Buckwheat Benefits and Uses for Skin, Hair and Health

Hearing the name buckwheat, you may think that it is cereal like wheat. But it is in fact a fruit seed and is closely related to rhubarb, knotweed and sorrel. They are triangular in shape and of the same size as the wheat grains. The outer hull is removed in order to consume these seeds. It has lots of health benefits as well as skin and hair benefits.

Benefits of Buckwheat for Skin:

Get a Natural suntan:

Buckwheat is very beneficial for your skin as well. Rutin present in buckwheat is effective for protecting your skin against damage caused the sun. You can use it as a natural suntan lotion and keep your skin free from the harmful actions of the UV rays.

Makes Skin Naturally Glow:

Buckwheat contains magnesium, which has the power to relax the blood vessels and improve the circulation of blood. This in turn helps in providing you a youthful skin with a natural glow.

Slows aging:

Buckwheat contains antioxidants that can prevent premature aging of your skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines and age spots on your skin.

Benefits of Buckwheat for Hair:

Better hair health:

Buckwheat is rich in Vitamin B6 or pyridoxine, which is essential for the proper growth and health of hair. You cannot store this vitamin in your body as it is water soluble. You need to get it from some food source or by taking its supplement. So, consuming buckwheat is an excellent way to improve the health of your hair and to promote hair growth.

Makes your hair grow better:

Buckwheat is known to contain 75% carbohydrates. Whole grain carbohydrates are very effective for proper growth of hair. Buckwheat is a rich source of Vitamin A, B-complex vitamins as well as zinc. All these are great for proper hair growth.

Health and Medicinal Benefits of Buckwheat:

Aids in weight loss:

Consuming whole grain buckwheat is an excellent way to lose weight. It contains fewer calories than wheat or barley and is also free from saturated fat and cholesterol. It is also rich in proteins and dietary fibre. All these properties make buckwheat very effective for suppressing appetite, to control blood sugar, for improving digestion and for giving you lean muscles.

Buckwheat protein:

Very high quality proteins are found in buckwheat, which provide you lots of health benefits. This protein combined with amino acids can lower the levels of cholesterol and is also good for preventing obesity and diabetes. It can also reduce hypertension.

Controls blood pressure:

You can reduce blood pressure naturally by consuming buckwheat. This is because it is rich in magnesium, which can relax the blood vessels and improve blood flow.

Cardiovascular health:

Buckwheat is rich in B vitamins, especially folate, niacin and Vitamin B6. So, it is very effective for ensuring the health of cardiovascular system. These vitamins help in lowering the concentration of cholesterol in the blood. Niacin can increase the high density lipoproteins, which help in making the blood vessels stronger and in the removal of cholesterol. Iron, phosphorous, magnesium, manganese and copper present in buckwheat help in lowering the blood pressure. High quality proteins in buckwheat help in removing the plaque forming triglycerides and LDL. So, people suffering from weak heart functions and other cardiovascular issues benefit a lot by consuming buckwheat.

Diabetic friendly:

Buckwheat is an ideal food for patients suffering from diabetes because it is free from fat and low in calories. A medicinal chemical present in buckwheat helps in making the capillary walls stronger and reducing haemorrhage. This way it lowers the risk of strokes and heart attacks in people suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure. It is also effective for preventing damage to the nerves and muscle cells and ensures that your kidney functions properly. In patients suffering from diabetes, D-chiro-inositol is deficient. This compound is needed for the conduction of insulin and for the treatment of type ll diabetes. Buckwheat contains this compound and is therefore useful for diabetic patients.

Help Prevent gallstones:

Buckwheat has the ability to prevent gallstones as it is rich in insoluble fibre. Insoluble fibre has the ability to speed up the movement of food through your intestine and for increasing the insulin sensitivity. It also lowers the secretion of bile acids and blood sugar.

Maintaining Healthy bones:

Presence of magnesium in buckwheat helps in ensuring healthy bone structure. This it does so by forming essential enzymes that is needed for building bones. It is also good for the formation of connective tissue, absorption of calcium and for the metabolism of sugar and fat. Magnesium is also very effective for the health of your teeth and bones. By allowing proper absorption of calcium, it helps in preventing osteoporosis.

Maintaining Mental health:

Tryptophan present in buckwheat can affect your mood in a positive manner. So, you can remain happy and get rid of depression by consuming buckwheat regularly.

Protection against breast cancer:

According to research made, buckwheat has the ability to prevent breast cancer as it is rich in fibre.

Protection against childhood asthma:

Consuming whole grains like buckwheat can reduce the asthma found in children to about 50%. This is because it is loaded with magnesium and Vitamin E.

Other health benefits:

Buckwheat is a rich source of minerals, like phosphorous, iron, magnesium, zinc, copper and manganese. It also has high amounts of flavonoids. All these make buckwheat effective for curing low hemoglobin and to prevent frequent attacks of flu and cold. Presence of Vitamin B Complex in high contents make buckwheat good for people suffering from liver disorders and other illnesses that prevent them from consuming sugary substances.

Now that you have seen the benefits of buckwheat, include it in your regular diet and stay free from various diseases.