Buckwheat

Authors: Prof. Dr. med. Peter Altmeyer, Prof. Dr. med. Martina Bacharach-Buhles

Last updated on: 30.03.2023

Synonym(s)

Buckwheat; common buckwheat; Fagopyrum esculentum; real; Saracen corn; Turkish wheat

Definition
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From the knotweed family (pseudocereal; not a cereal), annual, herbaceous, cold-sensitive useful plant that reaches a height of 20-60 cm. The white to pink, small flowers are united spike-like. Due to the nectar content, buckwheat herb has a high importance for bees. Flowering time is from July to October. Buckwheat produces a triangular fruit, 0.3-0.6 cm in size, with a rough skin, reddish-brown, resemble beechnuts. The fruits are processed as food into groats, semolina or flour.

The herb of buckwheat (buckwheat herb - Fagopyriherba) is used phytotherapeutically.

The seeds are similar in composition to cereals with a higher content of lysine and argenine, but gliadin-free. The seeds are therefore well suited as a cereal substitute for gluten-free diets, e.g. in celiac disease.

General information
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Probably first cultivated in China. Spread to Central Europe during the late Middle Ages. In recent decades increasingly used again as a niche product due to changes in food habits. The largest cultivating countries are Russia (about 1 million tons), China (0.3 million tons) and Ukraine (0.2 million tons). In Germany it is cultivated (in insignificant quantities) in the Lüneburg Heath, in Schleswig-Holstein, Westphalia, the Lower Rhine, the Eifel and in some Alpine valleys. Especially the Russian and Polish cuisine knows buckwheat porridge (buckwheat groats). In Italian cuisine buckwheat flour is used as "grano saraceno" for pizzoccheri and polenta. In French cuisine buckwheat flour is used in buckwheat pancakes (galettes).

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Phytotherapy

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Internal therapy
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Phytotherapeutic: see under buckwheat herb - For an infusion of buckwheat herb, administered as a tea over a period of 3 months, a greater reduction in lower leg oedema was observed in a randomised placebo-controlled double-blind study of 67 patients with chronic venous insufficiency compared to a placebo arm.

Naturopathy
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Due to the absence of gluten, pure buckwheat is suitable for baking bread. This makes it suitable for people who do not tolerate gluten. Today it is mainly sold in health food stores as whole, hulled grain, in the form of groats, flakes or flour.

Note(s)
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Buckwheat is generally considered a valuable food with a lot of protein and starch. Buckwheat is gluten-free and can be used as a dietary food for dermatitis herpetiformis and celiac disease. The red pigment from the fruit husk, fagopyrin, causes photosensitization when consumed (buckwheat disease; see fagopyrism below).

Literature
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Ihme N et al (1996) Led oedema protection from buckwheat herb tea in patients with chronic venous insufficiency: a single center, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 50: 443-447
Schoenlechner R, Drausinger J, Ottenschlaeger V, Jurackova K, Berghofer E (2010) Functional properties of gluten-free pasta produced from amaranth, quinoa and buckwheat. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 65: 339-349
https://pflanzen.fnr.de/industrialplants/medicinalplants/plant-database
https://medicinalplantslexicon.info/buckwheat.php
https://plants.fnr.de/industrialplants/medicinalplants/plants-database