Dodo is full of goodness
Oct 18, 2010
MANY people include amaranth, commonly known as dodo, as a side dish during meals. The values this green plant adds to our bodies are numerous but it turns out that its seeds offer even more health and nutritional benefits.
By Gilbert Kidimu
MANY people include amaranth, commonly known as dodo, as a side dish during meals. The values this green plant adds to our bodies are numerous but it turns out that its seeds offer even more health and nutritional benefits.
A report written by Dr. John Muyonga, the head of the food science department at Makerere University, and other researchers, says dodo grains have nutritional and health benefits, ranging from a general improvement in well being to prevention and improvement of specific ailments and symptoms.
It also aids recovery of severely malnourished children and increases the body mass index of people living with HIV/AIDS.
Improvement in appetite, fast healing of mouth sores and herpes zoster and weight gain are the other benefits of this plant. It is also associated with higher milk production among breastfeeding mothers.
Amaranth oil has been proven to decrease headaches, weakness, fatigue, shortness of breath during a physical activity, aedema of the legs and feeling of intermission of heart function in most patients and is beneficial to diabetics.
Studies suggest that supplementing diets with amaranth grain and amaranth oil improves glucose levels.
Eric Ssebunya, a nutritionist from Mwana Mugimu in Mulago says dodo seeds are rich in amino acids called lysine. The quantity of lysine is deficient in most plant proteins and when a diet lucks amino acids, the rest of the proteins become ineffective.
The grains are also rich in unsaturated fatty acids and contain substantial levels of essential micronutrients, he says. Since lysine is easier to get in animal proteins; vegetarians will miss out, making dodo seeds the ultimate source.
According to healingfoods.com; the amaranth leaf contains multiple nutritional benefits, such as iron, calcium, vitamin c, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, vitamin A, and Vitamin B2.
It also supports organs and systems such as digestive system and immune system. “The amaranth leaf may help with diarrhoea, heart disease, cancer, and rheumatoid arthritis.
After sorting the leaves, wash in running water i.e. under a tap but not in a dish. In a dish there is recontamination of the greens. Do not cut the greens before washing because then they lose a great amount of nutrients during washing.
When preparing dodo, you need add a little oil because vegetables are rich in micronutrients such as vitamins. “To increase availability of fat soluble vitamins you need some oil,†Ssebunya says.
MANY people include amaranth, commonly known as dodo, as a side dish during meals. The values this green plant adds to our bodies are numerous but it turns out that its seeds offer even more health and nutritional benefits.
A report written by Dr. John Muyonga, the head of the food science department at Makerere University, and other researchers, says dodo grains have nutritional and health benefits, ranging from a general improvement in well being to prevention and improvement of specific ailments and symptoms.
It also aids recovery of severely malnourished children and increases the body mass index of people living with HIV/AIDS.
Improvement in appetite, fast healing of mouth sores and herpes zoster and weight gain are the other benefits of this plant. It is also associated with higher milk production among breastfeeding mothers.
Amaranth oil has been proven to decrease headaches, weakness, fatigue, shortness of breath during a physical activity, aedema of the legs and feeling of intermission of heart function in most patients and is beneficial to diabetics.
Studies suggest that supplementing diets with amaranth grain and amaranth oil improves glucose levels.
Eric Ssebunya, a nutritionist from Mwana Mugimu in Mulago says dodo seeds are rich in amino acids called lysine. The quantity of lysine is deficient in most plant proteins and when a diet lucks amino acids, the rest of the proteins become ineffective.
The grains are also rich in unsaturated fatty acids and contain substantial levels of essential micronutrients, he says. Since lysine is easier to get in animal proteins; vegetarians will miss out, making dodo seeds the ultimate source.
According to healingfoods.com; the amaranth leaf contains multiple nutritional benefits, such as iron, calcium, vitamin c, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, vitamin A, and Vitamin B2.
It also supports organs and systems such as digestive system and immune system. “The amaranth leaf may help with diarrhoea, heart disease, cancer, and rheumatoid arthritis.
After sorting the leaves, wash in running water i.e. under a tap but not in a dish. In a dish there is recontamination of the greens. Do not cut the greens before washing because then they lose a great amount of nutrients during washing.
When preparing dodo, you need add a little oil because vegetables are rich in micronutrients such as vitamins. “To increase availability of fat soluble vitamins you need some oil,†Ssebunya says.