Buckwheat - Health Benefits and Nutritional Value

Buckwheat

Buckwheat isn’t just the name of a character from the Little Rascals. It’s actually a food. A very good-for-you food, but also a very puzzling food as it’s neither a grain nor a wheat. It’s actually a seed, and it’s in the same family as rhubarb.

The crops of buckwheat are quite sturdy crops which can be grown under many different conditions. This makes this plant available year round in many different regions. So not only is it very easy to come by, but then on top of that it has some amazing health benefits. You will definitely want to check buckwheat out and consider giving it a try and adding it to your diet.

Ten Health Benefits of Buckwheat

1. High amounts of starch - Just 100 grams of the buckwheat seed gives you 343 calories. Calories mean energy. You can get a pretty moderate amount of energy from just a small bit of this seed that is comparable to other major cereal grains like wheat and rice.

2. High in Protein - You can get 11-14 grams of protein from 100 grams of buckwheat. Now grains like quinoa might get you slightly more protein, but buckwheat contains amino acids which are missing from other popular grains like wheat, rice, and maize.

3. It’s great for the bowels - The high amounts of fiber in buckwheat (10 grams of fiber for every 100 grams of buckwheat, which is 26% of the daily fiber requirements) will help move your bowels. Fiber helps bind toxins in the gut, which can reduce your chances of getting certain cancers. Fiber also helps bind sodium, making it easier to move through your colon and lowering your LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.

4. It’s free of gluten - So for those who suffer from Celiac disease and can’t process the gluten which is found in many grass family grains, buckwheat makes for an excellent alternative.

5. It contains compounds which make it an anti-inflammatory and has antioxidant properties - These things can help prevent clots from forming, making them a great food for someone with a clotting disorder. It also could be good at curing hemorrhoids.

6. High in B vitamins - Buckwheat is full of B-complex vitamins like B2 and B3, making it a really great source of these vitamins; even better than its popular counterpart quinoa.

7. High in minerals - Buckwheat contains high concentrations of key minerals like copper and magnesium. Copper helps produce red blood cells and magnesium relaxes the blood vessels and is believed to help alleviate depression and headaches.

8. Helps lower blood sugar - It has a glycemic index of 54 which makes it a great option for diabetics.

9. It’s hypoallergenic - Don’t just eat buckwheat; add it to pillows for sleeping. It won’t cause an allergic reaction like many pillow fillers can.

10. It’s a warming food - This makes it a great food to eat during the winter months as it will warm you from the inside out.

Buckwheat might be the next great breakfast replacement. It can be milled to make flour and make pancakes out of, or just eat it as a cereal. With so many health benefits, why wouldn’t you want to get your hands on this superfood?