Buckwheat

Buckwheat is a pseudocereal; they are seeds that are consumed as cereal grains but don’t grow on grasses. Buckwheat is not related to wheat and is used in various ways; tea or processed into groats, flour, and noodles. The groats, used in much the same way as rice, are the main ingredient in many traditional European and Asian dishes. The two most common types of buckwheat are common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) and Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tartaricum), which are widely grown for food. Buckwheat is relatively low in phytic acid, a standard inhibitor of mineral absorption found in grains and seeds—this aids and benefits in the absorption of the minerals in cooked buckwheat groats.(1)

The most abundant minerals in common buckwheat are(2)(3):

• Manganese

• Copper

• Magnesium

• Iron

• Phosphorus

Here are some of buckwheat’s main plant compounds(4)(5)(6):

• Rutin

• Quercetin

• Vitexin

• D-chiro-inositol

An article I found interesting is entitled: Buckwheat as a Functional Food and Its Effects on Health. This article reviews the recent research regarding the health benefits of buckwheat, focusing on the specific role of its bioactive compounds and the mechanisms by which these effects are exerted.

The animal studies and in vitro work carried out so far begin to define the mechanisms by which buckwheat may help to prevent chronic diseases. The strong antioxidant activity exhibited by buckwheat may help to prevent lipid and DNA oxidation, delaying the development of chronic diseases such as cancer, inflammation, hypercholesterolemia, and neurological diseases. Furthermore, newly discovered mechanisms of action, such as the ones described in the review, can help to explain the beneficial effects exerted by buckwheat. Buckwheat protein and polyphenols, especially rutin and quercetin, have been considered partially responsible for the effects observed. Nevertheless, most animal studies described were carried out with buckwheat-derived extracts, which contain not only polyphenols but also fiber, sugars, and other compounds that may be responsible in whole or in part for the observed effects. (7) The research on buckwheat seems to point to positive correlations with the development of chronic diseases.

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References:

1. Steadman KJ, Burgoon MS, Lewis BA, Edwardson SE, Obendorf RL. Minerals, phytic acid, tannin and rutin in buckwheat seed milling fractions. Wiley Online Library. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jsfa.914. Published June 25, 2001. Accessed March 18, 2021.

2. Rosanoff A, Weaver CM, Rude RK. Suboptimal magnesium status in the United States: are the health consequences underestimated?. Nutr Rev. 2012;70(3):153-164. doi:10.1111/j.1753-4887.2011.00465.x

3. Klevay LM. Cardiovascular disease from copper deficiency--a history. J Nutr. 2000;130(2S Suppl):489S-492S. doi:10.1093/jn/130.2.489S

4. Hosaka T, Nii Y, Tomotake H, et al. Extracts of common buckwheat bran prevent sucrose digestion. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2011;57(6):441-445. doi:10.3177/jnsv.57.441

5. Kreft S, Knapp M, Kreft I. Extraction of rutin from buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentumMoench) seeds and determination by capillary electrophoresis. J Agric Food Chem. 1999;47(11):4649-4652. doi:10.1021/jf990186p

6. Yang N, Ren G. Application of near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy to the evaluation of rutin and D-chiro-Inositol contents in tartary buckwheat [published correction appears in J Agric Food Chem. 2008 Apr 9;56(7):2546]. J Agric Food Chem. 2008;56(3):761-764. doi:10.1021/jf072453u

7. Giménez-Bastida JA, Zieliński H. Buckwheat as a Functional Food and Its Effects on Health. J Agric Food Chem. 2015;63(36):7896-7913. doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.5b02498