What are the benefits of buckwheat?

Question
I've been told that buckwheat is overrated and in reality, it's a pretty plain and nutritionally poor grain. Is that true?

Answer
Dennise,

Buckwheat (kasha) is a valuable source of vegetable protein containing all essential amino acids, which is pretty unusual for a grain. In fact, buckwheat is a seed of a fruit and as such, it's gluten-free.

Due to a good mineral list (phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper and manganese) and high flavonoid content, it's traditionally used to fix low hemoglobin and frequent colds and flu.

It's shown that buckwheat is beneficial for  diabetes due to its low Glycemic Index.


It lowers blood pressure and reduce cholesterol - effects attributed to buckwheat high fiber content.

Read more:

Buckwheat nutritional values
http://atkinszone.com/recipes/2008/11/buckwheat-nutritional-values.html

The Basics on Buckwheat
http://atkinszone.com/Tips/2008/11/buckwheat-benefits-and-tips.html

Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes
http://atkinszone.com/recipes/2006/06/blueberry-buckwheat-pancakes-south.html

A South Beach diet recipe...

Ukrainian Stuffed Cabbage Recipe
http://atkinszone.com/recipes/2007/10/ukrainian-stuffed-cabbage-recipe.html

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