If you have type 2 diabetes and you want to do your heart a favor, buckwheat may help to control such complications. Buckwheat is beneficial for people with and without diabetes. Here Zoey Sky, NaturalNews.com, reflects on buckwheat as another grain source for calcium, iron, fiber, and protein:

“Buckwheat is a gluten-free and nutritious alternative to cereal grains that should be added to your diet. Buckwheat boosts heart health, and it is often used to manage conditions such as Type 2 diabetes.

Buckwheat is a type of pseudocereal, and this group of foods includes seeds that are consumed like cereal grains. However, pseudocereals don’t grow on grasses. Other common pseudocereals include amaranth and quinoa.

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Since buckwheat is not related to wheat, it is gluten-free. Buckwheat can be processed into flour, groats (which are used like rice), and noodles. It is also used to make buckwheat tea. Buckwheat grains are usually brown and irregular in shape.

Two types of buckwheat are grown for food: common or sweet buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) and tartary or bitter buckwheat (F. tartaricum).

The nutrient profile of buckwheat

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Buckwheat groats and flour are rich in protein, polyphenols, and minerals.

Groats contain vitamins and minerals like:

• B vitamins (e.g., thiamin/B1, riboflavin/B2, and pyridoxine/B6)
• Calcium
• Copper
• Magnesium
• Manganese
• Potassium
• Selenium
• Zinc

Unlike true cereal grains, the protein content of buckwheat groats is well-balanced and extremely high. Groats have a biological value above 90 percent, which means most of its protein content is absorbed and integrated into the human body.

Buckwheat has all nine essential amino acids and it is rich in lysine, an amino acid that can be found in limited quantities in cereal grains.

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Buckwheat groats have a high antioxidant and flavonoid content, which qualify them and other buckwheat-enriched products as functional foods.

Buckwheat groats are full of antioxidant compounds like glutathione. Groats also have a very high polyphenol content, including catechins and flavonoids such as rutin and quercetin. Both rutin and quercetin are biosynthesized by plants to protect themselves from UV radiation, diseases, and predators. (Related: Buckwheat is an underutilized crop that holds great antioxidant potential.)

Modern research on the health benefits of buckwheat

Buckwheat as a gluten-free “grain”

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Since buckwheat is gluten-free, people with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) can safely consume it. Celiac disease makes a person hypersensitive to gluten, which means they have a difficult time digesting food that contains this particular protein.”

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Read More … Article Source: https://www.naturalnews.com/2019-04-26-buckwheat-is-a-nutritious-alternative-to-other-cereal-grains.html

 

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