What effect does buckwheat have?
The aerial parts of the medicinal plant, the buckwheat herb (Fagopyri herba), contain a lot of rutin. This flavonoid has vaso-strengthening and vasoprotective properties. It also improves blood flow in the small vessels. This has been proven by clinical data.
This buckwheat healing effect is therefore used specifically to increase the elasticity and resilience of the veins and promote general blood circulation. Areas of application for the medicinal plant are therefore
- Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), stages I and II: circulatory disorders of the leg veins with water retention (oedema), varicose veins on the inner edge of the foot, congestion spots and itchy, chronic inflammatory skin changes
- Circulatory disorders in the smallest blood vessels (microcirculatory disorders)
- Prevention of arteriosclerosis (“vascular calcification”)
In the Middle Ages, buckwheat also arrived in Europe from its native Central Asia as a popular food plant. Today it can be found all over the world on barren, sandy soils on waste ground and on the edges of fields. The high vitamin and mineral content and the valuable proteins make the nutty-tasting buckwheat healthy.
People who suffer from a cereal intolerance due to gluten (coeliac disease) can consume buckwheat without hesitation. This is because the plant does not contain gluten.
Buckwheat herb is used for medicinal purposes, i.e. the dried herb (flowers, leaves, stems) collected during the flowering season.
You can make a tea from it in chopped form: To do this, pour 150 milliliters of boiling water over two grams of the herb and strain it after ten minutes. It is even better if you boil the medicinal herb for two to three minutes. You can drink a cup of buckwheat tea three times a day for several weeks.
Powdered buckwheat herb is also available in tablet form. For correct use and dosage, please read the package leaflet or ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Home remedies based on medicinal plants have their limits. If your symptoms persist over a longer period of time and do not improve or even get worse despite treatment, you should always consult a doctor.
What side effects can buckwheat cause?
Depending on when the plant is harvested, buckwheat contains small amounts of fagopyrin. This ingredient can cause headaches and have a phototoxic effect, i.e. make the skin more sensitive to sunlight.
Standardized finished medicinal products with a defined low content of fagopyrin are therefore recommended.
What you should bear in mind when using buckwheat
How to obtain buckwheat products
Buckwheat tea and the corresponding ready-made preparations are available from your pharmacy and drugstore. You can also find the edible seeds as roasted or unroasted grains, flour or pasta in organic stores, health food stores and well-stocked supermarkets.
What is buckwheat?
Despite its name, buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) is not a cereal (family: Poaceae = sweet grasses), but an annual, upright and fast-growing herb from the knotweed family (Polygonaceae).
Heart-shaped, soft leaves grow on stems up to 60 centimetres high, which turn from green to red over time. In the leaf axils, long-stemmed, racemose inflorescences emerge, consisting of many white-pink, nectar-rich flowers.
Surprisingly, the petals do not fall off as the fruit ripens. The petal-covered fruits are reminiscent of ears of wheat and the sharp-edged, reddish-brown shape of the fruit is reminiscent of beechnuts.
These similarities gave rise to the scientific genus name Fagopyrum: the Latin word “fagus” means beech, “pyros” means wheat. This scientific name was literally translated into German.
