Can amaranth be eaten raw? You need to know the precautions for eating it raw

Amaranth is a relatively common wild vegetable in summer. The usual way to eat it is stir-fried, or adding a little to cold noodles. To avoid losing too many of amaranth's nutrients, many people wonder whether amaranth can be eaten raw. So can amaranth be eaten raw?

Amaranth can be eaten raw, but it is not recommended to eat it raw. Generally speaking, amaranth can be eaten raw, and eating it raw is non-toxic. However, it contains oxalic acid, pesticide residues, bacteria, etc., so it is not recommended to eat it raw. It easily causes symptoms such as gastrointestinal discomfort.

Why eating it raw is not recommended

1. Amaranth is very rich in oxalic acid. This vegetable easily combines with calcium in the gastrointestinal tract, forming another substance, namely calcium oxalate, and the body's ability to absorb calcium is greatly reduced. So if we want to eat it as a cold dressed dish, we must blanch it in boiling water to remove its oxalic acid.

2. Amaranth is a cooling food, which already easily causes spleen and stomach deficiency-cold and aggravates cold within the body, and eating it raw increases the irritation to the gastrointestinal tract even more, making symptoms such as indigestion, abdominal bloating and diarrhea more likely.

3. Amaranth is very easy to grow and has relatively strong growth ability, and not much pesticide is sprayed on it. When we clean amaranth using only clear water, we can only wash away the surface and cannot achieve a bactericidal or disinfecting effect. So it needs to be soaked in salt water and then blanched, which makes it healthier to eat.

4. During the growth of amaranth there may be parasites or bacteria, which are difficult to wash off with simple cleaning, and eating it raw may lead to parasitic infection. In addition, pesticides may be sprayed during the growing process, and eating it raw is bad for health.