Buckwheat is often referred to as a 'superfood.' Here's why.
Gluten is a protein that naturally occurs in wheat and other grains and is also added to some foods during processing to provide texture and bulk. While people with autoimmune disorders like celiac disease usually need to avoid foods that contain gluten - as does anyone with a gluten sensitivity (despite often being referred to that way, there is no such thing as a gluten allergy), many other people go gluten-free for other reasons.
These include gluten-free diets being associated with weight loss, improved energy levels, and gut health, though nutritionists often contend that such benefits are related to eating fewer processed foods, and not necessarily due to cutting out gluten.
Regardless of one's reasons, going gluten-free requires people to find wheat-adjacent products to substitute. Such products often include rice flour, almond meal and quinoa. Another wheat substitute that has significantly increased in popularity in recent years is buckwheat. It's often called a "superfood."
"It’s health benefits and versatility make buckwheat a popular kitchen staple to be used as a full or partial replacement to wheat flour," says Laura Bellows, a registered dietitian and an associate professor in the division of nutritional sciences at Cornell University.
What is buckwheat?
Despite its name, buckwheat isn't actually wheat at all. Instead, it's like quinoa in that it's a type of seed that's also classified as a whole grain. Buckwheat is technically a pseudocereal - seeds which are consumed as cereal grains, but don't grow as grasses. Buckwheat is grown from the dirt in moist climates that have short growing seasons, where temperatures stay around 70 degrees.
Once cultivated, it's commonly processed into flour, noodles and something called groats, which are similar in appearance to rice and dried quinoa seeds and are used in similar fashion in many traditional Asian and European dishes, says Elizabeth Klingbeil, an assistant professor in the college of natural sciences at the University of Texas at Austin.
Russia, China, Ukraine, Poland, France, and the United States are the world's highest producing countries of buckwheat.
Is buckwheat good for you?
Besides being gluten free, many people eat buckwheat products and cook with it because of its nutritional value. A little over a half a cup (100 grams) of whole-grain buckwheat flour, for instance, contains vitamins and minerals like calcium, iron, niacin, vitamin B6, biotin, plus 374 milligrams of phosphorus, 414 milligrams of potassium, and a whopping 11 grams of plant protein, per the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The same amount of whole grain buckwheat also has 203 milligrams of magnesium.
She also praises buckwheat for having close to 10 grams of dietary fiber in only 3.5 ounces. "This is super important as fiber promotes gut health, can reduce cholesterol, and prevents constipation," she explains.
Bellows agrees, also adding that buckwheat's high fiber content "can help keep blood sugar levels stable as well." And she says that, because buckwheat is a complex carbohydrate, "it helps you stay fuller longer," thereby supporting healthy weight management.
Buckwheat is also good for the heart due to being rich in flavonoids like rutin and quercetin. "Rutin strengthens the blood vessels and quercetin can reduce inflammation," explains Bellows.
And the fact that it's rich in antioxidants means buckwheat "can also help reduce free radicals and prevent diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other forms of aging diseases," says Klingbeil.
Can you eat buckwheat every day?
Because of such a wide variety of benefits, it's okay to substitute buckwheat for many foods in your diet, "but don't substitute all your grains for buckwheat," cautions Klingbeil. She says that all grains provide different health benefits, "so it's important to enjoy a variety of them in your diet."
Overconsumption of buckwheat can also lead to digestive discomfort like bloating and constipation in some people due to it's high-fiber content. "And a small minority of individuals may have allergic reactions to buckwheat," says Bellows. "If food allergies are a concern for you, introduce buckwheat slowly into your diet to test tolerability before eating larger amounts."
As long as such options are kept in mind, however, Klingbeil says, "buckwheat is a great option for individuals needing to avoid gluten in their diet."
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is buckwheat?
