Benefit of Tete Abalaye(Amaranth vegetables)

Amarath green, popularly known as Tete Abalaye among the Yoruba people in South-Western Nigeria.

It is one of the most cherished vegetables by the Yoruba ethnic which is enjoyed with variety of solid food known as swallow such as wheat, garri, Seko and rice.

Amaranth varies in flower, leaf, and stem color with a range of striking pigments from the spectrum of maroon to crimson and can grow longitudinally from 1 to 2.5 metres (3 to 8 feet) tall with a cylindrical, succulent, fibrous stem that is hollow with grooves and bracteoles when mature.

Apart from the tasting spice of the leaf, the edible leafy vegetables is enjoyed for its nutritional values.

Just like many edible leaves, Amarath leaves is known to be a storehouse for phytonutrients, antioxidants, minerals and vitamins all of which contribute immensely to health and wellness.

This plant contains appropriate amount of all the major nutrient required by the body from carbohydrates, fat, protein to vitamins.

calories: Its greens carry just 23 calories/100g. Amaranth leaves contain only traces of fats and no cholesterol.

vitamin-A: This is essential for maintaining healthy mucosa and skin, and is essential factor for ocular (eye) health. Consumption of natural vegetables and fruits rich in vitamin-A and flavonoids are also known to help the body protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.

Vitamin-C:  Fresh amaranth leaves are one of the richest sources of vitamin-C. 100 g of fresh leaves carry 43.3 mg or 70% of recommended daily intake of this vitamin. Vitamin-C is a powerful water-soluble antioxidant which plays a vital role in wound healing and help fight against viral infections.

Fibres: It leaves and stems carry a good amount of soluble and insoluble dietary fibres. For the same reason, leafy greens including amaranth often recommended by dieticians in the cholesterol controlling and weight reduction programs.

Vitamin-K: Tete Abalaye greens perhaps have the highest concentrations of vitamin-K of all the edible green-leafy vegetables. 100 g of fresh greens provides 1140 μg or 950% of daily vitamin-K requirements. Vitamin-K plays a vital role in strengthening the bone mass by promoting osteoblastic activity in the bone cells. Additionally, it also has an established role in patients with Alzheimer's disease by limiting neuronal damage in the brain.

B-complex: Amaranth greens also contains ample amounts of B-complex vitamins such as folates, vitamin-B6 (pyridoxine), riboflavin, thiamin (vitamin B-1), and niacin. Folates rich diet help prevent neural tube defects in the newborns.

Potassium: Its leaves carry more potassium than that of in the spinach. Potassium is an important component of the cell and body fluids that helps regulate heart rate and blood pressure.

Other supplements:  It contains other supplements of higher amount than spinach such as calcium, manganese, magnesium, copper and zinc. The human body uses manganese and copper as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Copper is also required for the production of red blood cells. Zinc is a co-factor for many enzymes that regulate growth and development, digestion and nucleic acid synthesis.