Buckwheat

 

Buckwheat is a gluten-free fruit seed, also known as pseudocereal that belongs to the Polygonaceae family. There are two types of buckwheat that are most widely grown for food: common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) and tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tartaricum). Tartary buckwheat generally contains more nutrients than common buckwheat (1).

buckwheat is a good source of magnesium, improves blood pressure

NUTRITIONAL FACTS

Buckwheat is a powerhouse of nutrients. It has a high content of fibre and protein. It contains all the essential amino acids and is particularly rich in lysine and arginine (2, 3). The protein content of buckwheat grains is 11.7% (1), not as high as quinoa or beans and legumes, but higher than most whole grains. The digestibility of these proteins is slightly reduced by anti-nutrients such as tannins and protease inhibitors (3).

Compared to many common cereals, such as rice, wheat and corn, buckwheat is richer in minerals (4), and contains significant amounts of magnesium. The minerals in cooked buckwheat seeds are very well absorbed. This is due to relatively low phytic acid, a common inhibitor of mineral absorption found in most grains.

Buckwheat is also packed with antioxidant plant compounds which are amazing disease fighting organic components. In fact, it provides more antioxidants that many other cereal grains, such as rice, wheat, maize, sorghum, barley, oats and rye (5, 6, 7, 8). Some of the plant compounds found in buckwheat include rutin, quercetin, vitexin and D-chiro-inositol (5, 6).

The main nutrients found in 1 cup (170 g) of buckwheat (9):

  • Calories: 583 kcal

  • Carbohydrates: 122 g

  • Fibre: 17 g

  • Protein: 22.5 g

  • Fat: 5.8 g

  • Saturated: 1.3 g

  • Monounsaturated: 1.8 g

  • Polyunsaturated: 1.8 g

  • Omega-3: 133 mg

  • Omega-6: 1634 mg

  • Manganese: 2.2 mg

  • Magnesium: 393 mg

  • Phosphorus: 590 mg

  • Copper: 1.9 mg

  • Zinc: 4.1 mg

  • Iron: 3.7 mg

  • Selenium: 14.1 mcg

  • Niacin (Vitamin B3): 11.9 mg

  • Folate (Vitamin B9): 51 mcg

  • Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5): 2.1 mg

  • Riboflavin (Vitamin B2): 0.7 mg

  • Thiamine (Vitamin B1): 0.2 mg

Glycaemic Index: Low


HEALTH BENEFITS OF BUCKWHEAT

Health benefits attributed to buckwheat include cholesterol level reduction, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antioxidant, antidiabetic effects, neuroprotection, improving digestion by relieving constipation. and regulation of hypertension (4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14). 

Cardiovascular health

Diets that contain buckwheat have been linked to lowered risk of developing high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Buckwheat intake was associated with significant reduction in total cholesterol and triglycerides, lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) (high LDL level leads to a build-up of cholesterol in your arteries); and a high ratio of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) to total cholesterol (4, 11, 12). (HDL carries cholesterol away from the cells and back to the liver, where it's either broken down or passed out of the body as a waste product).

Buckwheat is a good source of magnesium which is instrumental in improving blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels and improving blood flow and nutrient delivery (12).         

Gastrointestinal health

Study by Giménez-Bastida et al. (2018) suggest that buckwheat consumption can exert beneficial effects on Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBDs) due to the anti-inflammatory effects (14).

Buckwheat has been reported to possess prebiotic and antioxidant activities (10). It also contains a good amount of fibre and resistant starch, both of which may improve colon health (13). The dietary fibre in buckwheat helps to fill you up and speeds intestinal transit time (how quickly food moves through the intestines), which has been implicated in reducing the incidence of colon cancer (15). Buckwheat is richer in antioxidants than many common cereal grains (2).

Eating foods high in insoluble fibre, such as buckwheat, can help prevent gallstone formation (16).

Blood sugar control

Moderating the rise in blood sugar after meals is important for the maintenance of good health. Over time, high levels of sugar in the blood may lead to various chronic diseases including Type 2 Diabetes. D-chiro-inositol in buckwheat have been shown to help moderate the rise in blood sugar after meals (17). What’s more, studies have linked the consumption of buckwheat with lower blood sugar and reduced insulin resistance in diabetics (18). Studies suggest that D-chiro-inositol makes cells more sensitive to insulin (19, 20).

Buckwheat is gluten free and safe for anyone with gluten sensitivity or coeliac disease. Buckwheat is usually well tolerated, allergy is more common in people who are allergic to latex or rice, a phenomenon known as allergic cross-reactivity (21, 22).

References:

1. Bonafaccia, G. Marocchini, M. and Kreft, I. (2003). ‘Composition and technological properties of the flour and bran from common and tartary buckwheat’. Food Chemistry, 80(1), pp.9-15.

2. Ikeda, K. (2002). ‘Buckwheat: composition, chemistry, and processing’. Advances in Food and Nutrition Research, 44, pp.395-434.

3. Eggum, B.O. Kreft, I. and Javornik, B. (1980). ‘Chemical composition and protein quality of buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench)’. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition, 30 (3-4), pp.175-179.

4. Ahmed, A. Khalid, N. Ahmad, A. et al. (2014). ‘Phytochemicals and biofunctional properties of buckwheat: a review’. The Journal of Agricultural Science, 152 (3), pp. 349-369.

5. Sytar, O. Brestic, M. Zivcak, M. et al. (2016). ‘The Contribution of Buckwheat Genetic Resources to Health and Dietary Diversity’. Current Genomics, 17(3), pp.193-206.

6. Holasova, M. Fiedlerova, V. Smrcinova, H. et al. (2002). ‘Buckwheat-The source of antioxidant activity in functional foods’. Food Research International, 35(2-3), pp.207–211. 

7. Zduńczyk, Z. Flis, M. Zieliński, H. et al. (2006). ‘In Vitro Antioxidant Activities of Barley, Husked Oat, Naked Oat, Triticale, and Buckwheat Wastes and Their Influence on the Growth and Biomarkers of Antioxidant Status in Rats’. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 54(12), pp.4168-4175.

8. Zieliński, H. and Kozłowska, H. (2000). ‘Antioxidant activity and total phenolics in selected cereal grains and their different morphological fractions’. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 48(6), pp.2008-2016.

9. Nutrition Data. (2018). Buckwheat Nutrition Facts & Calories. [online]. Available at: https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5681/2. [Accessed 22 Dec. 2018].

10. Giménez-Bastida, J. and Zieliński, H. (2015). ‘Buckwheat as a Functional Food and Its Effects on Health’. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 63(36), pp.7896-7913.

11. Li, L. Lietz, G. and Seal, C. (2018). ‘Buckwheat and CVD Risk Markers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis’. Nutrients, 10(5), p.619.

12. He, J. Klag, M. Whelton, P. et al. (1995). ‘Oats and buckwheat intakes and cardiovascular disease risk factors in an ethnic minority of China’. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 61(2), pp.366-372.

13. Li, S. and Zhang, Q. (2001). ‘Advances in the Development of Functional Foods from Buckwheat’. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 41(6), pp.451-464.

14. Giménez-Bastida, J. Laparra-Llopis, J. Baczek, N. et al. (2018). ‘Buckwheat and buckwheat enriched products exert an anti-inflammatory effect on the myofibroblasts of colon CCD-18Co’. Food & Function, 9(6), pp.3387-3397.

15. Kim, J., Son, B. and Lee, S. (2012). ‘Effects of adlay, buckwheat, and barley on transit time and the antioxidative system in obesity induced rats’. Nutrition Research and Practice, 6(3), p.208.

16. Tomotake, H. Yamamoto, N. Yanaka, N. et al. (2006). ‘High protein buckwheat flour suppresses hypercholesterolemia in rats and gallstone formation in mice by hypercholesterolemic diet and body fat in rats because of its low protein digestibility’. Nutrition, 22(2), pp.166-173.

17. Hosaka, T. Nii, Y. Tomotake, H. et al. (2011). ‘Extracts of common buckwheat bran prevent sucrose digestion’. Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology, 57(6), pp.441-445.

18. Zhang, H. Zhang, Y. Lu, M. et al. (2007). ‘Comparison of Hypertension, Dyslipidaemia and Hyperglycaemia Between Buckwheat Seed-consuming and Non-consuming Mongolian-Chinese Populations in Inner Mongolia, China’. Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology, 34(9), pp.838-844.

19. Fonteles, M. Almeida, M. and Larner, J. (2000). ‘Antihyperglycemic Effects of 3-O-Methyl-D-Chiro-Inositol and D-Chiro-Inositol Associated with Manganese in Streptozotocin Diabetic Rats’. Hormone and Metabolic Research, 32(04), pp.129-132.

20. Yao, Y. Shan, F. Bian, J. et al. (2008). ‘D-chiro-Inositol-Enriched Tartary Buckwheat Bran Extract Lowers the Blood Glucose Level in KK-AyMice’. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 56(21), pp.10027-10031.

21. De Maat-Bleeker, F. and Stapel, S.O. (1998). ‘Cross-reactivity between buckwheat and latex’. Allergy, 53(5), pp.538-539.

22. Yamada, K. Urisu, A. Morita, Y. et al. (1995). ‘Immediate hypersensitive reactions to buckwheat ingestion and cross allergenicity between buckwheat and rice antigens in subjects with high levels of IgE antibodies to buckwheat’. Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, 75(1), pp.56-61.

 
A to Z of HealthJana PapajovaNutritional facts, Health benefits, Cardiovascular health, Gastrointestinal health, Digestive health, Digestion, Blood sugar control, Cholesterol, Buckwheat