Buckwheat is, in fact, a wheat and gluten free type of seed that is used as a replacement to ordinary grains, offering a beautiful nutty flavor and plenty of health benefits. It contains superior amounts of protein and amino acids when compared to rice, corn, barley and wheat, as well as being a staple food with a much lower glycemic index (GI).
Here are 10 health benefits of buckwheat:
1..It Is Full of Protein
Just one cup of buckwheat meets 46% of your daily requirement of protein, offering plenty of amino acids for maintaining or building strong muscles. It contains two unique amino acids: lysine and arganine, which are uncommon in rice, maize, wheat and barley, making it a high protein staple.
2. It is Full of Fiber
Buckwheat contains soluble and insoluble dietary fiber, which is important for digestive and blood health. One cup offers 68% of your recommended daily dose, which promotes regularity, removes toxins and scrapes out excess fat and cholesterol from your system.
3. It is an Iron-Rich Food Source
Iron is an essential mineral in maintaining healthy red blood cells, which transport oxygen throughout the body. Buckwheat is a high iron plant based food, offering 20% of the recommended daily value in every cup, which makes it an excellent choice for vegetarians or suffers of fatigue, anemia and iron deficiency.
4. It is Loaded with Magnesium
100 grams of buckwheat will deliver 57% of your daily dose of magnesium, which is an essential mineral in converting food into energy, reducing muscle spasms and optimizing nerve health.
5. It Promotes a Healthy Skeletal System
Your skeletal system requires decent amounts of calcium, selenium, zinc and antioxidants to remain strong and healthy, and buckwheat offers a steady supply of each. These minerals also help to keep your teeth and nails strong and healthy, as well as repairing any damage done to your bones.
6. It Lowers Cholesterol
The high amount of dietary fiber combined with the rich dose of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients that buckwheat offers makes it impossible for LDL (bad) cholesterol to stick around, and studies have proven that adding buckwheat to your diet will lower cholesterol. This prevents the narrowing of arteries through plaque buildup, as well as reducing the risk of developing heart disease.
7. It Helps to Manage Diabetes
Diabetes can be a complicated disease to manage, and buckwheat is a great source of nutrition for blood sugar levels to remain well balanced. It is full of fiber and also contains a unique compound known as chiro-inostiol, which has been proven to lower glucose in the bloodstream directly after a meal.
8. It is Low in Fat
While buckwheat contains slightly more fat than rice, wheat, barley and maize, it is still below 5% per 100 grams, which makes it a low fat staple food with lots of flavor. Monitoring fat intake can significantly improve your health by reducing your waistline, leaving you feeling lighter and healthier in general.
9. It is Full of Energy
Being a type of seed makes buckwheat a great source of calories, particularly for improving athletic performance. Half a cup gives you 280 calories, which is a substantial portion of energy and filling fiber.
10. It Prevents Multiple Diseases
The intensity of antioxidants that buckwheat offers protects your entire body from free radical damage, which helps to prevent diseased cells from forming and thriving. It also contains a compound known as rutin, which helps to strengthen arteries and capillaries, preventing heart disease. The fiber, vitamins and minerals further help to eliminate toxins, improve regularity and elevate overall health through dense nutrient absorption. Cancer, diabetes, brain and heart disease prevention is the result of every bite of deliciously nutty buckwheat!
Sources:
https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/seed-and-nut/health-benefits-of-buckwheat.html
https://www.healwithfood.org/health-benefits/buckwheat-groats.php
https://draxe.com/buckwheat-nutrition/