.
If you lubricate the area of skin under which the tumor is located with amaranth oil, the radiation dose can be significantly increased without the risk of getting a radiation burn.
The use of amaranth oil before and after RADIATION THERAPY significantly accelerates the recovery of the patient’s body, since squalene, when entering the body, also activates the regenerative processes of the tissues of internal organs.
The healing properties of amaranth have been known since ancient times. In ancient Russian medicine, amaranth was used as an ANTI-AGING REMEDY.
The ancient peoples of Central America – the Incas and Aztecs – also knew it. Among the ancient Etruscans and Hellenes, it was a symbol of immortality. Indeed, amaranth inflorescences never fade.
AMARANTH has been RECOGNIZED as a CULTURE OF THE 21ST CENTURY by the UN Food Commission for its nutritional and healing properties.
On fertile lands - up to 2 thousand centners of high-quality green mass and up to 50 centners of seeds per hectare.
Amaranth is drought- and frost-resistant in the presence of a high agricultural background and does not require feeding, and animals eat it completely.
He is the record holder for protein content. It is not for nothing that amaranth greens are equated with the most high-calorie seafood products - squid meat, because, in addition to protein, the most valuable amino acid for the human body - lysine - is 2.5 times more than in wheat, and 3.5 times more than in corn and other high-lysine grains.
A pantry of squirrels, a culture of today and the future - this is what biologists around the world call this plant.
* Experts from the UN Food Commission have recognized it as a crop that will help provide the growing population of our planet with high-quality protein.
* Amaranth is a wonderful food for pets and poultry. If you feed it green mass (up to 25% of other feeds), piglets grow 2.5 times faster, and rabbits, nutrias and chickens grow 2-3 times faster, and milk yield and fat content of milk increase significantly in cows and goats. The green mass of amaranth is fed to pigs with a small amount of dirt, and the animals grow quickly, gaining up to 60 kg of live weight in 4 months.
A large amount of vitamin C and carotene makes amaranth food especially valuable and has a good effect on animals and birds, thanks to which they do not get sick.
Amaranth ensiles well, but it is better to do this in a mixture with corn and sorghum. Since the green mass of corn contains a lot of sugars, and the green mass of amaranth contains a lot of protein, silage made from them is much more nutritious than from amaranth itself.
But amaranth is also a wonderful product. It is used in first and second courses, dried, salted and fermented like cabbage, pickled for the winter, and expensive soft drinks are prepared.
Amaranth oil has the highest price among vegetable oils and animal fats, in all respects it is 2 times superior to sea buckthorn oil and is used during the complex treatment of radiation sickness, and the sprouted seeds are similar in composition to mother’s milk.
Scientists have found that amaranth also has effective medicinal properties. Scientists explain this by the fact that amaranth seeds have particularly strong biofields, which determine its miraculous healing properties. For example, rickets chickens immediately recovered after being fed amaranth seed residues (chaff) for two days. And further. All rabbit owners in the neighborhood had deaths of animals - both adults and young animals. And those who used amaranth as food had none.
Amaranth is especially effective for successful beekeeping.
It is advisable to sow amaranth on green mass with row spacing of 45 cm, then thinning the crops after they reach a height of 20-25 cm, leaving 10-12 plants per linear meter. If for seeds, then with row spacing of 70 cm, leaving 4-5 plants per linear meter. The sowing time is the same as for corn, when the soil warms up to 8-10 degrees. C heat.
After seedlings emerge, the main concern is to prevent weeds from drowning them out. Care is needed for three weeks, then the amaranth itself oppresses all its “enemies.” Its roots are strong and can penetrate to soil waters, taking from there not only moisture, but also the necessary mineral elements, which contributes to the formation of huge biomass. Thus, amaranth can play the role of ameliorant and provide valuable food with high-quality protein.
For regions with risky farming, it is very promising, because in drought conditions it is capable of producing constant yields, and in optimal conditions, high yields of biomass and grain.
When collecting amaranth for medicinal purposes, one must keep in mind that it can be used for greens only when the plants reach a height of 25-30 cm; leaves can be collected from the lower tiers of plants throughout the summer until late autumn, while it is still growing, consumed as food, stored for the winter and for the manufacture of medicinal preparations.
The grain should be collected when the upper leaves become creamy in color and the seeds show signs of slight shedding. It is necessary to dry greens under a canopy, in drafts, without access to sunlight.
Amaranth should be stored in a dry, dark and well-ventilated place, preferably hanging in linen or paper bags.
ADDITIONS: “Based on research on amaranth in St. Petersburg at the Oncology Research Institute named after. Petrov, in Moscow at the Burdenko Hospital, in the burn center at the Research Institute of Emergency Medicine named after. Sklifosovsky scientists came to the conclusion: there is no better immune activator yet.”
HERE ARE THE FEATURES THAT RESEARCH INVENTED:
1. Germination of amaranth
Sprouted amaranth seeds contain 5 TIMES more antioxidant substances than unsprouted ones. Therefore, sprout and consume at your discretion.
Squeezing sprouted seeds is a wonderful way to quickly make your own “amaranth oil.”
Sprouts can be consumed by mixing them, for example, with a banana (1 banana per 0.5 liters of water) in a powerful blender.
2. Heating amaranth seeds
The fact is that even with nominally high levels of biologically active substances (for any plant product), they are poorly absorbed if they are heat treated above 40 degrees.
Denaturation of proteins occurs, destruction of enzymes and enzymes, loss of biologically active energy bonds between the molecules of substances. Therefore, it is ideal if you make the oil-extract-infusion from amaranth seeds and/or leaves (by the way, it is much healthier to squeeze the seeds into panicles with leaves) yourself. In a mortar. In commercial oils, the effectiveness of squalene depends on the shelf life and the pressing technology (most technologies, even when cold pressing is mentioned, involve heating).
3. Amaranth dosage
When we finally found good amaranth seeds and started making nutritional shakes with it, it turned out that the dosage is very important.
Amaranth substances are very active and, in comparison with traditional, almost “dead” food, trigger many reactions in the body. But too much can harm yourself. The harm is expressed in reactions of nausea and some stomach upset. This is a normal reaction of a “dirty” body to an excess amount of powerful antioxidants, proteins, vitamins and microelements.
In the same way, a person can be poisoned by clean air in the forest. With a sharp transition from city air to clean natural air saturated with oxygen.
They call this crop, which is a close “relative” of ordinary weeds, “grain of the Gods”, “bread”, “health”, “healing”. Amaranth has many names, but most of us are familiar with this plant as amaranth.
Amaranth was first discovered by the Aztecs 5 thousand years ago. At that time, people considered this plant to be devilish and performed various magical rituals. For rituals, amaranth seeds were collected and ground. Amaranth flour was used to prepare figurines that were eaten during magical rituals. It was believed that if you eat at least one such figurine, a person will be endowed with magical powers and have a lot of energy. To put an end to magic forever, the conquerors banned such rituals and everyone forgot about the plant. Only in some remote mountainous areas did people continue to grow amaranth to feed livestock.
Subsequently, amaranth became popular in other countries - India, Nepal and China. And now shiritsa is very popular in India and is used in the production of confectionery and pasta. Amaranth seeds and leaves are usually added to fresh salads and soups.
In Europe, amaranth did not arouse interest among agronomists for a long time, since difficulties arose in cultivating the crop. It was only in the 21st century that interest in amaranth increased sharply. Now engineers claim that the plant will have a good future and that amaranth is capable of feeding and healing the whole world.
Studying the chemical composition of amaranth, scientists discovered that the plant, which is equated to a weed, contains a large amount of vegetable protein. Its high quality suggests that the protein of this culture can be equated to cow's milk.
In addition to vegetable protein, amaranth seeds contain a large amount of microelements and vitamins, so amaranth must be eaten during the cold season to strengthen the immune system.
In addition, valuable oil is obtained from the seeds of the plant. Since amaranth oil belongs to the category of “non-drying oils”, it contains polyunsaturated acids. Amaranth oil can defeat diseases such as atherosclerosis, heart disease, vascular disease and restore lipid metabolism. Due to the large amount of antioxidants contained in amaranth oil, scientists have seriously begun to study the plant. Perhaps very soon we will see an effective product that stops the aging of the body.
Amaranth also contains a lot of bioactive substances. Sad-i-Dom draws readers' attention to a strong immunomodulator - the substance squalene. It is thanks to this substance that amaranth is considered a medicinal plant.
In addition to amaranth seeds and oil, the greens of the plant also have medicinal properties. The leaves can be used as a vitamin supplement in fresh vegetable salads or added to soups and borscht.
The most effective for human health are sprouted amaranth seeds; according to doctors, they contain a large amount of squalene. Plant seeds can be germinated in a special container - a sprouter, or use a regular glass jar. You can consume no more than 2 tbsp per day. l. germinated seeds, so you should not plant seeds for future use. When the first sprouts begin to appear from about half of the seeds, the container should be placed in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf - there the growth of the seeds will slow down a little, but will not stop completely. Sprouted seeds can be used both preventively and for the treatment of heart disease, blood vessels, diabetes mellitus, and cancer. During treatment, it is necessary to take the sprouts 2 times a day, morning and evening. It is better not to change the appointment time. The course of treatment is 2 months.
Amaranth seedlings also have a beneficial effect on men's health. Good results after consuming a course of sprouts were observed in elderly and middle-aged men - sexual activity was increased. If we compare the effect of amaranth and the popular drug “Viagra” on a man’s sexual activity, then amaranth is not addictive and has a positive effect on the entire body as a whole. According to experts, you don’t have to buy expensive seeds of cultivated amaranth varieties, but use amaranth grown in your garden.
When it is not possible to buy a bottle of pharmaceutical amaranth oil, you can prepare it yourself at home. To make medicinal oil, you need to take 1 part of the seeds, crush them in a wooden mortar, combine with 3 parts of oil heated to 60 C and place in a thermos. The mixture is kept for 24 hours, the oil is carefully drained, and the resulting dense residue is squeezed out well. You need to add new seeds to the drained oil and repeat the whole process several times. The collected pressed oil is poured into dark glass bottles and stored in a cool place. The course of treatment with oil is 1 month, you will need about 1 glass of oil. It should be taken 1 tsp. 3 times a day.
Alcohol tincture is made from dry raw materials and shoots during the flowering period. For the extractant, use vodka or alcohol (40%). The raw materials are loosely placed in containers 1/3 full and filled with alcohol. Leave to infuse for 2 weeks, after which the infusion is filtered and taken 1 tsp. several times a day. Alcohol tincture of amaranth has a positive effect on the genitourinary system and helps cope with teenage enuresis. Doctors often prescribe amaranth tincture to their patients for low body weight and senile weakness.
How to make a water infusion: take 4 tbsp. l. amaranth leaves and pour a liter of boiling water. Leave for 4 hours. You need to take the infusion 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals, 125 ml. This infusion has a good effect on anemia.
About contraindications
If you take medications prepared on the basis of amaranth leaves, then no contraindications have been identified. When consuming amaranth oil in the first few days, a person may experience symptoms such as dizziness and possibly nausea. After 2-3 days everything will return to normal.
The benefits of amaranth will be noticeable only if, before starting to take the medicine, you consult with your doctor; perhaps he will recommend a different treatment regimen. Be healthy!
I have long tried to germinate small seeds (such as amaranth or quinoa), but they always ended up getting moldy. Finally, I managed to get high-quality sprouts. I think all small seeds will germinate this way. We need: a deep basin; a sieve; a bag for nut milk( you should not use gauze folded several times, in gauze the seedlings stick very tightly to the fabric - it’s not convenient to remove). The bag for nut milk has a very fine mesh and smooth fabric - it’s convenient to remove the seeds from the fabric. I ozonize the seeds in water. Next, put the bag on sieve and filter the water, leaving the seeds on the bag without water access from below. We place the bag with the sieve on a basin suitable for the size of the sieve. I rinse it once a day, carefully pouring water over the seeds. That is, the seeds are blown from all sides and water does not stand in the seeds and there is no fermentation of the seeds - excellent odorless sprouts turned out. They stood on the window where there is a lot of sun. Germination time is 2 days.
Usage:
-dry the sprouted ammaranth seeds in a dehydrator or oven at 40 degrees until completely dry. Grind into flour (in a coffee grinder or in a powerful blender). Shelf life of flour in a glass jar is 2 months. Use as an additive to main food (add to porridge, soups, smoothies salads).
- make porridge from sprouted ammaranth seeds; bread; cookies. Dry the bread and cookies in a dehydrator at a temperature of 40, preserving the life of the sprout as much as possible.
-make rejevulak from ammaranth sprouts. The principle of how to make rejevulak (replace wheat with rejevulak) everything else according to the scheme http://rawinrussian.com/%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%86%D0%B5%D0%BF%D1%82%D1%8B /%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%B6%D1%83%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%BA-%D0%BB%D1%83 %D1%87%D1%88%D0%B8%D0%B9-%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%86%D0%B5%D0%BF%D1%82/ 
Properties of amaranth sprouts
AMARANTH SPROUTS
Sprouted amaranth seeds are especially useful for heart diseases, cancer problems, for the prevention of atherosclerosis, diabetes and coronary heart disease.
One of the healing properties of amaranth sprouts is the ability to heal ulcers and erosions of internal organs. They are able to reduce cholesterol levels in the blood and treat diseases of the immune and hormonal systems.
Amaranth sprouts are extremely beneficial for older and middle-aged men, as they are able to maintain their sexual activity at the proper level.
In ancient Chinese medicine, amaranth was used as an anti-aging agent.
Amaranth, more recently, was a plant that was of little interest to amateur gardeners. Interest has increased due to the emergence of information about its unique healing properties. In the 20th century, in our country, cultivated species of Amaranth, imported from Mexico, were grown on an industrial scale and used as animal feed. They made silage from it, which was used to fatten pigs and cattle. In the village, poultry, rabbits, goats, and calves were fed with greens and amaranth seeds.
Thanks to scientific breeders, decorative varieties have been obtained that are successfully used to decorate homestead areas and gardens. Amaranth is an excellent decoration for any garden: low varieties are suitable for borders, borders and containers, tall varieties look great in hedges and in the center of flower beds.
Amaranth is a genus of annual herbs common in Africa, South America and other countries with subtropical and tropical climates; in temperate climates, this plant is much less common. About 16 species of amaranth are found in Europe and Russia.
The amaranth genus includes up to 70 species of plants with a height of 15 to 80 centimeters and above. In nature, tall species can be found, reaching a height of 2-3 meters. The root of this plant is thick, taprooted, and goes two or even three meters into the ground.
The color of the stem and leaves can be either green or purple-red. In some species of amaranth, a root crop is formed. The leaves are elongated, pointed at the end, and come in different shapes: lanceolate, diamond-shaped or ovate.
The petioles of the leaves located in the lower part of the thick trunk are longer than those that grow higher, thanks to which the upper leaves never shade the lower ones. The flowers are small, collected in paniculate inflorescences. There are axillary and apical flowers.
In the most decorative varieties of amaranth, the length of the panicles is large, can reach up to 1.5 meters.
The vegetative period for plants of this genus lasts from 3 to 5 months, the duration depends on the climate. Amaranth is sown in spring in warm soil. The temperature should not be lower than 8° C. The seed ripening period is from August to September. During this period, the stems and leaves turn creamy. Ripe seeds fall off easily when the stem is shaken. The fruits resemble a rounded box. Up to 500 thousand small, dark brown seeds are formed on one plant per season.
The wide variety of types and varieties of amaranth should not confuse the novice gardener or gardener. Before choosing any variety, you need to decide for what purpose it will be planted.
All varieties of amaranth can be divided into types according to their intended purpose:
Decorative varieties are usually heat-loving and light-loving. Lack of light leads to a significant loss of decorativeness, they stretch out, the leaves lose their brightness and color.
Forage varieties are very productive, growing a large volume of green mass per season. The composition of the food plant is no less useful and also has medicinal properties.
Vegetable varieties:
They are grown for fresh consumption of young shoots and leaves. They can also be used to prepare various dishes; when cooked, the plant retains its beneficial properties.
Cereal varieties contain a large percentage of squalene in the grains - a liquid hydrocarbon so necessary for the human body for its anticarcinogenic, antimicrobial and fungicidal properties. Amaranth grain varieties produce oil that has medicinal properties.
Amaranth Tricolor Beautiful and spectacular, plants of this species are annuals: erect pyramidal-shaped bushes. The narrow, slightly wavy leaves have a tricolor color: green, yellow, red. All varieties of this species are very decorative. Plant height is from 0.6 m to 1.5 m.
Variety Illumination This is a beautiful, light-loving plant. The stem height is from 0.5 m to 0.7 m. Large leaves are painted in different colors. One leaf plate can have patterns: green, yellow, red. Young leaves, which just appear on the top of the head, are yellowish-red, change color over time and become reddish-orange. The lower leaves are bronze in color.
Prefect variety Amaranth tricolor belongs to the species. Like all plants of this species, it is characterized by tricolor leaves. The lower leaves are green and covered with brownish-red spots. The leaves located at the top of the stem have a traditional tricolor color.
Early Splendor variety Plants of this variety have an original color. The lower leaves are a dark, almost black purple-green color. The upper leaves are bright crimson.
Variety Aurora Plants of this variety have a bush form. The leaves are beautiful, wavy, golden yellow.
Amaranth Dark Dark amaranth is an annual herbaceous plant. The bush is slightly branched, grows up to 1.5 meters. The leaves are medium sized and have a pointed end. Leaf color is red-brown or greenish-red-brown. Inflorescences are erect, spike-shaped. The color is red-violet.
Variety Pigmy Torch A compact bush-shaped plant with inflorescences reaching a length of 0.4 m, at first they are red-violet, later turning brown. Young green leaves become multi-colored as they grow. The height of the bush is 0.6 meters.
Variety Green Thumb A low-growing plant of emerald green color.
Variety Rotschwanz Amaranth caudate can be found in natural conditions in Africa, Asia, and South America; these are tall one and a half meter plants. The stems are powerful and erect. The elongated, ovate-shaped leaves come in two colors, purple or green. Inflorescences are paniculate, long. The colors are crimson or yellowish-green. Plants of this species bloom from June to October. Popular varieties:
Variety Rother Dam Amaranth paniculata is an annual herbaceous plant that came to us from Asia. Both tall varieties up to 1.5 meters in height and low-growing (dwarf) varieties no higher than 20 cm have been bred. The color of the leaves is dark red. The inflorescences are erect, purple, appear in June, bloom until frost. Dwarf varieties popular among gardeners:
The climate in our country is mostly harsh and amateur gardeners have to grow amaranth using seedlings. In southern regions with warm winters, sowing can be done directly into the soil. Seeds germinate fairly quickly at a soil temperature of 15°C.
A standard question that arises for a gardener when growing a new crop. In the case of amaranth, seeds can be sown as early as mid-February. But then you need to be ready to illuminate the young shoots. Since in February - March there is still little sun. To prevent seedlings from stretching out without additional lighting, in the middle zone, Moscow region, and the Urals, I recommend sowing amaranth no earlier than mid-March.
First prepare the containers for sowing - they should be wide and not very deep; their height should not be more than 10 centimeters.
For growing amaranth seedlings, universal soil sold in flower shops is suitable. The soil, home-made, should consist of garden soil, peat, humus. The basic requirements for it are simple, it must be: nutritious, loose, breathable, with a neutral reaction.
Both purchased and home-made soil must be disinfected before use. Any old-fashioned processing methods are suitable: steaming, calcination, freezing, treatment with a solution of potassium permanganate, and modern methods using various preparations. Today, the most popular soil treatment products are:
The planting boxes must be filled with soil and watered. Scatter the seeds over the surface and cover with a 0.5 cm layer of soil. Spray the top layer of soil with a spray bottle and cover the top of the boxes with cling film, you will get mini-greenhouses.
Place the greenhouses in a warm place; the higher the air temperature, the faster the seeds will sprout. Usually, if the room temperature is 22° C or higher, the sprouts hatch within a week; after the green sprouts appear, the film must be removed.
To obtain strong seedlings, seedlings must be picked into separate cups and picked after the appearance of a true leaf.
Caring for amaranth seedlings is no different from caring for seedlings of other garden and garden crops. Amaranth seedlings must be watered; the soil in the cups must be constantly moist. In February and March, daylight hours are short, seedlings need lighting; fluorescent lamps can be used to illuminate the seedlings.
It is necessary to carry out hardening. Start ten days before planting young plants in a permanent place. You can harden in two ways:
The last days of May are the most suitable time for planting seedlings in open ground. Place the ridges in a place well lit by the sun; amaranth loves light.
Plants growing on the sunny side have leaves and flowers that are brighter.
Plant seedlings in a row manner. The optimal width of the path between two rows is 0.5 meters. In a row, plants should be placed 12 cm apart from each other and thinned out as they grow. If amaranth is planted to produce young greenery, you can use a 15 cm by 15 cm pattern.
It is better to carry out work on transplanting seedlings onto ridges in cloudy weather or in the evening; in sunny weather, young plantings can be protected from the sun for several days. In the shade, plants adapt faster to a new place and grow.
After transplanting to a ridge, amaranth grows slowly for a month, its roots are actively forming, during which time the ridges must be weeded at least twice. Then amaranth begins to grow rapidly, almost 6 cm per day.
During active growth, there is no need for weeding; amaranth suppresses all weeds. Care at this time consists of periodic thinning of plants, shallow loosening of row spacing, watering, and fertilizing.
Without fertilizers, a good harvest cannot be obtained. Amaranth responds well to fertilizing and loves watering with an ash solution. Do not use nitrogen fertilizers often, as increased leaf growth can slow down flowering. Fertilizing should be done in the morning, after the soil has been well watered.
There are pests that interfere with the normal growth of amaranth. Basically, plantings suffer from weevils and aphids, penetrating into the stems of the plant, the weevil larvae damage the plants and inhibit its growth.
Large colonies of aphids can also suppress the plant. It is recommended to treat plants infected with pests with preparations. Popular treatments for aphids and weevils:
If the summer is rainy and the air is humid, then favorable conditions are created for the proliferation of fungus and the occurrence of fungal diseases. For medicinal purposes, plantings must be treated with a solution of colloidal sulfur or copper sulfate.
Usually, at the end of August, beginning of September, amaranth panicles change color and turn orange. The stems of the plant also change color, they become light. It is by these signs that they know that the seeds are already ripe; if you shake the panicle, seeds begin to fall from it.
To harvest seeds, plants must be cut. Place the picked panicles in the shade in a draft. Dry for a week, then thresh, after threshing, scatter the seeds in a thin layer to dry and dry for at least two weeks. Seed germination lasts for 4-5 years.
Amaranth, regardless of the type, is endowed with beneficial properties. For treatment, amaranth caudate is usually used. All parts of the plant are medicinal raw materials. The leaves are collected before the amaranth blooms. In summer, when the plant is in bloom, the panicles are cut off. At the end of August or beginning of September, seeds are collected, and then the roots are dug up.
Amaranth seeds contain more protein than all other crops grown by humans. Amaranth protein is not inferior in composition to cow's milk.
The seeds are rich in vitamins and microelements necessary for humans. The phytosterols, squalene and polyunsaturated fatty acids it contains give the product particular value. Oil obtained from seeds is used to treat and prevent many diseases:
Amaranth is considered an effective immunostimulant due to its high squalene content. Preparations containing squalene are used in the treatment of:
Amaranth leaves are valued for their content of carotenoids, zooxanthin, rutin and calcium. You can make salads from amaranth leaves picked before flowering; they are especially useful for patients diagnosed with diabetes, people suffering from excess weight and constipation. The leaves can be dried and used as a seasoning in winter.
Healing amaranth oil can be bought, or you can prepare it yourself at home. First grind the seeds in a coffee grinder, then transfer them to a glass container and add vegetable oil. For these purposes, you need unrefined oil. Leave for a week, then strain. You can re-fill the seeds with the already decanted oil and leave it for another 7 days, this will increase the concentration of nutrients in the amaranth oil.
Oil prepared in this way can treat psoriasis. For the first week, drink a dessert spoon of oil, twice a day, half an hour before meals. Then, for three months, a tablespoon, three times a day before meals. For three months, drip a full pipette of oil into the nostrils: once in the morning, once in the evening. Apply oil to the affected areas of the skin several times a day. Oil can be used to treat periodontitis; to do this, you just need to rinse your mouth with it twice a day.
To lose weight you need:
At home. You can prepare decoctions and infusions from amaranth, using proven folk recipes as a basis.
Prepare the decoction:
Useful for skin, both sick and healthy, infusion for baths. You will need about 300 g of dry leaves and flowers and 2 liters. boiling water Boil the infusion in a closed saucepan for 15 minutes, strain the cooled infusion and add to the bath.
For gastrointestinal problems, an infusion of dried amaranth leaves and flowers, prepared in a cold way, helps: take 1 part leaves and flowers and 10 parts water. The water should be cold. Leave for about 20 minutes, drink the strained infusion half a glass before meals.
For sore throats and gum problems, fresh amaranth juice helps; it should be diluted with cold boiled water. Take 1 part juice and 5 parts water, mix, rinse your mouth or throat.
An infusion for diseases of the genitourinary system is prepared from 1 liter of boiling water and 3 tbsp. spoons of crushed leaves and flowers. Drink one glass of infusion per day.
Amaranth planted in a garden or summer cottage will not only decorate it, but also help fight garden pests. If you plant amaranth next to carrots, you can get rid of carrot flies. Its care is minimal, but its benefits for the treatment and prevention of diseases are great.
Germinating amaranth at home may seem difficult at first glance, due to the fact that it is almost impossible to do this using the standard jar method. However, following our simple recommendations it will not be difficult. Here you will learn how to sprout amaranth seeds for a meal rich in vitamins, micro- and macronutrients, antioxidants and enzymes.
Amaranth is a capricious crop for germination: its seeds are very small in size (about 1 mm in diameter) and with the common type of germination in a jar, they clump together, blocking each other’s access to oxygen, which causes them to sour in an aquatic environment. Therefore, it is recommended to use the following methods:
Place a layer of damp gauze on the bottom of the tray, wash the amaranth seeds and place them in an even, thin layer on the gauze. It is important to prevent the raw seeds from bunching up: use a spoon to even out the layer.
Visually determine when the seeds are drying out and moisten with a spray bottle from a certain distance. The main thing is not to overdry the seeds, but also not to immerse them in water. After 2-3 days you will get sprouts, and after 5-7 juicy microgreens.
This method is fully automated. The sprouting machine is perfect for sprouting all types of crops: legumes, seeds, grains and microgreens. Aerosad “Health Treasure” removes the burden of soaking and washing amaranth seeds from you. You just need to pour the seed into the germinator basket with a backing (it is needed for small seeds such as amaranth, so that they do not leak through the large lattice of the basket), pour water under the basket and connect it to the household network, for aeration through the water column (the principle of aeroponics).
A simplified (and cheaper version) of the above-mentioned “Health Treasure”. This grower has a simple design, does not require a network connection, and is extremely easy to use. Not much inferior to an aero garden, it is well suited for growing seeds for microgreens.
Germination occurs in 4 stages:
Fill the work tray with water;
Place the seeds in the basket;
Close for 12-24 hours, after which it is better to germinate in the light, periodically moistening the seeds with a spray bottle. Maintain optimal humidity so that the seeds are not completely immersed in water, but also do not dry out;
After 5-7 days, you can cut the resulting microgreens.
Sprouted amaranth is stored in the refrigerator in a loosely closed container for no more than 3-4 days.
It is advisable to remove soured and non-germinating seeds from the working area.
To treat diseases, it is recommended to increase the consumed volume.
Armed with this information, you can easily sprout amaranth for both a raw foodist and a person on a traditional diet: it is equally useful for everyone who wants to have a real storehouse of health in their home!
