Amaranth

What Is Amaranth?

Purple amaranth is a fast-growing leafy annual of the amaranth family, eaten as a cooked green. Its leaves are rich in β-carotene, vitamin C and minerals ^{5Reference 5Sarker et al. · 2020Nutrients, minerals, pigments, phytochemicals and radical-scavenging activity in Amaranthus blitum — analytical characterisation of 16 genotypesView study →}, and herbal traditions treat the plant as a cooling, nourishing food.

Amaranthus blitum is native to South America and has been introduced across much of the world ^{21Reference 21Govaerts · 2026Amaranthus blitum L. — native and introduced distribution — species databaseView study →}. It has been grown in Europe as a minor leaf vegetable ^{19Reference 19Mosyakin et al. · 2003Amaranthus blitum Linnaeus — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →}.

The leaf’s best-documented value is nutritional. In Kenyan preschool children, a recipe of sun-dried amaranth and cowpea leaves raised blood β-carotene, vitamin A and haemoglobin ^{3Reference 3Nawiri et al. · 2013Sun-dried cowpeas and amaranth leaves recipe improves β-carotene and retinol levels in serum and hemoglobin concentration among preschool children — human intervention studyView study →}. Other research on the plant is in the test tube and in animals.

Amaranthus dubius, red spinach or spleen amaranth, is a different species with its own page. Amaranthus lividus is an older name for A. blitum ^{19,20Reference 19Mosyakin et al. · 2003Amaranthus blitum Linnaeus — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →Reference 20Bao et al. · 2003Amaranthus blitum Linnaeus — species description and distribution — floraView study →}.

How Is Amaranth Used?

Amaranth is used mainly as a cooked leafy vegetable. It also appears in traditional preparations such as decoctions, poultices, juices and soups.

The young leaves and shoots are steamed, sautéed, or added to broths and stews. Traditional practice gives the plant as a nourishing food during recovery from illness, digestive irritation or weakness.

In folk medicine, fresh leaf preparations are applied to inflamed skin, minor wounds and swelling. A. blitum has also been used for intestinal disorders, roundworm and bleeding ^{14Reference 14Abdel-Moez et al. · 2024In vitroEvaluating anthelmintic, anti-platelet, and anti-coagulant activities, and identifying the bioactive phytochemicals of Amaranthus blitum L. — in vitroView study →}.

Traditional Uses

Western Herbal Medicine

In Western herbal traditions amaranth is a nutritive and soothing herb. It is used for digestive irritation, constipation with dryness, and general nutritional support.

Its mineral-rich leaves were eaten as a strengthening food during convalescence and times of poor diet.

Traditional Chinese Medicine

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, amaranth species are considered cooling and are used to clear heat, cool the blood and promote urination. They are given for inflammatory conditions, summer heat and digestive irritation.

Some regional traditions also use amaranth for skin eruptions and damp-heat conditions.

Ayurvedic Medicine

Ayurveda classes amaranth as cooling, light and nourishing. It is used to pacify excess Pitta and to support digestion without heating.

The leaves are eaten during inflammatory states, digestive sensitivity, and conditions of excess heat or irritation.

Indications

• Nutritional depletion and weakness during recovery [cooked leaf; Western herbal medicine]
• Vitamin A deficiency [cooked leaf; food use]
• Digestive irritation [leaf; Western, Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine]
• Mild constipation with dryness [leaf; Western herbal medicine]
• Heat conditions and summer heat [leaf; TCM and Ayurveda]
• Mild urinary irritation [leaf; TCM]
• Inflamed skin and minor wounds [fresh leaf poultice; folk use]
• Roundworm [leaf; folk use]
• Bleeding [leaf; folk use] ⚠Caution: In the test tube, A. blitum extract reduced platelet clumping and slowed blood clotting, the opposite of a styptic effect ¹⁴.

Botany

Purple amaranth is a hairless annual herb of the amaranth family (Amaranthaceae). Its stems are 10–60 cm long and grow upright or sprawl along the ground, often branching from the base and sometimes forming mats. They are light green or purple ^{19,20Reference 19Mosyakin et al. · 2003Amaranthus blitum Linnaeus — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →Reference 20Bao et al. · 2003Amaranthus blitum Linnaeus — species description and distribution — floraView study →}.

The leaves are oval, 1–6 cm long, on stalks as long as the blade or longer. The tip of the leaf is distinctly notched, with a small point in the notch ^{19,20Reference 19Mosyakin et al. · 2003Amaranthus blitum Linnaeus — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →Reference 20Bao et al. · 2003Amaranthus blitum Linnaeus — species description and distribution — floraView study →}.

The tiny green flowers grow in clusters in the leaf axils and in slender spikes at the stem tips. The fruit is a small, flattened capsule, 1.2–3 mm long, that does not split open. Each holds a single shiny black or dark reddish-brown seed about 1–1.8 mm across ^{19,20Reference 19Mosyakin et al. · 2003Amaranthus blitum Linnaeus — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →Reference 20Bao et al. · 2003Amaranthus blitum Linnaeus — species description and distribution — floraView study →}.

Distribution

Purple amaranth is native to South America, in Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, northern Argentina and northern Chile ^{21Reference 21Govaerts · 2026Amaranthus blitum L. — native and introduced distribution — species databaseView study →}. It has been introduced across Europe, Africa, Asia, North America and the Pacific ^{21Reference 21Govaerts · 2026Amaranthus blitum L. — native and introduced distribution — species databaseView study →}.

It grows in fields, waste places, roadsides and other disturbed ground ^{19,20Reference 19Mosyakin et al. · 2003Amaranthus blitum Linnaeus — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →Reference 20Bao et al. · 2003Amaranthus blitum Linnaeus — species description and distribution — floraView study →}. In North America it grows from sea level to 1,000 m ^{19Reference 19Mosyakin et al. · 2003Amaranthus blitum Linnaeus — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →}.

In Europe it was grown as a minor leaf vegetable, but that use is declining, and in many temperate countries it persists mostly as an occasional weed of greenhouses and gardens ^{19Reference 19Mosyakin et al. · 2003Amaranthus blitum Linnaeus — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →}.

Growing Conditions

Cultivation snapshot for Amaranth

Lifeannual

• Fast-growing annual, full sun to part shade.
• Thrives in disturbed soils, gardens, roadsides and cultivated fields; tolerant of heat and drought.

Grow it yourself

Farm Wiki is our cultivation-focused sister site, also run by Justin Cooke.

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Pharmacology & Research

The human research on Amaranthus blitum concerns the leaf as a source of provitamin-A carotenoids and iron in African diets, in children and young women ^{1,2,3Reference 1Cercamondi et al. · 2014RCTA Higher Proportion of Iron-Rich Leafy Vegetables in a Typical Burkinabe Maize Meal Does Not Increase the Amount of Iron Absorbed in Young Women — randomised stable-isotope studyView study →Reference 2Icard-Vernière et al. · 2015Contribution of leafy vegetable sauces to dietary iron, zinc, vitamin A and energy requirements in children and their mothers in Burkina Faso — dietary intake modellingView study →Reference 3Nawiri et al. · 2013Sun-dried cowpeas and amaranth leaves recipe improves β-carotene and retinol levels in serum and hemoglobin concentration among preschool children — human intervention studyView study →}. The rest is in the test tube and in animals.

The cardiovascular and cholesterol trials of “amaranth” used oil from the seeds of grain amaranths, rich in squalene, not the leaf ^{6,7,8,9Reference 6Martirosyan et al. · 2007RCTAmaranth oil application for coronary heart disease and hypertension — randomised placebo-controlled trialView study →Reference 7Miroshnichenko et al. · 2008Clinical trialMiroshnichenko, L. A., Zoloedov, V. I., Volynkina, A. P., & Kulakova, S. N. (2008). [Influence with amaranth and sunflower oils used in dietary therapy of patients with diebetes mellitus 2 types on parameters of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism] — clinical trial. Voprosy Pitaniia (in Russian). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19227865/View study →Reference 8Gonor et al. · 2006Clinical trialGonor, K. V., Pogozheva, A. V., Derbeneva, S. A., et al. (2006). [The influence of a diet with including amaranth oil on antioxidant and immune status in patients with ischemic heart disease and hyperlipoproteidemia] — comparative clinical study. Voprosy Pitaniia (in Russian). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17313043/View study →Reference 9Gonor et al. · 2006Clinical trialGonor, K. V., Pogozheva, A. V., Kulakova, S. N., et al. (2006). [The influence of diet with including amaranth oil on lipid metabolism in patients with ischemic heart disease and hyperlipoproteidemia] — comparative clinical study. Voprosy Pitaniia (in Russian). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16862949/View study →}.

1. Nutritive Value — Provitamin a & Iron

The leaf is a rich source of β-carotene, vitamin C and minerals ^{5Reference 5Sarker et al. · 2020Nutrients, minerals, pigments, phytochemicals and radical-scavenging activity in Amaranthus blitum — analytical characterisation of 16 genotypesView study →}. In preschool children in Machakos, Kenya, a cooked recipe of sun-dried amaranth and cowpea leaves raised serum β-carotene and retinol, and raised haemoglobin by 4.6%. Drying and cooking kept over 60% of the β-carotene ^{3Reference 3Nawiri et al. · 2013Sun-dried cowpeas and amaranth leaves recipe improves β-carotene and retinol levels in serum and hemoglobin concentration among preschool children — human intervention studyView study →}.

In Burkina Faso, improved leaf sauces of amaranth or Ceylon spinach, eaten with the cereal paste tô twice a day, were estimated to supply 80–86% of young children’s average iron requirement and 90–170% of their vitamin A requirement ^{2Reference 2Icard-Vernière et al. · 2015Contribution of leafy vegetable sauces to dietary iron, zinc, vitamin A and energy requirements in children and their mothers in Burkina Faso — dietary intake modellingView study →}.

But in an iron-absorption study in 18 young women, meals with a sauce richer in amaranth leaf did not deliver more absorbed iron than a traditional sauce. The authors attributed this to the leaves’ high phenolic content ^{1Reference 1Cercamondi et al. · 2014RCTA Higher Proportion of Iron-Rich Leafy Vegetables in a Typical Burkinabe Maize Meal Does Not Increase the Amount of Iron Absorbed in Young Women — randomised stable-isotope studyView study →}.

Gap: the leaf’s iron is poorly absorbed, so it is more reliable as a vitamin-A vegetable than as an iron source.

2. Antioxidant Activity

The red and purple leaf forms owe their colour to betalain pigments, betacyanin and betaxanthin. In 16 A. blitum genotypes, pigment and phytochemical content went with antioxidant activity ^{5Reference 5Sarker et al. · 2020Nutrients, minerals, pigments, phytochemicals and radical-scavenging activity in Amaranthus blitum — analytical characterisation of 16 genotypesView study →}.

An A. lividus (A. blitum) leaf extract scavenged 75.6% of DPPH and 85.2% of superoxide radicals. Its main compounds were phytol and β-sitosterol, with gallic acid, caffeic acid, quercetin, vanillin and kaempferol ^{4Reference 4Durhan et al. · 2022In vitroAmaranthus lividus leaf extract radical scavenging and phytochemical profile — in vitroView study →}.

Gap: all of it is in vitro.

3. Cardiovascular (Seed Oil, Not Leaf)

In a randomised, placebo-controlled trial of 125 patients with coronary heart disease and hypertension, amaranth seed oil (3–18 mL a day, each 3 mL providing 100 mg squalene) lowered blood cholesterol and blood pressure ^{6Reference 6Martirosyan et al. · 2007RCTAmaranth oil application for coronary heart disease and hypertension — randomised placebo-controlled trialView study →}.

In Russian studies of patients with coronary heart disease and high blood lipids, diets with 100–600 mg of squalene a day from amaranth oil were compared. The 600 mg dose gave the largest improvement in cholesterol and triglycerides ^{9Reference 9Gonor et al. · 2006Clinical trialGonor, K. V., Pogozheva, A. V., Kulakova, S. N., et al. (2006). [The influence of diet with including amaranth oil on lipid metabolism in patients with ischemic heart disease and hyperlipoproteidemia] — comparative clinical study. Voprosy Pitaniia (in Russian). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16862949/View study →}. The same dose gave the most favourable immune changes, and 200–400 mg the strongest antioxidant effect ^{8Reference 8Gonor et al. · 2006Clinical trialGonor, K. V., Pogozheva, A. V., Derbeneva, S. A., et al. (2006). [The influence of a diet with including amaranth oil on antioxidant and immune status in patients with ischemic heart disease and hyperlipoproteidemia] — comparative clinical study. Voprosy Pitaniia (in Russian). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17313043/View study →}. Amaranth and sunflower oils in the diet also improved carbohydrate and lipid measures in type 2 diabetes ^{7Reference 7Miroshnichenko et al. · 2008Clinical trialMiroshnichenko, L. A., Zoloedov, V. I., Volynkina, A. P., & Kulakova, S. N. (2008). [Influence with amaranth and sunflower oils used in dietary therapy of patients with diebetes mellitus 2 types on parameters of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism] — clinical trial. Voprosy Pitaniia (in Russian). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19227865/View study →}.

Squalene is a constituent of grain-amaranth seed oil, so these results cannot be claimed for A. blitum leaf.

Gap: no cardiovascular evidence exists for the leaf itself.

4. Organ Protection — Liver & Kidney

A water extract of A. lividus (a synonym of A. blitum), given to rats at 250 and 500 mg/kg for nine days, prevented the rise in kidney lipid peroxidation after carbon-tetrachloride injury and preserved catalase activity ^{10Reference 10Yilmaz-Ozden et al. · 2016AnimalWater extract of A. lividus protects rat kidney against CCl₄ injury — animal studyView study →}.

The better-characterised liver-protection work used A. spinosus, a different species ^{11,12,13Reference 11Zeashan et al. · 2009In vitroHepatoprotective and antioxidant activity of Amaranthus spinosus against CCl4 induced toxicity — in vitroView study →Reference 12Zeashan et al. · 2008Hepatoprotective activity of Amaranthus spinosus in experimental animals — animal studyView study →Reference 13Salawu · 2007Ethanolic extracts of tropical vegetables including amaranth reduce serum AST/ALT after CCl₄ damage — animal studyView study →}.

Gap: entirely preclinical and partly a different species, and CCl₄ injury is a toxicology model, not a human disease.

5. Other Preclinical Activity

A. blitum leaf extracts killed Trichinella spiralis larvae in the test tube at 1 mg/mL. The crude extract also reduced platelet aggregation (43% against 76% in control plasma) and slowed the extrinsic clotting pathway, and a newly identified coumaroyl-tryptophan compound was among the active constituents ^{14Reference 14Abdel-Moez et al. · 2024In vitroEvaluating anthelmintic, anti-platelet, and anti-coagulant activities, and identifying the bioactive phytochemicals of Amaranthus blitum L. — in vitroView study →}.

The larvicidal result matches the folk use against worms. The antiplatelet and anticoagulant results run the other way from the folk use for bleeding ^{14Reference 14Abdel-Moez et al. · 2024In vitroEvaluating anthelmintic, anti-platelet, and anti-coagulant activities, and identifying the bioactive phytochemicals of Amaranthus blitum L. — in vitroView study →}.

Methanol leaf extracts of A. lividus and A. tricolor protected human neuroblastoma cells against peroxide stress ^{16Reference 16Amornrit et al. · 2016In vitroMethanol extracts of A. lividus and A. tricolor protect SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells against H₂O₂ — in vitroView study →}. In-vitro antidiabetic work (α-glucosidase inhibition and glucose uptake) used other species, A. cruentus and A. hybridus ^{15Reference 15Nkobole et al. · 2025In vitroIn vitro anti-diabetic activity and molecular docking studies of Amaranthus cruentus, Amaranthus hybridus and isolated compounds — in vitroView study →}.

Mechanisms

The leaf’s antioxidant capacity comes from its betalain pigments, flavonoids and phenolic acids, shown in the test tube ^{4,5Reference 4Durhan et al. · 2022In vitroAmaranthus lividus leaf extract radical scavenging and phytochemical profile — in vitroView study →Reference 5Sarker et al. · 2020Nutrients, minerals, pigments, phytochemicals and radical-scavenging activity in Amaranthus blitum — analytical characterisation of 16 genotypesView study →}. Its clearest benefit in people is nutritional, as a source of β-carotene, the precursor of vitamin A ^{3Reference 3Nawiri et al. · 2013Sun-dried cowpeas and amaranth leaves recipe improves β-carotene and retinol levels in serum and hemoglobin concentration among preschool children — human intervention studyView study →}.

The cholesterol-lowering effects belong to squalene in grain-amaranth seed oil, a different plant part.

Clinical Trials

No registered clinical trials of A. blitum leaf were identified. The human evidence is three nutrition studies. The cardiovascular trials used grain-amaranth seed oil, a different plant part and usually a different species.

Last checked: July 2026.

Phytochemistry

Amaranthus blitum leaf is valued for a dense mix of pigments, vitamins and minerals rather than for a single active compound.

Its distinctive constituents are the betalain pigments betacyanin (red-purple) and betaxanthin (yellow), which colour the red and purple leaf forms. Across 16 genotypes, betacyanin ranged from 10.5 to 53.6 µg and betaxanthin from 18.5 to 58.4 µg per 100 g of fresh leaf ^{5Reference 5Sarker et al. · 2020Nutrients, minerals, pigments, phytochemicals and radical-scavenging activity in Amaranthus blitum — analytical characterisation of 16 genotypesView study →}.

The leaves are a strong source of β-carotene (442–1,282 µg/g fresh weight) and ascorbic acid (vitamin C, 123–1,848 µg/g) ^{5Reference 5Sarker et al. · 2020Nutrients, minerals, pigments, phytochemicals and radical-scavenging activity in Amaranthus blitum — analytical characterisation of 16 genotypesView study →}. They also contain magnesium, calcium, potassium, iron and zinc ^{5Reference 5Sarker et al. · 2020Nutrients, minerals, pigments, phytochemicals and radical-scavenging activity in Amaranthus blitum — analytical characterisation of 16 genotypesView study →}.

A leaf-extract profile of A. lividus identified phytol and β-sitosterol as major compounds, with the flavonoids quercetin and kaempferol and the phenolic acids gallic acid and caffeic acid ^{4Reference 4Durhan et al. · 2022In vitroAmaranthus lividus leaf extract radical scavenging and phytochemical profile — in vitroView study →}.

Grain-type amaranths concentrate the triterpene squalene in their seed oil. It is a seed constituent, not a leaf one ^{6Reference 6Martirosyan et al. · 2007RCTAmaranth oil application for coronary heart disease and hypertension — randomised placebo-controlled trialView study →}.

Constituent Summary

Pigment figures are µg per 100 g fresh leaf and vitamin figures µg per g fresh leaf, across 16 A. blitum genotypes ^{5Reference 5Sarker et al. · 2020Nutrients, minerals, pigments, phytochemicals and radical-scavenging activity in Amaranthus blitum — analytical characterisation of 16 genotypesView study →}. Leaf values vary widely with genotype, maturity and growing conditions.

† The pigment that marks the red- and purple-leaved forms.

Dosage

Amaranth is a food. The leaves are eaten freely as a cooked vegetable, or taken as a decoction or infusion (1–2 cups daily) in traditional practice.

The standardised doses in the literature are for grain seed oil, a different plant part.

Nutrition (per 100 g, cooked leaves)

Cooked (boiled, drained) leaves are low in calories and a good source of vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium, iron, magnesium and folate:

Values for cooked, boiled, drained amaranth leaves; amaranth grain is a separate food with a different profile ^{18Reference 18USDA FoodData CentralAmaranth leaves, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt — food composition data (FDC ID 169202)View study →}. The iron shown is total, not absorbed: the leaf’s iron is poorly absorbed ^{1Reference 1Cercamondi et al. · 2014RCTA Higher Proportion of Iron-Rich Leafy Vegetables in a Typical Burkinabe Maize Meal Does Not Increase the Amount of Iron Absorbed in Young Women — randomised stable-isotope studyView study →}.

Safety & Pregnancy

Amaranth leaf is safe as a food. Its cautions come from what the leaf takes up and stores: oxalate, nitrate and heavy metals.

Full Safety Detail

Food use. Amaranth is generally considered safe as a food, with no toxicity signal at dietary amounts.

Oxalate. Like spinach and chard, edible amaranth is rich in calcium-oxalate crystals ^{17Reference 17Xie et al. · 2023Effects of exogenous calcium on cadmium accumulation in amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor) — plant-physiology studyView study →}. This matters for people prone to calcium-oxalate kidney stones.

Nitrate. Fast-growing leafy amaranth readily takes up nitrate, especially in heavily fertilised soil. High dietary nitrate in leafy greens can cause methaemoglobinaemia in infants, so amaranth leaf and its cooking water are not suitable for very young infants.

Cadmium. Edible amaranth (A. tricolor) is a potential cadmium hyperaccumulator ^{17Reference 17Xie et al. · 2023Effects of exogenous calcium on cadmium accumulation in amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor) — plant-physiology studyView study →}, so soil source matters for anyone eating the leaf regularly. Cooking reduces oxalate and nitrate but does not remove accumulated metals.

Interactions and allergy. Herb–drug interactions have not been studied for A. blitum. Allergic reactions are rare but possible.

References

1. Cercamondi, C. I., et al. (2014). A Higher Proportion of Iron-Rich Leafy Vegetables in a Typical Burkinabe Maize Meal Does Not Increase the Amount of Iron Absorbed in Young Women — randomised stable-isotope study. Journal of Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.114.194670
2. Icard-Vernière, C., Olive, F., Picq, C., & Mouquet-Rivier, C. (2015). Contribution of leafy vegetable sauces to dietary iron, zinc, vitamin A and energy requirements in children and their mothers in Burkina Faso — dietary intake modelling. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-014-0462-5
3. Nawiri, M. P., Nyambaka, H., & Murungi, J. I. (2013). Sun-dried cowpeas and amaranth leaves recipe improves β-carotene and retinol levels in serum and hemoglobin concentration among preschool children — human intervention study. European Journal of Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-012-0360-2
4. Durhan, B., Yalçın, E., Çavuşoğlu, K., & Acar, A. (2022). Amaranthus lividus leaf extract radical scavenging and phytochemical profile — in vitro. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-08421-8
5. Sarker, U., & Oba, S. (2020). Nutrients, minerals, pigments, phytochemicals and radical-scavenging activity in Amaranthus blitum — analytical characterisation of 16 genotypes. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-59848-w
6. Martirosyan, D. M., Miroshnichenko, L. A., Kulakova, S. N., et al. (2007). Amaranth oil application for coronary heart disease and hypertension — randomised placebo-controlled trial. Lipids in Health and Disease. https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-511X-6-1
7. Miroshnichenko, L. A., Zoloedov, V. I., Volynkina, A. P., & Kulakova, S. N. (2008). [Influence with amaranth and sunflower oils used in dietary therapy of patients with diebetes mellitus 2 types on parameters of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism] — clinical trial. Voprosy Pitaniia (in Russian). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19227865/
8. Gonor, K. V., Pogozheva, A. V., Derbeneva, S. A., et al. (2006). [The influence of a diet with including amaranth oil on antioxidant and immune status in patients with ischemic heart disease and hyperlipoproteidemia] — comparative clinical study. Voprosy Pitaniia (in Russian). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17313043/
9. Gonor, K. V., Pogozheva, A. V., Kulakova, S. N., et al. (2006). [The influence of diet with including amaranth oil on lipid metabolism in patients with ischemic heart disease and hyperlipoproteidemia] — comparative clinical study. Voprosy Pitaniia (in Russian). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16862949/
10. Yilmaz-Ozden, T., Can, A., Karatug, A., et al. (2016). Water extract of A. lividus protects rat kidney against CCl₄ injury — animal study. Toxicology and Industrial Health. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25415872/
11. Zeashan, H., et al. (2009). Hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity of Amaranthus spinosus against CCl4 induced toxicity — in vitro. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2009.05.010
12. Zeashan, H., et al. (2008). Hepatoprotective activity of Amaranthus spinosus in experimental animals — animal study. Food and Chemical Toxicology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2008.08.013
13. Salawu, Akindahunsi (2007). Ethanolic extracts of tropical vegetables including amaranth reduce serum AST/ALT after CCl₄ damage — animal study. Journal of Medicinal Food. https://doi.org/10.1089/jmf.2006.212
14. Abdel-Moez, Sayed, Khalifa, et al. (2024). Evaluating anthelmintic, anti-platelet, and anti-coagulant activities, and identifying the bioactive phytochemicals of Amaranthus blitum L. — in vitro. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-024-04478-2
15. Nkobole, Ebenezer, Prinsloo, et al. (2025). In vitro anti-diabetic activity and molecular docking studies of Amaranthus cruentus, Amaranthus hybridus and isolated compounds — in vitro. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-025-05169-2
16. Amornrit, Santiyanont, et al. (2016). Methanol extracts of A. lividus and A. tricolor protect SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells against H₂O₂ — in vitro. Genetics and Molecular Research. https://doi.org/10.4238/gmr.15027562
17. Xie, H., Liao, Z., Li, J., et al. (2023). Effects of exogenous calcium on cadmium accumulation in amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor) — plant-physiology study. Chemosphere. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138435
18. USDA FoodData Central. Amaranth leaves, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt — food composition data (FDC ID 169202). https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169202/nutrients
19. Mosyakin, S. L., & Robertson, K. R. (2003). Amaranthus blitum Linnaeus — species description, habitat and distribution — flora. In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (eds.), Flora of North America North of Mexico, Vol. 4. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242302535
20. Bao, B., Borsch, T., & Clemants, S. E. (2003). Amaranthus blitum Linnaeus — species description and distribution — flora. In Wu, Z. Y., & Raven, P. H. (eds.), Flora of China, Vol. 5. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=242302535
21. Govaerts, R. (2026). Amaranthus blitum L. — native and introduced distribution — species database. The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, via GBIF. https://www.gbif.org/species/8911082

View all 21 references▾