Ancient Grain

Amaranth

Amaranthus hypochondriacus

Also known as: Rajgira · Ramdana · Chaulai · Rajadhanya · Ram Dana

The complete protein among grains — all 9 essential amino acids including lysine. India's fasting superfood with squalene found in no other plant food.

Maharashtra / Gujarat / HimalayasGI 35–40

Protein

14–17 g/100g (complete — all 9 essential AAs)

Lysine

0.75 g/100g (5× wheat, 6× maize)

Calcium

159 mg/100g

Glycemic Index

35–40

About

What is Amaranth?

Amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) is not a true grain — it is a pseudo-cereal related to buckwheat and quinoa. What makes it extraordinary is its protein: 14–17g per 100g, with all nine essential amino acids in proportions comparable to animal protein. The rarest: lysine — the amino acid most deficient in cereal-based diets. Amaranth carries 0.75g lysine per 100g — 5× more than wheat and 6× more than maize. It also contains squalene — a triterpene lipid found at 6–8% of grain oil — the highest concentration in any plant food (shark liver oil is 70–90% squalene, but amaranth is the highest plant source). In India, Rajgira is preserved as a fasting food — permitted during Navratri, Ekadashi, and all major Hindu fasts because it is a seed, not a grain. This fasting tradition has maintained Amaranth cultivation in India when the rest of the world largely abandoned it.

#grain#gluten free#complete protein#fasting#low gi#maharashtra#squalene

Key Compound

Squalene

A triterpene lipid at 6–8% of amaranth grain oil — the highest concentration in any plant food. Squalene is a powerful antioxidant, immune modulator, and has demonstrated anti-tumour properties in multiple models. It inhibits cholesterol biosynthesis via HMG-CoA reductase — paradoxically lowering LDL while serving as a biosynthetic precursor.

Nutritional Profile

What’s inside?

Protein14–17 g / 100g

Calcium159 mg / 100g

Iron7.6 mg / 100g

Lysine0.75 g / 100g

Glycemic Index35–40

Health Applications

Why it matters

Vegetarian protein sufficiency

Complete protein with all 9 essential amino acids — including lysine, critically scarce in cereal-based vegetarian diets. Amaranth + any cereal creates protein complementation superior to either alone.

Bone health

159mg calcium + 7.6mg iron + high lysine (which improves calcium absorption) make amaranth exceptional for bone-building — particularly for children and post-menopausal women on vegetarian diets.

Cardiovascular health

Squalene inhibits cholesterol biosynthesis via HMG-CoA reductase pathway, reducing LDL. Also reduces platelet aggregation and arterial inflammation.

Fasting nutrition

Rajgira Ladoo (amaranth + jaggery + ghee) is one of the most nutritionally complete fasting foods in Indian traditions — complete protein, iron, calcium, and complex carbohydrates in a single preparation.

Ancient Wisdom

In Ayurveda

Dosha Effect

Tridosha balancing

Guna (Quality)

Madhura (sweet), Sheeta (cooling), Laghu (light)

Best Season

Vasant and Sharad (spring and autumn)

Classical Note

Ramdana ('God's grain') is classified in traditional medicine as a Sattvic food — promoting clarity and lightness of mind. The Ayurvedic name Rajadhanya ('grain of the king') reflects its ancient status as a premium nourishing food.

Origin Story

From the field

Maharashtra / Gujarat / Himalayas · Western India & Himalayan foothills

Amaranth was a principal staple of the Aztec civilisation before Spanish colonisation suppressed its cultivation — the Spanish recognised it as central to Aztec religious and physical nourishment and banned it. In India, Rajgira has been cultivated in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Uttarakhand for centuries as a fasting food and regular grain. Maharashtra's cultivation is concentrated in Nashik and Aurangabad districts — where Adivasi communities grow it as a rain-fed crop alongside pearl millet on marginal soils. The Amaranth revival in India is linked to the millet promotion movement: its nutritional profile surpasses most grains, and it grows in degraded soils with minimal water and no external inputs.

Find it in our shop