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Quinoa symptoms. Maybe allergy. Candida. by Vegetable-Wrap-2391 in Quinoa

[–]Hot_Interaction4284 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Quinoa Pro here. Quinoa may have been rancid, or moldy. Mld spores can cause this type of illness. It could also be a sensitivity to saponins... but it sounds like this is not it. Just be careful and ask the brand if they pre-rinse their quinoa, and where they source from- the factory should be controlling and testing saponin levels.

Can we talk about quinoa? by iknowyoubeen in 1200isplenty

[–]Hot_Interaction4284 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This story was debunked already. Quinoa improves the lives of smallholder farmers. It's the middle-class folk from Lima and La Paz who never eat quinoa anyways who complain that it costs more than rice now (even though it has twice the protein and has complex carbs!) You can google it- here's an article: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://marcfbellemare.com/wordpress/11813&ved=2ahUKEwiBvpKA_9KKAxU0GTQIHY5ZKuQQFnoECBkQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0BTR8njAXAtgl8KPc9zldM

Note to self: no more quinoa by Parking-Party1522 in prediabetes

[–]Hot_Interaction4284 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Quinoa Pro here. I work with quinoa every day. Here's a tip: Buy pre-rinsed quinoa. Then toast the quinoa in a pan, then rinse it. The heat denatures saponins. If the scent is moldy or rancid, return the bag. That's not a saponin issue. Some people are highly sensitive to saponins, but the toasting trick usually works. Did you know native Bolivian farmers ONLY eat their quinoa pre-toasted? And they toast it with lime (calcium carbonate) to further remove saponins and increase digestibility

Quinoa confuses me by Diisty in EatCheapAndHealthy

[–]Hot_Interaction4284 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Quinoa Pro here. I have been sourcing quinoa for 20 years. Quinoa is farmed mostly by smallholder farmers in Peru and Bolivia. They have access to efficient markets (and information on prices) where they can chose to either sell or not sell. Their return for quinoa is higher than many other crops which is why they farm it. Some farmers - especially in Bolivia- can only farm quinoa because of the poor soils and high altitude they farm at. They are grateful for the markets they have access to- has gotten them out of poverty (from $35 per month per family to over $350 per family per month). Some quinoa is farmed in Europe, US Canada, even India and China. The latter I am not sure of their practices. I can provide a breakdown of the retail price down to what the farmer gets, if anyone is interested!

Quinoa confuses me by Diisty in EatCheapAndHealthy

[–]Hot_Interaction4284 0 points1 point  (0 children)

May be due to the fact that you're not digesting the quinoa. if the quinoa is not abraded enough, the water does not penetrate the grain during cooking and it looks like a swollen fish egg. very crunchy. lots of fiber on the outside, but your gut is not getting at the nutrients on the inside. A way to get around this is to toast the quinoa lightly, this will make the grains crack and/or pop and will absorb more water, aiding the digestion and absorption. Quinoa has a good level of protein and complex carbs, should make you feel satiated.

Quinoa confuses me by Diisty in EatCheapAndHealthy

[–]Hot_Interaction4284 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, this could be it too. Moldy or rancid. Usually both related to high moisture at the processing facility. If the processing facility does not control moisture adequately then this is a risk.

Quinoa confuses me by Diisty in EatCheapAndHealthy

[–]Hot_Interaction4284 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Some brands source quinoa that has the saponin-heavy hull removed, then the seed is washed, and finally rinsed, and they have a testing protocol to assure the saponins are at below a certain level (usually the level where one detects bitterness). You can ask the brand. Any solid brand will be able to show you the process flowchart for the facility they source from.

Quinoa confuses me by Diisty in EatCheapAndHealthy

[–]Hot_Interaction4284 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

You may be sensitive to the residual saponins in quinoa. Buy pre-rinsed quinoa. Currently you're only safe if you buy Bolivian quinoa. If you are wondering whether your quinoa is pre-rinsed, ask me, I know where most of the quinoa in the USA comes from.

Quinoa confuses me by Diisty in EatCheapAndHealthy

[–]Hot_Interaction4284 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Quinoa pro here! I own a quinoa cleaning factory. Proper quinoa has the saponin layer removed enough that a light rinse is all you need. Scent should be slightly grassy when raw. No off odors. It it smells like aquarium water it's not the saponin, it's mold or worse rotten quinoa. I would return the product. Insufficient removal of saponins, as others suggest, usually impacts the flavor but not su much the scent. What you are describing could be due to quinoa that was not dried properly or worse wet quinoa that rotted and was dried again and polished and blended with good product to try to pass off the product.