Buckwheat can be one of the healthiest foods you don't eat. Along with its many health benefits, it is delicious, easy to prepare and inexpensive. Here are some things we love about buckwheat:
Buckwheat is not a grain.
Many who try to avoid cereals find themselves limited to fruits and sweet potatoes as sources of good carbohydrates. Although often included in cereal lists, buckwheat is NOT a grain. The edible part is the seed of a plant associated with greens such as rhubarb and sorrel.
Buckwheat is gluten free.
As it is neither a grain nor associated with wheat, buckwheat does not contain gluten and is safe for people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. Studies show that even at high concentrations, buckwheat flour and its purified proteins have no immunological reactions in patients with celiac disease.
Buckwheat is high in essential nutrients.
Buckwheat is rich in many trace elements, including manganese, magnesium and copper. It is also a good source of B vitamins: B6, pantothenic acid, niacin, folate, thiamine and choline.
Buckwheat has resistant fibers.
Resistant fiber is a compound that has been shown to lower postprandial blood sugar, help lose weight, reduce food appetite and improve diabetes. All versions of buckwheat contain stable fiber, but cooked nuts, called husks, contain at most 6 percent or more.
Buckwheat has several new nutrients.
Rutin, quercetin and other bioflavonoids:
These compounds have been shown to strengthen small blood vessels, which can prevent easy bruising, hemorrhoids and varicose veins. Routine can also help prevent blood clots, lower LDL cholesterol and produce histamine, which can improve air allergies and food intolerances.
Tannins:
Tannins are astringent phenolic compounds most commonly found in tea. They are also present in significant amounts in buckwheat. Tannins have been shown to reduce bacterial and viral infections and improve diabetes. Together with a mixture of insoluble and stable fibers, buckwheat tannins can improve important strains of the intestinal flora, such as lactobacilli and bacteroides, while reducing yeast and harmful bacteria.
D-chiro inositol:
D-chiro inositol is a compound that can improve many important elements of blood sugar metabolism (such as glycogen production and insulin sensitivity). Evidence suggests that it may improve polycystic ovary syndrome and type 2 diabetes.
Related antioxidants:
Recent data from cancer researchers show that we can ignore an important type of antioxidant. We mainly find antioxidants in fruits and vegetables, as most of them are readily available and easy to test in laboratory tests. It is now clear that a new category of antioxidants, called related antioxidants, may be even more important. They are found in buckwheat and some cereals and are activated by the intestinal flora. Buckwheat is rich in related antioxidants such as glutathione and superoxide dismutase. These compounds are also heat resistant and survive in the buckwheat cooking process.
How to use buckwheat.
If you've never done it before, don't worry. Buckwheat is easy to work with. It is available in the form of flakes (toasted or raw), noodles and flour. Raw flakes are offered completely raw or sprouted. Completely raw flakes are great for cooking cereals without grains.
Ready-made healthy flakes are now available on the market, thanks to which you can have a complete and healthy breakfast for the whole family in just 2 minutes.