Buckwheat nutritional benefits

                                                                                                FARM TREASURE

                                                                                                    BUCKWHEAT

The delicious buckwheat is returning to the countries of Central Europe, and they are good reasons for this, first, because its nutritional value, it is high in proteins, fiber, and phenolic compounds, and second, because buckwheat, is used to produce gluten-free foods (1).

Many people think that buckwheat it is a grain, but it is actually a seed, it belongs to a group of foods called pseudo grains. The pseudo grains are seeds that are consumed as cereals, other common pseudo grains are quinoa and amaranth.

Even though the word buckwheat sounds like a sort of wheat, is not associated with wheat and it does not contain gluten (2).

The biggest producers of buckwheat are China, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation. In Korea, Italy, Japan and China the buckwheat is most widely consume in the form of noodles, in the eastern European countries like Poland, buckwheat is mainly consumed in the form of grains. As you can see, the Buckwheat has many uses, it can be eaten as a grain, but you can also consume in the form of pancakes, noodles, muffins, etc. (3).  

In some regions, buckwheat herb is consumed as a functional food. You can find numerous studies of potential health benefits of consuming buckwheat, especially for its high content in antioxidants (4).

Here are some of the most important benefits of consuming buckwheat:

1. It is rich in antioxidants and its high in nutritional value! Buckwheat possesses high nutritional value due to the presence of bioactive compounds like flavonoids, i.e, rutin, quercetin, isoorientin, vitaxin, and isovitexin, polysaccharides, proteins, amino acids, fatty acids, fiber, vitamins and minerals (5).
2. t's gluten free! Buckwheat is a gluten free pseudocereal that belongs to the Polygonaceae family, making it suitable for those with coeliac disease (6). 
3. May be beneficial for blood sugar management. May have a beneficial effect on diabetes since lower postprandial blood glucose and insulin response have been reported (7). This effect may be thanks to the soluble carbohydrate in buckwheat that may delay the digestion of sugar (8). On study made the comparison of consumption of white wheat bread and boiled buckwheat groats or bread baked using buckwheat flour, it has been shown the reduce of post-prandial blood glucose and insulin responses after buckwheat consumption (9).
4. It has rutin, a marvelous flavonoid, which has been suggested to have potential therapeutic applications for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (4).  
5. It is good for your heart! the consume of buckwheat may help to the reduction of hyperlipidemia, reduction of blood pressure and improved weight regulation. This is because buckwheat is rich in nutrients good for your heart! First, it is rich in fiber, which may improve the cholesterol balance and keep a healthy weight, second, it is a good source of magnesium, which it is associated with a lower cardiovascular disease risk. Third, it is a good source of rutin and quercetin, which have protective antioxidant properties (4).
6. Another amazing benefit is that it is good for your gut! Some of the benefits effects of buckwheat could be its positive effects on the gut microbiota. Compared to traditional cereals, buckwheat has high content of soluble dietary fiber, which might have a prebiotic effect stimulating the growth of good bacteria in the gut and helps to increase the production of short-chain fatty acids (10).
7. It has a neuroprotection, anticancer, anti-inflammatory effects, some studies suggest that the bioactive compounds, such as D-chiro-inositol and flavonoids present in the buckwheat may be partially responsible for these effects (11).
8. Hepatoprotective activity, the hepatoprotective effects of buckwheat are related to polyphenols, specially the well named rutin (12).

Nutrition profile of buckwheat

We love buckwheat not only for its taste, but also because it is a superfood full in nutrients and antioxidants! Check out what buckwheat provides to you:

• Carbohydrates:

Carbohydrates are the main nutrient component of the marvelous buckwheat. The nutritional values for 100 grams are around 65.3 grams, this is approximately 32 grams per serving. Remember that Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for our body and the good news is that buckwheat is naturally low in sugar and high in fiber. One study made in Poland reveal the glycemic index (GI) of the selected groats available on the Polish food market, showed that the lowest GI was found for buckwheat (34.7±8.2%) and barley (31.3±13.4%) groats, the conclusion was that the buckwheat groats tested in this study were classified  as a low GI food, which is very good for people with Diabetes (13).

• Fiber

It is a good source of fiber. Dietary fiber includes the parts that you body can’t digest or absorb, this helps to normalizes bowel movements, it helps to lower cholesterol levels, it helps to control blood sugar levels, and even aids in achieving healthy weight (14).  

In addition, the fiber that are concentrated in the shell that covers the grain, are resistant starch, which is fermented by the microorganism in the colon, helping to produce short-chain fatty acids (2).

• Protein

When we talk about protein content, buckwheat contains relatively low amounts of protein, approximately 5.6 gr per serving, (nutrition facts, European commission) but compared to other grains, it offers a complete amino acid profile. It is especially rich in the amino acids lysine and arginine, which makes buckwheat more promising than other cereals (15).

The proteins present in the buckwheat are free from gluten, which it makes an excellent option for people with celiac diseases (16).

• Fats

Buckwheat is low in fat, around 1 gram per serving. Most of the fat in buckwheat are unsaturated fatty acids (74.5%–79.3%), which have health benefits against heart diseases, inflammation, and diabetes (12).

• Vitamins and minerals:

Buckwheat is a good source of minerals, mainly (2):

-  Manganese: it is essential for a healthy metabolism, development, and antioxidant defenses (2).

-  Phosphorus: It plays an essential role in the growth and maintenance of body tissues (2).

-  Magnesium: mineral can reduce the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes and heart disease (2).

-  Iron: your body needs iron to make hemiglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to all the body, and myoglobin, a protein that provides oxygen to muscles (17).

-  Zinc: It is a mineral very important for immune system (18).

-  Copper: helps with energy production and iron absorption (18).

Eueopean commission 

https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/health-promotion-knowledge-gateway/whole-grain-nutritional-value-whole-2_enm

Other plant compounds

The flavonoids identified from buckwheat groats and hulls are rutin, vitexin, quercetin, isovitexin, and isoorientin (19).

Buckwheat provides more antioxidants than many other cereal grains, such as barley, oats, wheat, and rye (20).  

One study suggest that buckwheat could be an important nutritional source of flavonoids, especially in countries with a low mean daily flavonoid intake. Kreft S, Knapp M, Kreft I. Extraction of rutin from buckwheat (21).

• Rutin

The benefit antioxidant activity of buckwheat is thanks to the presence of polyphenolic compounds, specially the rutin content. Rutin is a flavonoid with high antioxidative power, and it’s found only in buckwheat amongst the pseudocereals (22). The rutin content is accumulated in different parts of the buckwheat plant, such as inflorescence, stalks, leaves, and grains (23).

The properties of rutin are improve circulatory problems, atherosclerosis, antioxidant, anti‐inflammation, antihypertension, vasoconstrictive, spasmolytic, UV‐light protectant and reduction of cholesterol (24).

It is important to mention, that the rutin content in sprouts of buckwheat is 27 times higher than that in seeds of buckwheat (24).

• Quercetin 

Quercetin is one of the important bioflavonoids present in fruits (mostly citrus), green leafy vegetables, seeds, buckwheat, nuts, flowers, broccoli, olive oil, apples, barks, onions, green tea, red grapes, red wine, dark cherries, blueberries and cranberries (25).

It is widely used because is known for its health benefits: anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, vasodilator effects, antihypercholesterolemic and antiatherosclerosis activities (26,27).

• Vitexin:

Vitexin is a chemical compound found in many plants, such as buckwheat (28). It has a variety of pharmacological effects:  antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, anticancer, antinociceptive, and neuroprotective effects (29).

• D-chiro-inositol

Buckwheat contains relatively high levels of D-chiro-inositol (d-CI), this is a type of soluble carbohydrates that it has antihyperglycemic effects, this means that it helps to decreases blood sugar levels and may benefit in the control of Diabetes Mellitus (30).

Tartary buckwheat is rich in rutin and D- chiro-inositol (DCI), both have beneficial effects in the treatment of hemorrhagic diseases and insulin-resistant diseases (31).

References

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