Surprising
Swapping half your daily staple for quinoa boosted blood-sugar time-in-range over a year — but the study was open-label, so expectations should be tempered.
This is one of the first long-term trials to pit quinoa directly against other whole grains, and the results are promising for people with impaired glucose tolerance — but because neither participants nor researchers knew which group they were in, the real-world advantage may be smaller than reported.
In a year-long trial of 207 adults with prediabetes, those who replaced about half their daily staple food with 100 grams of quinoa spent significantly more time with blood sugar in a healthy range and were more likely to regain normal glucose tolerance compared to those eating a mix of whole grains. The caveat: the study was open-label, meaning everyone knew what they were eating, which can exaggerate benefits through expectation or behavior changes.
Where this fits in the evidence
This is among the first studies we've indexed on quinoa for Increased Time in Range — treat it as an early signal until more research accumulates.
The study
- Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)
- n = 207
- 2025
- Food & function
- PubMed: 39784492
- DOI: 10.1039/d4fo04557b
- Full study breakdown →
This is a plain-language summary of a research finding, not medical advice. Pillser surfaces research signals to help you decide what's worth investigating — always consult a qualified professional before changing what you take.