Both common and Tartary varieties of buckwheat have been staple cereal foods in Europe and Asia for many centuries. Global interest in the agricultural and health advantages of buckwheat has been growing, recently, with special focus on its gluten-free nature, its versatility as a food, and its high content of plant nutrients that have potential to promote human wellness.
Buckwheat is particularly rich in its provision of rutin and minerals, yet recent research clarifies that other unique components of buckwheat also contribute significantly to its overall health impact. In addition, the buckwheat plant offers numerous food forms that have not been commercially developed on a large scale, such as sprouts, honey, bran, tea ingredients, and leaves, in addition to the more familiar buckwheat flour and groats.
This review examined dozens of studies regarding the individual and combined effects of buckwheat constituents including protein, rutin, D-chiro-inositol, vitamins, quercetin, and other phytonutrients.
Emerging Science on an Ancient Staple: Buckwheat
KEY TAKEAWAY:
Buckwheat (especially Tartary Buckwheat) is clearly a functional food. Consumption of buckwheat-based foods has been associated with benefits to healthy vascular, immune, and metabolic function, and research confirms that rutin, quercetin, fiber, essential nutrients, and other buckwheat phytonutrients contribute significantly to these salutary effects.
