Buckwheat Benefits (+About Antioxidants)

The health benefits of sprouted buckwheat seeds are mind-blowing. 6g of protein and 5g of fiber per serving, these nutrient-dense seeds also contain 25% of your daily value of magnesium–you’d need to eat a pound of salad to get that much magnesium! (more on why magnesium is amazing in a future blog post).

Furthermore, buckwheat has an antioxidant capacity of 620 DPPH per 100g (for context, the superfood quinoa has 58 DPPH). Buckwheat actually has quite a similar nutritional makeup as quinoa (information from HealthWithFood):

WHY DO I WANT ANTIOXIDANTS?

Hint: Good for your heart, blood sugar control, and protection against cancer!

You’re probably more likely to feel good about eating a certain food if it contains “tons of antioxidants,” but what does that even mean?

Antioxidants are shown to fight off cancers, aging, and promote overall immune system functions. Numerous studies show that antioxidants may protect cells in your body from “free radical” damage that can occur from exposure to certain chemicals, smoking, pollution, radiation, and as a byproduct of normal metabolism.

Buckwheat specifically contains a rich supply of flavonoids, particularly rutin. Flavonoids are a diverse group of “phytonutrients” (plant chemicals) found in almost all fruits and vegetables, and buckwheat!! Flavanoids can:

• Help protect you from chronic conditions such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.
• Fight against the free radicals that can cause cell damage leading to cancer.
• Help lower LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol and decrease plaque in the arteries
• Reduce the risk of hormone-related cancers, such as breast, uterine and prostate
• Increase bone density

As antioxidants are researched more every year, we will continue to update our customers with more education on the particular antioxidant benefits of buckwheat, but trust us, this is a great food to include in your diet.