Yin Choy, Amaranth Greens With a Dash of Red

Yin Choy

Other names:

• Red Chinese Water Spinach
  
• Yin Tsai
  
• Bayam (know as, in Malaysia and Indonesia)
  

Yin Choy ... a type of Chinese variety of the edible amaranth, green with a "splash" of red leaves variety.

As with all Chinese vegetables, the Chinese names' variations are due to its name in Mandarin and the various Chinese dialects.

All varieties have the distinct hollow stems, and slight stickiness when the stems are peeled or broken.

Yin Choy's Main Nutrients

• Antioxidant:    Vitamin (C,E,K), Carotenoids
  
• Other:               Manganese, Magnesium, Potassium, Iron, Vitamin (A,B,E,K), Protein, Carbohydrates, Folate, Phosphorus, Dietary Fiber, Water
  

Interesting stuff on Yin Choy

Native of:

• South America
  

Now Found\Grown in:

• Asia
  

Other varieties of Asian Amaranth Greens, have the following leaves variations:

• green pointed leaves
• white leaves
• green round leaves
• red leaves  (two varieties - "Asia Red" leaves and "Southern Red" leaves)
• tender leaves
  

Yin Choy falls under the variety known as "red stripe leaves".

Yin Choy, bicoloured Amaranth Greens

Examples of Health Benefits of Amaranth Greens

• Promotes healthy digestion
• Reduces bad cholesterol - due to the tocotrienols of Vitamin E
  
• Stops hair loss and graying
• Helps with anemia - especially the red leaves variety
• Cancer fighter
• Reduce risk of cardiovascular diseases
• Reduce risks of osteoporosis (calcium content is twice that of milk)
• Improves eye sight

Some precautions

• Contains high amounts of oxalic acid which inhibits absorption of calcium and zinc
• Must be avoided by individuals suffering with rheumatoid arthritis, gout, or kidney diseases
  
• Do not re-heat as the nitrates present in the leaves get converted to nitrites; particularly harmful for young children.