Abstract

NUTRITIONAL AND HEALTH ASPECTS OF BUCKWHEAT- A CONCISE REVIEW

Pragya Singh* and Rita Singh Raghuvanshi

Abstract

Buckwheat is a pseudo cereal grown on degraded lands which are declared as unproductive for other crops. Thus different varieties of buckwheat are used in different countries in-cluding many Asian and European countries. Buckwheat is a good source of complex carbohydrate, fiber, protein and also contains a variety of minerals and vitamins. It exhibit very high antioxidant activity and flavanoids such as rutin which can affect the activity of enzyme angiotensin I, involved in controlling blood pressure. Buckwheat products have been shown to improve glucose and insulin responses in diabetic subjects because of the presence of rutin, dietary fibre, fagopyritols, chromium and alum. Buckwheat protein helps in preventing cancer, and possesses antifungal activity. Throughout the world a large range of foods are made from buckwheat such as noodles, pasta, polenta, bread, cakes, pancakes, dumplings, groats dishes, beer, honey etc. So the present paper focuses on the nutritional importance of buck-wheat, its uses, and health benefits.

Keywords: Buckwheat groats, flavanoids, fagopyritol, rutin, phytochemicals, diabetes.