Quinoa

Studies in people

• Benefit

  Blood sugar response⁴

  In overweight men, eating quinoa bread daily lowered blood sugar after meals more than wheat bread did.

• Benefit

  Gut health in celiac disease⁵

  In people with celiac disease, eating quinoa daily did not worsen gut damage and cholesterol slightly dropped.

Animal and lab studies only

• Benefit

  Stress and memory in rats¹⁰

  In animal studies, quinoa grain extracts helped stressed rats behave more calmly and remember better.

• Benefit

  Gut health evidence¹¹

  Quinoa may help gut health, but most studies are in animals and human evidence is still scarce.

• Concern

  Nut and peanut allergies¹²

  In animal studies, quinoa proteins reacted with peanut and tree nut allergens, but it is not known if this happens in people.

• Benefit

  Gut bacteria after antibiotics¹³

  Red quinoa drinks fermented with probiotics may help restore gut bacteria during and after antibiotic treatment.

• Benefit

  Blood sugar and fat¹⁴

  In animal studies, eating quinoa helped normalize how the body handles sugars and fats.

• Benefit

  Blood sugar and memory¹⁵

  In lab studies, quinoa extracts slowed the enzymes tied to blood sugar and memory.

Study type not stated

• Benefit

  Cancer prevention⁶

  Quinoa seeds contain kaempferol, which may help prevent cancer, though the authors say more studies are needed.

• Benefit

  Blood sugar and heart health⁷

  Quinoa has nutrients that may help with blood sugar, blood fats, and heart health.

• Benefit

  Health effects of a grain⁹

  Quinoa contains compounds that may have antioxidant, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory and anti-obesity effects, but more research is needed.

How it’s made and used

• Taste and consumer liking³

  Adding beehive products to quinoa bars raised polyphenols but made them less liked, with bitter and pungent flavors turning people off.

• Compounds causing bitterness⁸

  Triterpenoids and mauritianin are the compounds that make quinoa taste bitter, scientists found.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.