10 HEALTH BENEFITS OF BUCKWHEAT GRAIN

1. Best source of high-quality, easily digestible proteins. This makes it an excellent meat substitute. High protein buckwheat flour is being studied for possible use in foods to reduce plasma cholesterol, body fat, and cholesterol gallstones.

2. Fat alternative. Buckwheat starch can also act as a fat alternative in processed foods.

3. The high level of rutin is extracted from the leaves for medicine to treat high blood pressure.

4. Non-allergenic. Buckwheat hulls are used as pillow stuffing for those allergic to feathers, dust, and pollen.

5. Diabetes. New evidence has found that buckwheat may be helpful in the management of diabetes according to Canadian researchers in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. With a glycemic index of 54, it lowers blood sugar more slowly than rice or wheat products.

6. Great for digestion. “The properties of buckwheat are: neutral thermal nature; sweet flavor; cleans and strengthens the intestines and improves appetite. Is effective for treating dysentery and chronic diarrhea,” according to Paul Pitchford in Healing with Whole Foods (1993)

7. Chemical free. Buckwheat grows so quickly that it does not usually require a lot of pesticides or other chemicals to grow well.

8. Water retention: Buckwheat grain is good at drawing out retained water and excess fluid from swollen areas of the body.

9. Buckwheat is a warming food. It is classified by macrobiotics as a yang food. It is great for eating in the cold winter months.

10. Buckwheat contains no gluten and is not a grain. It is therefore great for celiacs and those on grain-free and gluten-sensitive diets.