Buckwheat Nutrition & Health Benefits

Buckwheat

  • 155 calories
  • 6 grams of protein
  • 1 gram of fat
  • 33 grams of carbohydrates
  • 5 grams fiber
  • Only 1.5 grams of sugar
  • 86 milligrams manganese (34%)
  • 86 milligrams magnesium (21%)
  • 118 milligrams phosphorus (12%)
  • 6 milligrams niacin (8%)
  • 1 milligrams zinc (7%)
  • 34 milligrams iron (7%)
  • 0.13 milligrams vitamin B6 (6%)
  • 24 milligrams folate (6%)
  • 0.6 milligrams pantothenic acid (6%)

Another superfood is on the menu today, and t is called buckwheat. You’ve surely heard it before, and you’ve probably guessed it is whole grain, but still, guess again, because it is not. Buckwheat is a seed, from the family of Polygonaceae family of plants, and it got nothing to do with grains like wheat, barley, or rye. This seed is rich in protein and fiber, and it is completely gluten-free, and when you add the antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, and the presence of large quantities of amino acids it is no wonder it is called a superfood, and it is no wonder it is gaining in popularity throughout the western world (because in Asian it has been used for centuries!).

With a long list of benefits some still have to jump up on the list, including effects like cholesterol-lowering, improving digestion, anti-hypertension, heart benefits, and diabetes prevention! And the nutrition facts are more than excellent (measured in one cup of cooked buckwheat groats):

So, with this table on your mind, here come the top health benefits gained by eating buckwheat:

Buckwheat contains rutin, copper, magnesium, lots of fiber, and plenty of protein. Rutin is a mighty antioxidant that lowers the risk of cardiovascular illness, the formation of blood clots, reduces blood pressure, and decreases inflammation. Also, some components of buckwheat improve the blood fats profile, which is a major risk factor for heart diseases. A study made in China involving 850 men and women confirmed that buckwheat consumption can lower the level of LDL cholesterol and raise the level of HDL cholesterol, which when considered the number of people involved is proof for itself.

Buckwheat Nutrition & Health Benefits
Buckwheat Nutrition & Health Benefits

Lots of antioxidants for overall health

The protective phenolic compounds present in buckwheat can fight even cancer, not to mention some other lesser illnesses. These antioxidants also prevent diseases that attack your liver, heart and even support your brain functions. As you might have known, antioxidants fight the creation of so-called free radical damage, and they protect you DNA from damage, thus preventing cancer cell formation and inflammation.

Buckwheat has anti-arthritis properties

The rutin present in buckwheat fights inflammation, so it has also been used in helping to treat arthritis. A French study from January 2008 published in the Arthritis Research & Therapy journal claimed that rutin reduced the human macrophage-derived inflammatory in vitro, and also reduced the clinical signs of arthritis in lab rats.

Buckwheat improves gut health

Rich in fiber, buckwheat can help constipation problems, but can also protect you from colon cancer. This is due to its low digestibility, when buckwheat proteins have fiber effects in the gut, and can also fill you up, and fasten the transit of food through the digestive system. Alcoholic from fermented buckwheat drinks as well as buckwheat bread also have a probiotic effect, improving the number of healthy bacteria in your gut and improving your gut’s PH level.

Buckwheat is allergen-friendly

Although true gluten allergy is rare, the number of gluten-intolerant people is increasing, showing symptoms of a headache, stomachache, or flatulence when consuming wheat that contains gluten. Buckwheat is gluten-free and hypoallergenic, containing very little allergy-triggering proteins, and what is best is also helping alleviate existing allergies. A study conducted in Korea and published in the International Immunopharmacology journal suggests that buckwheat extracts have the ability to inhibit histamine and cytokine gene expression in the mast cells, showing excellent anti-allergic action.

Buckwheat helps diabetes prevention

Buckwheat has a very low glycemic index, and the carbs present in it are slowly absorbed into the bloodstream, lasting your full stomach feel longer and giving you sustainable energy. Plus it helps you balance your blood sugar, preventing inflammation and even diabetes. This is due to the presence of D-chiro-inositol, which makes cells sensible to insulin.

Buckwheat is important for skin and hair health

Buckwheat is rich in Vitamin B complex which includes Thiamin (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Niacin (B3), Pantothenic (B5), Pyridoxine (B6), and Folate (B9), which when all together, have a tremendous effect on your skin and hair. The rutin antioxidant also keeps the wrinkles away, plus the amount of protein helps hair growth!

Buckwheat is free of chemicals

Since it grows effortless and successfully, it does not require any pesticides, so you’re free to digest chemicals worry-free.

Buckwheat is a water drawing retainer

making a buckwheat plaster and applying it to swollen parts of your body will draw out the retained water and ease the swallowing.

Buckwheat honey – greater antioxidant activity than Manuka

Buckwheat blossoms are an excellent source of nectar for honey bees resulting in buckwheat honey which has a deep, dark brown color and a strong, pungent earthy flavor that is high in mineral content and antioxidant compounds. Buckwheat hulls are used as filling for pillows and cushions.

And finally where to find buckwheat and how to use it. You can find it in any grocery store, or in some organic superfood store (now every village even has one), and it comes in the form of groats (toasted or raw) and in the form of buckwheat flour. You can use the groats cooked in stews, porridge, or added in a salad, and as flour, you can make bread or cookies, whichever you like best. Enjoy it!

References:

https://draxe.com/buckwheat-nutrition/
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=11
https://www.care2.com/greenliving/10-health-benefits-of-buckwheat.html
http://www.oprah.com/health/buckwheat-dr-perricones-no-5-superfood/all
https://www.healwithfood.org/health-benefits/buckwheat-groats.php
https://www.organicfacts.net/buckwheat.html
https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/buckwheat/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7840076
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10967451

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I'm NOT a doctor! I'm just passionate about health and healthy leaving. The information on this website, such as graphics, images, text and all other materials, is provided for reference and educational purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professional. The content is not intended to be complete or exhaustive or to apply to any specific individual's medical condition.