Amaranth is our people for thousands of years both edible and medicinal annual fleshy herbs, but also the medical and food community unanimously recognized as "medicine and food" plants, or ordinary people like to eat wild vegetables. Amaranth is found in the fields of both the north and south of China. As a Chinese herbal medicine, amaranth is cold in nature, sour in taste, and has the effect of clearing away heat and detoxification, and is mainly used for the prevention and treatment of intestinal inflammation, dysentery, hemorrhoids, dengtong, flat warts, as well as the expulsion of worms and toxins, and so on. Amaranth research in recent years has shown that, whether from the pharmacological effect or from the consumption of health care, amaranth is an unparalleled medicine and natural green vegetables, its stems and leaves contain an extremely important nutritional components of the human body: "SL3-fatty acids", this fatty acid is the formation of cell membranes, especially brain cells and eye cell membranes of important components. This fatty acid is important for the formation of cell membranes, especially those of brain cells and eye cells. It also contains vitamin E and carotene, both of which are natural antioxidants. They can effectively prevent the damage caused by free radicals to human tissues, and have the function of anti-aging, prevention of coronary heart disease and anti-cancer and anti-obesity.

(I) Treatment of intestinal diseases . Chinese researchers test proved that amaranth juice has obvious bactericidal effect on dysentery bacillus, and its decoction also has inhibitory effect on typhoid bacillus and E. coli, etc. Amaranth extract also has different inhibitory effect on some pathogenic fungi. In recent years, it has been found that Amaranthus has new efficacy in the prevention and treatment of bacillary dysentery, enteritis and dysentery carriers, in the treatment of skin sores and suppurative disorders, and in the treatment of simple diarrhea in children.

(ii) Prevention of cerebral thrombosis. British researchers revealed that the amaranth leaves contain a large number of omega-3 series of unsaturated fatty acids, known as "brain gold". omega-3 fatty acids have a variety of pharmacological activity, can make the vascular endothelial cells synthesize anti-inflammatory substances - prostaglandins, so that the platelet formation of thromboxane A2 reduced blood viscosity decreased anticoagulation lipids increased, thus playing a role in preventing the formation of thrombosis. Thus, it plays a role in preventing thrombosis. Prostaglandins are also inhibitors of platelet aggregation, and can more strongly dilate blood vessels.

(3) Enhancement of heart muscle strength. Chinese researchers have found that amaranth is rich in active substances such as L-norepinephrine, dopamine and dopa. Norepinephrine can agonize vascular β-receptors, make blood vessels constrict, prompt the blood pressure to rise, improve the perfusion pressure of coronary arteries, and increase the flow of coronary arteries. In addition, these substances agitate the beta-receptors of the heart, resulting in increased myocardial contractility and cardiac auto-rhythm. In terms of protecting the heart, amaranth is quite unique, and thus is particularly favored by the elderly. According to research, amaranth is rich in unsaturated fatty acids that inhibit plasma cholesterol and triglyceride forms in the human body, and can make the synthesis of prostaglandins synthesized by intravascular cells increase, thromboxane A2 decrease, so that the blood viscosity decreases, preventing platelet aggregation, coronary artery spasms and thrombosis, thus effectively preventing coronary heart disease. In addition, it contains a large amount of potassium and the effective components of omega-3 fatty acids, which can lower blood pressure, inhibit the excitability of the heart muscle, slow down the heart rate and protect the heart.

(4) Reduce blood pressure and blood sugar. Chinese researchers determined that amaranth

is rich in potassium, including potassium nitrate, potassium oxide, potassium sulfate and so on. According to the determination: the potassium content in amaranth reaches 1.7%. Potassium has certain antihypertensive effect, has important physiological effect on myocardial excitability, and can directly inhibit myocardial contractility. After ingesting appropriate amount of potassium from Amaranthus, potassium ions entering the blood can directly act on the blood vessel wall, play a role in expanding the blood vessel wall and preventing the thickening of the pulse wall, thus providing effective help in reducing the incidence of stroke in hypertension. The ancient Chinese medical books have contained, amaranth has stop "thirst" role. 1960s, the United States scientists found that amaranth contains a high concentration of norepinephrine and dihydroxyphenylethylamine (the precursor of norepinephrine). Tests on diabetic rats and rabbits revealed that both water-soluble and fat-soluble extracts of Amaranthus tinctorius were able to prolong the lifespan of diabetic rats and rabbits. Researchers have proved through pharmacological studies that norepinephrine in Amaranthus promotes the secretion of insulin by pancreatic islets and adjusts the process of glucose metabolism in the human body, thus achieving the effect of lowering blood sugar. It is rumored that some people use amaranth to cook with fresh water to treat many diabetic patients, and the results are all effective. These show that amaranth cure "thirst" is a certain basis, worthy of further study.

(5) Protect gastric mucosa. Chinese researchers have confirmed: 10% alcohol extract of amaranth has significant therapeutic effect on ulcer caused by gastric mucous membrane damage. Researchers on mice intraperitoneal drug administration test, amaranth extract to 100, 200 and 400mg/kg body weight dose, can inhibit non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (indomethacin and pau d'arco) induced gastric mucosal damage. Researchers believe that this new effect of amaranth may be related to its rich omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C, these substances have a strong antioxidant effect and have a protective effect on the gastric mucosa.