Green buckwheat, which you can always buy with the help of our online store of very high quality, has long become a national Ukrainian product. Only for several decades, unfortunately, more and more brown buckwheat appeared on store shelves. Someone decided that this is tastier or better for storage, or there were some other reasons. One way or another, this contributed to the fact that people began to forget green buckwheat and its huge advantages over fried. And even today it is possible to buy green buckwheat not always and everywhere. Although lately, it is no longer so scarce and is gaining popularity among people in need of health promotion, adherents of healthy eating, and also athletes.

Green buckwheat has one special quality. It is ideal for germination, since it practically does not contain broken particles, which means it retains its original strength. In our article, we will help you figure out what is the advantage of green unroasted buckwheat over brown (fried). And also why germinating it is better than consuming it immediately after soaking. We will reveal such a question, why it is not worth cooking buckwheat and describe what trace elements and vitamins we need, it has absorbed into itself.

To get to know this product better, first of all, let’s start from the origins. The origin of buckwheat, as scientists believe, is rooted in Asia, or rather in Tibet. It is in the northern part of the Himalayas, as well as in the south of high-mountainous China, that various species of this plant can be found in a wild and semi-wild state. Green buckwheat began to be domesticated first by the peoples of Japan, China and Korea, and then it penetrated into Central Asia and Europe. By the way, the use of cereals in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus began more than two (or maybe more) thousand years ago. And it was among the population of our country that she was especially fond of and became almost the number one porridge.

Green buckwheat is a grain crop, but it does not belong to the family of cereals like rye or wheat. She belongs to the buckwheat family. Indeed, its difference from other crops is simply striking. The first thing that catches your eye is that it does not have a spikelet. Buckwheat grains are formed from delicate pink and white flowers, which, by the way, are an excellent honey plant. It was found that the yield of pollinated buckwheat increases by 40% compared to non-pollinated buckwheat.

This plant grows so fast that it drives out weeds. Due to these features, herbicides and pesticides are not used when growing green buckwheat. And to increase the yield, instead of applying chemical fertilizers, they put hives next to the buckwheat field. Another good news is that buckwheat cannot be genetically modified!

If you have your own plot, we recommend planting some of this plant there, especially if there is free space in the garden bed between already planted crops. This will give you the opportunity, firstly, to improve the condition of the soil, as well as attract beneficial insects to the site. And secondly, you can eat flowers and young buckwheat leaves, for example, adding them to smoothies or salads. In only one question, you need to be careful. Namely, buckwheat stalks should not be eaten – they contain toxic substances. And also, buckwheat flowers and leaves (not kernels) are not recommended for increased blood clotting. Well, now directly about the benefits of green buckwheat, its characteristics and more.

Green buckwheat: benefits

Let’s now look at what green buckwheat can give us.

Its health benefits are simply enormous. Like flowers, green buckwheat kernels can provide undoubted help in case of anemia, vascular fragility, joint diseases, strengthen bones, hair and nails. Slimming is the most dietary food. However, let’s take it in order.

Green buckwheat: composition and effect on the body

1. The first thing I would like to say is the following: green buckwheat is a source of easily digestible protein. It is contained in it in an amount of about 15%. Moreover, buckwheat grains contain all eight essential amino acids, balanced in the best way. Essential amino acids must be supplied with food to maintain health in the body. Uncooked buckwheat contains a lot of lysine, almost as much as in the egg white. As you know, it is this amino acid that is responsible for the amount of assimilated protein, i.e. without lysine, protein is simply not digested. All connective tissues are built from lysine. Without it, it is impossible to assimilate the calcium needed by the bones. With its participation, collagen is produced, which slows down the aging process. Other amino acids are also at the correct level.

However, buckwheat also contains in small sizes such a substance as a protease inhibitor, in particular a trypsin inhibitor, which completely inhibits protein absorption. This substance is not subject to degradation at high temperatures, i.e. when we cook buckwheat. But it practically disappears during germination. Running a little ahead, we note that this is one of the reasons to germinate buckwheat. Proteins from sprouted buckwheat are just those easily digestible proteins.

It should be noted such an important aspect that green buckwheat does not contain gluten – a harmful component, which is a water-insoluble protein. He is able to stagnate on the walls of the intestine, clogging it and preventing the absorption of food. For people who are sensitive to gluten, green buckwheat can replace many foods that are prohibited for them.

2. Green buckwheat contains a significant amount of flavonoids – substances that contribute to the activity of enzymes. Among the flavonoids of buckwheat, rutin and isovitexin can be distinguished. When germinating, 5 more flavonoids appear: quercetin, vitexin, orientin, isoorientin.

Flavonoids contribute to lowering cholesterol, take care of the health of the heart and blood vessels.

These substances are of great importance for the development of the brain of children, including during intrauterine development, since they are transferred from mother to baby through the placenta.

Flavonoids have anti-inflammatory, antifungal and antibacterial properties. They are also able to deactivate free radicals in the body.

In particular, quercetin is able to fight certain types of cancer.

It should be noted that flavonoids are significantly destroyed during heat treatment. Here is another indisputable advantage of green buckwheat sprouts over boiled porridge.

3. Fatty acids, mainly unsaturated ones, are contained in green buckwheat in small amounts up to 3%. But it is rich in carbohydrates. It also contains a large amount of soluble and insoluble fiber, which, like a panicle, binds and removes accumulated toxins, excess fat and other harmful substances from the body. Thanks to these properties, green buckwheat can help you lose extra pounds in case of obesity.
4. Contains prebiotics. Prebiotics are the constituent elements of food that are not absorbed in the upper levels of the gastrointestinal tract and serve as food for the intestinal symbiotic bacteria. It is necessary to understand that only thanks to prebiotics it is possible to restore and maintain the intestinal microflora, nourishing it.

Doctors often prescribe probiotics for dysbiosis, i.e. bacteria directly necessary for the intestine. However, we draw your attention to the fact that most scientific experiments show that bacteria that enter the body as an independent food supplement either take root very poorly in a scanty amount, or do not take root at all. And given the fact that various auxiliary, often not harmless components are added to them, they can generally cause additional damage to health.

As you know, the body’s immunity directly depends on the health and condition of the intestines. Also, a healthy microflora in the process of its vital activity produces the vitamins and amino acids we need. Thus, green buckwheat with its prebiotics provides serious immunity support.

5. Green buckwheat ranks third among grain products in terms of lignan content. Lignans are phytohormones that regulate the production of the hormone estrogen in the body. Consuming phytoestrogens with food is useful not only for women, but also for men, since they act differently in the female and male body. Lignans also inhibit the growth of certain types of malignant tumors and help with many other “incurable” diseases. This issue is covered in more detail in the description of the product card for white flax, since this product is the leader in the content of these substances.
6. Green buckwheat is also abundant in useful components, including vitamins C, E, group B, including very important folic acid. It contains a great variety of minerals, among which the following are significantly distinguished: magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, copper, iron, etc.

I would like to pay special attention to the myth about the content of a large amount of iron in green buckwheat. Iron is present there, but there is not so much of it. Eating green buckwheat really helps to increase hemoglobin, but not due to iron, but due to the presence of vitamin C, B vitamins, the same folic acid and rutin, which help to better absorb this trace element from food.

As we can see, green buckwheat, the properties of which are presented in this section, is essentially a dietary, easily digestible and even medicinal product. However, it can give all its benefits only if it is used correctly. We will talk about the best way to eat green buckwheat.