A University of Manitoba study has found that buckwheat, a grain used in pancakes and noodles, may help lower blood sugar levels. If further research supports this finding, buckwheat will become a tool in the management of diabetes, researchers predict. In the rodentian study published in the December 2003 issue of The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, buckwheat seed extract, reduced blood glucose by 29 percent. That's probably thanks to a compound called chiro-inositol, shown in other studies to regulate glucose metabolism. Says lead researcher Carla G. Taylor, PhD, "With diabetes on the rise, incorporation of buckwheat into the diet could be an inexpensive way to lower glucose levels and reduce the risk of complications associated with the disease, including heart, nerve and kidney problems."

Copied from the March 2004 edition of Vegetarian Times Magazine.