"Live" buckwheat is gaining more and more love among adherents of a healthy lifestyle. Why don't you start using this truly valuable gift of nature? In the past, buckwheat received the name "queen of groats", which is quite justified: it is not for nothing that it contains so many vitamins, minerals and high-grade proteins. It can be steamed (fried) and green (not fried). Both types are obtained from buckwheat grains by separating the fruit shells. The light green color is due to the fact that the cereal does not undergo heat treatment, which means that vital components are preserved in the embryo, which cannot be said about the usual brown buckwheat. Naturally, the first one is the most useful. The lack of exposure to high temperatures also provides the green groats with quick germination and a mild flavor.
This incredibly valuable and nutritious product is now especially popular among fans of healthy eating around the world, especially among raw foodists. With it, you can prepare a healthy breakfast for the whole family - buckwheat porridge with the addition of dried fruits or berries, as well as use it in salads with vegetables and cheese, pâtés, hot dishes, pies and even for making bread, crushing buckwheat into powder and adding it to flour, which is especially popular in Asia. There, the cereals are processed into flour and thus noodles, flat cakes and some bakery products are prepared.
In our country, in recent years, sprouted grains are more and more appreciated for their cleansing, health-improving properties. With the help of sprouts, you can easily lose weight - we have already described this in detail in the article about the diet on green buckwheat.
How to germinate green buckwheat?
In order for the beneficial properties of green buckwheat to reveal their full strength to us, it must be germinated before use. This requires a minimum of effort and maximum patience (14-24 hours). Here is my step-by-step method for germinating green buckwheat:
- First, it should be rinsed several times: pour water over it, remove floating crushed pieces of cereal (they will not sprout) and other debris.
- In a colander, spread gauze in one layer and pour the washed cereals.
- Cover them on top with two layers of gauze (so that the grains breathe) and rinse under running water.
- Let the water drain a little and put the colander aside for 8 hours to germinate buckwheat.
- After 8 hours, again moisten the gauze on top with water, let the water drain and again set it aside to hatch for 6 hours.
- After 6 hours, buckwheat must be removed from the gauze into a deep rinsing bowl in order to get rid of the formed white foam (mucus) and an unpleasant odor. In fact, it also has its own beneficial substances, but it is better to rinse it off before each use. It is necessary to store in the refrigerator, but not more than 3-4 days. In general, I try to germinate it in portions - I need 50 grams - I germinated this amount and no longer.
If you want green buckwheat to sprout large sprouts, then keep it up to 20-24 hours, only every 7-8 hours do not forget to moisten (rinse) a little.
Green buckwheat composition: vitamins and calories
It is in this form that the product, which has not undergone heat treatment, retains a lot of vitamins and nutrients. The main feature of "live" buckwheat is its high protein content (13% - 15%). For example, in rice it is only 7%. High-quality buckwheat protein is fairly balanced in its amino acid composition and is saturated with lysine, which is so scarce in other grains. There is no gluten in cereals, so it can be safely consumed by people on a gluten-free diet. It has anti-cancer effects, and all thanks to the large number of flavonoids (quercetin, rutin, orientin, isoorientin, isovitexin, vitexin), trypsin inhibitor and protease inhibitor. The composition of flavonoids and their amount directly depends on the growing conditions, growth phase and plant species. So, in the seed of wild buckwheat there are up to 40 mg / g, and cultivated - only 10 mg / g. At high temperatures, these nutrients are destroyed, which is why green cereals are healing in sprouted form.
It also contains iron, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, fluorine, zinc, iodine, cobalt, molybdenum, a lot of copper (640 μg); vitamins B2, B1, folic acid (31, 8 μg), E, PP. Phagopyrin, rutin, gallic, pyrocatechic, caffeic and chlorogenic acids were found in the flowering aerial part of the plant. The seeds are rich in starch, fatty oil, thiamine, riboflavin, iron, phosphorus, and organic acids (linolenic, maleic, malic, oxalic and citric).
Calorie content of green buckwheat
per 100 g - 310 kcal:
- Proteins - 12.6 g
- Fats - 3, 3 g
- Carbohydrates - 62 g
The benefits of green buckwheat
Despite the fact that the calorie content of green buckwheat is quite high, it is easily absorbed by the body and is even recommended for eliminating excess weight. It's all about its unique content of proteins, unsaturated vegetable fats (2, 5-3%), trace elements and fiber. By the way, it contains 3-5 times more minerals than other cereals, and 1, 5-2 times more fiber than millet, oats, rice or barley.
This product is recognized as one of the best suppliers of antioxidants, and they, as we know, increase immunity and slow down the aging process. Studies have confirmed that sprouted buckwheat contains 76 times more antioxidants compared to rice, which, incidentally, is also very healthy! This is due to the fact that many enzymes are concentrated in the sprouts, which give the plant strength for further growth. They have a similar effect on the body: they eliminate the negative effects of the environment (salts of heavy metals, radioactive substances, etc.), remove harmful cholesterol, increase the protective properties of cells, lower blood glucose and normalize sugar levels.
Perhaps the main advantage of "live" buckwheat is that it does not accumulate harmful substances from fertilizers, such as pesticides. Therefore, it can rightfully be called the safest and most environmentally friendly product.
Thus, if sprouted buckwheat is added to the daily diet, then you can bring tangible health benefits. This includes improving general health, metabolism, increasing immunity, cleansing, protection from the harmful effects of the environment, daily stress, treatment of cardiovascular diseases and ailments of the gastrointestinal tract.
Video about useful properties:
Sprouts of green buckwheat: indications
- cardiovascular diseases (coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis, hypertension);
- infectious diseases occurring along with damage to the vascular system (scarlet fever, measles, typhoid, tonsillitis);
- with simple glaucoma (to reduce intraocular pressure);
- for violations of the venous system (thrombophlebitis, varicose veins, hemorrhoids), treatment of radiation sickness;
- kidney and liver diseases;
- diabetes;
- obesity;
- bronchitis;
- thyroid disease;
- nervous disorders (chronic stress);
- bleeding (from the gums, nose).
Harm of green buckwheat and contraindications
Buckwheat has some contraindications. It helps to increase the formation of black bile and gases, overexcites the body. Young children should not use steep buckwheat porridge too often - constipation may occur. With increased blood clotting, cereal sprouts are also not recommended, since they contain rutin.
Not everyone knows that fresh flowers and leaves of a plant are unsafe, so infusions and decoctions from them can cause poisoning of the body.
For the rest, green buckwheat is undoubtedly very healthy. So, cook it for the whole family and be healthy!
