 Approximately 90% of the world's calories are provided by less than 1% of the quarter million known edible plants. The big three are wheat, corn, and rice, the reliance upon which, maybe unsustainable given the ongoing climate crisis. This has spurred new interest in to underutilize crops like quinoa, which might do better with the drought and heat. Quinoa has only been introduced in the northern hemisphere recently, but humans have been eating quinoa for more than 7,000 years. I mean, is there any truth to the superfood designation, or is it all just marketing hooey? Quinoa is a pseudo grain, since the plant it comes from isn't a type of grass. Technically it's a seed-like fruit. It does have a lot of protein, also lots of vitamins and minerals, but so do all whole grains. Yeah, it has more protein than other grains, but since when do we need more protein? Fiber is what we're sorely lacking, and its fiber content is relatively modest compared to barley or rye. Pretty strong on folate and vitamin E, and leads the pack on magnesium, iron, and zinc, so nutritious, I'm sure. But when I think superfood, I think some sort of special clinical benefit. So, you know, broccoli is a superfood. Strawberries are a superfood. Garlic is a superfood. But what about quinoa? Consumer demand is up, thanks, and part to perceived health benefits in lab animals has all sorts of purported benefits. But there have been very few human studies. The first trial was before and after study of, like, quinoa granola bars that showed drops in triglycerides and cholesterol, but with no control group. You don't know how much that would have happened without the quinoa. This is the kind of study I wanted to see randomized, controlled trial, and about a cup a day of quinoa for 12 weeks, led to a 36% drop in triglycerides. I mean, that's comparable to what one gets, you know, with triglyceride lowering drugs or, you know, high-dose fish oil supplements, which is better, regular quinoa or red quinoa. Well, red does have about twice the antioxidant power, leading the investigators to include that red quinoa might significantly contribute to the management and or prevention of degenerative diseases associated with free radical damage, though it's never been put to the test. What about black quinoa? Both red and black are equally antioxidant rich, both beating out the more conventional white. The only caveat I can find is to inform your doctor before you're next, colonoscopy. Else they might mistake it for parasites. Colonoscopy revealed numerous egg-like tan yellow-ovoid objects of unclear cause, but it was just undigested quinoa.