Buckwheat Nutrition Facts

Buckwheat cut to harvest; Saddle Mountains in Washington State, USA.

It seems that people will never abandon the search for the elusive fountain of youth, forever remaining hot on the trail of anything that promises added longevity. While the end is inevitable, new research supports the claim that eating food rich in polyphenols can slow down the ageing process and — some older studies show — may even go so far as to reverse the effects of ageing. Green tea, blueberries and dark chocolate all contain these disease-fighting plant compounds, and now you can add wheat germ and buckwheat to the list.

French and Spanish researchers fed these two grains, which contain naturally high amount of the any-ageing polyphenols, to separate groups of prematurely aged mice as supplements to see it they would reduce oxidative stress, strengthen lagging immune systems, and improve lifespan. Compared with control groups, the mice that received the wheat germ or buckwheat as supplements exhibited significantly improved immune system activity, and the researchers found no difference between the two grains.

While many people think that buckwheat is a cereal grain, it is actually a fruit seed that is related to rhubarb and sorrel making it a suitable substitute for grains for people who are sensitive to wheat or other grains that contain protein glutens. Buckwheat flowers are very fragrant and are attractive to bees that use them to produce a special, strongly flavored, dark honey.

Buckwheat is packed with dietary fiber, magnesium, manganese, selenium, folate, choline, et cetera. Buckwheat also contains almost 86 milligrams of magnesium in a one-cup serving. Magnesium relaxes blood vessels, improving blood flow and nutrient delivery while lowering blood pressure-the perfect combination for a healthy cardiovascular system. Moreover, buckwheat seeds are rich in flavonoids, particularly rutin.

Rutin has numerous health benefits, particularly for circulation and the vascular system, and for maintaining bone density. Rutin acts as a blood-thinner and vascular protection agent. Rutin has been seen to be effective in treating hemorrhoids and is actually used widely for this purpose. It is also seen to be effective in treating varicose veins and skin bruising. In addition, rutin helps your body properly utilize vitamin C and maintain skin collagen, both of which are important for healthy skin.

Energizing and nutritious, buckwheat is available throughout the year and can be served as an alternative to rice or made into porridge.

Though buckwheat is gluten free and can be eaten by people with gluten allergies, for some sensitive people, buckwheat can be a potentially fatal allergen by itself.