Buckwheat is a food that you might overlook, even if you’re trying to eat healthily. Despite “wheat being in its name, buckwheat does not contain gluten like wheat does. In fact, it has little in common with wheat, coming from a different plant family altogether. It comes from a different plant family and is technically a “pseudocereal.” Therefore, it shares some properties with grains but is a seed rather than a grass. Let’s see why you should take a second look at buckwheat and consider adding it to your plate.
A Heart-Healthy Whole Grain
Like whole grains, buckwheat can improve heart health. Research finds that it does this by lowering blood pressure and LDL “bad” cholesterol while raising HDL “good” cholesterol, creating a healthier lipid profile.
These benefits come from beneficial compounds in buckwheat like rutin, magnesium, antioxidants, fiber, and certain proteins and amino acids. This unique mixture of nutrients helps strengthen blood vessels and reduce inflammation, a driving force behind many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease. The inflammation fighters in buckwheat also help remove plaque buildup that can lead to strokes and heart attacks.
Because buckwheat benefits blood lipids, cholesterol levels, and blood pressure, the American Heart Association includes it on a list of foods they recommend for heart health. It jives well with the American Heart Association’s recommendations to eat nutrient-dense, minimally processed foods for a healthy heart. Because it’s gluten-free, it’s also safe for people with gluten intolerance or the more serious condition known as celiac disease, an inflammatory condition of the intestines. But buckwheat is more than a one-trick pony!
Keeps Blood Sugar Levels in Check
If you have diabetes or prediabetes, you know how important it is to tame those after-meal blood sugar spikes. Buckwheat can help you meet this goal. When you eat a serving of buckwheat, your body digests and absorbs it slowly, thanks to its high fiber content. So, you get a slower rise in blood sugar and more sustained energy. Buckwheat also contains a unique compound called D-chiro-inositol that makes cells more sensitive to insulin.
What does science say? In a 2012 study, subjects who ate buckwheat for 6 weeks enjoyed reduced blood glucose readings. In fact, eating buckwheat lowered blood sugar readings by an average of 19 mg/dL. That’s a significant improvement that could make buckwheat a smart addition to a diabetic diet.
A Gluten-Free Weight Loss Aid
One of the problems with weight loss diets is restricting calories makes you feel hungry all the time. When you dial back the amount you eat, your body rebels. The key is to boost the nutrient density of your diet, consume more protein, and make sure you’re consuming enough calories and nutrients to support healthy weight loss.
Then, try adding buckwheat to your meals. Being a winning combination of fiber, resistant starch, and protein, it’s ideal for curbing cravings. These components help you feel satisfied with fewer calories than less nutritious alternatives like bread or rice. By making you feel more satisfied and curbing hunger, buckwheat makes it easier to shed extra pounds and keep them off.
And buckwheat can be part of a gluten-free diet. Get creative and use it to make tasty porridges, pilafs, breads, muffins, or even soba noodles. Experiment with online recipes that use buckwheat.
Supports Digestive Health
Buckwheat is a fiber powerhouse. It clocks in at ten grams of fiber in one hundred-gram serving. Contrast this with whole-wheat bread and pasta which are poor sources of fiber. When you consume more fiber, it gives food and sustenance to the beneficial microbes in your gut microbiome and sets them up for healthy digestion. Therefore, they can extract more nutrients from the foods you eat.
The rich supply of magnesium in buckwheat also helps maintain smooth muscle function in the colon, so food moves through your intestines more efficiently. Several studies show buckwheat helps relieve constipation due to its gut health benefits.
Antioxidant Protection Against Chronic Disease
There’s more good news about buckwheat – it fights oxidative stress, a process that leads to chronic diseases and aging. How does it do this? Buckwheat is rich in vitamin E, rutin, and quercetin, compounds with antioxidant activity. The combo of antioxidants and fiber explains many of its health benefits, including how it lowers blood sugar, fights inflammation, and supports gut and immune health.
An Easy and Delicious Superfood
Buckwheat is tasty, versatile, and nutritious, so it’s more than just a gluten-free substitute for wheat. It has an earthy, mildly nutty flavor that works well in both sweet and savory dishes. Its distinct earthy and subtly nutty taste lends itself beautifully to creations you whip in your kitchen, from comforting breakfast porridges to hearty salads and savory main courses. Did you know it’s also rich in B vitamins that support energy metabolism?
But you should know if there are downsides to adding buckwheat to your diet.
Potential Downsides of Buckwheat
While buckwheat has health benefits, not everyone responds the same to this nutrient-dense food. Potential downsides include:
- Allergic reactions – Buckwheat allergies are rare. But if you are allergic to this pseudo-grain seed, it can trigger symptoms ranging from mild to potentially life-threatening. If you have an allergy to latex, you may be at higher risk.
- Blood sugar effects – Buckwheat helps lower blood sugar levels. That’s a good thing for most people, but if you’re already taking blood-glucose lowering medications, it could drop your blood glucose level too low.
- Digestive issues – It’s not uncommon to experience digestive upset like gas or bloating after eating buckwheat, especially if you overdo it. Introduce it slowly and see how you respond.
Consult a doctor before adding buckwheat if you have allergies or diabetes. Moderation is wise even for healthy individuals.
Buckwheat: An Underappreciated Food
Give buckwheat a closer look. It’s a tasty gluten-free grain substitute with an impressive nutritional profile. Learn about new ways to prepare it and tap into its nutrient density. Enjoy it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner as part of a healthy, nutrient-dense diet.
References:
Atli Arnarson BSc, PhD. Buckwheat 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits. Healthline. Published May 10, 2019. Accessed January 18, 2024.. healthline.com/nutrition/foods/buckwheat
- Sofi SA, Ahmed N, Farooq A, Rafiq S, Zargar SM, Kamran F, Dar TA, Mir SA, Dar BN, Mousavi Khaneghah A. Nutritional and bioactive characteristics of buckwheat, and its potential for developing gluten-free products: An updated overview. Food Sci Nutr. 2022 Dec 22;11(5):2256-2276. doi: 10.1002/fsn3.3166. PMID: 37181307; PMCID: PMC10171551.
- Grain of the month: Buckwheat – Harvard Health. Harvard Health. Published December 2020. Accessed January 18, 2024. https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/grain-of-the-month-buckwheat
- Kreft M. Buckwheat phenolic metabolites in health and disease. Nutr Res Rev. 2016 Jun;29(1):30-9. doi: 10.1017/S0954422415000190. PMID: 27046048.
- Hacı Ömer Yılmaz, Yabanci Nurcan, and Çağdaş Salih Meriç. “Buckwheat: A Useful Food and Its Effects on Human Health.” ResearchGate. Bentham Science, January 15, 2020. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327575420_Buckwheat_A_Useful_Food_and_Its_Effects_on_Human_Health.
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