The Russians knew about the many buckwheat health benefits because the TARTARS found an excellent source of proteins and calories in these seeds. After all, its grains resemble wheat. However, it is not an actual grain. It belongs not to the botanical family Gramineae but rather to the Polygonaceae.
Buckwheat Scientific Facts
- Scientific name – Fagopyrum esculentum Moench.
- Scientific synonym – Fagopyrum sagittatum Gilib.
- Related Species – Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn.
- Other names – Beechwheat, Saracen corn, Sarrazin.
- French – Sarrasin.
- Spanish – Alforfón, trigo sarraceno.
- German – Buchweizen.
- Description – Seeds of the buckwheat, a herbaceous plant of the botanical family Polygonaceae.
- Environment – Originally from the cold Asian steppes of Russia and Mongolia, it is now cultivated in cold regions of Europe, Asia, and America.
Buckwheat Health Benefits
Buckwheat’s nutritional value is very similar to wheat’s primary nutrients. Its most crucial characteristic is its richness in lysine and essential amino acid lacking in wheat and other grains. This makes buckwheat protein more complete than that of wheat.
Buckwheat’s particular dietary and therapeutic properties derive from its RUTIN (also known as vitamin P) content. This glucoside is necessary for the healthy function of the capillaries and the arteries. Rutin is found primarily in the leaves of the plant, which are not edible but also in its seeds.
Buckwheat health benefits are recommended in the following cases:
Circulatory disorders – high blood pressure (due to its shallow sodium content), arteriosclerosis, and vascular fragility (tendency to hemorrhage and bruises on the skin).
Increase in nutritional and caloric needs – Recovery, physical laborers, athletes, and adolescents periods of growth. Because buckwheat is very nutritious and digestible, it is a very desirable dish in all of these situations.
How to prepare and use Buckwheat
- Cooked in the same manner as lentils or other legumes.
- Raw – Buckwheat grains are soaked in water for two hours, which softens them so that they may be eaten raw in salads with lemon and aromatic herbs.
REFERENCES
George D. Pamplona-Roger, M.D. “Encyclopedia of Foods and Their Healing Power.” George D. Pamplona-Roger, M.D. Encyclopedia of Foods and Their Healing Power. Trans. Annette Melgosa. Vol. 2. Chai Wan: Editorial Safeliz, 2005. 102. Print. [buckwheat health benefits]
