Buckwheat and Cardiometabolic Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Buckwheat (BW) is suggested to have beneficial effects, but evidence on how it affects cardiometabolic health (CMH) is not yet established. We aimed to assess the effects of BW and/or its related bioactive compounds on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk markers in adults. Five databases were searched for eligible studies. Observational prospective studies, nonrandomized or randomized trials were considered if they assessed BW, rutin or quercetin-3-glucoside intake and CVD risk markers. We adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for reporting. We selected 16 human studies based on 831 subjects with mild metabolic disturbances, such as hypercholesterolemia, diabetes and/or overweight. Eight studies, investigating primarily grain components, were included in the meta-analyses (n = 464). High study heterogeneity was present across most of our analyses. Weighted mean difference (WMD) for subjects receiving BW supplementation, compared to controls, were − 0.14 mmol/L (95% CI: −0.30; 0.02) for total cholesterol (TC), −0.03 mmol/L (95% CI: −0.22; 0.16) for LDL cholesterol, −0.14 kg (95% CI: −1.50; 1.22) for body weight, −0.04 mmol/L (95% CI: − 0.09;0.02) for HDL cholesterol, −0.02 mmol/L (95% CI: −0.15; 0.11) for triglycerides and −0.18 mmol/L (95% CI: −0.36; 0.003) for glucose. Most of the studies (66.7%) had concerns of risk of bias. Studies investigating other CVD markers were scarce and with inconsistent findings, where available. Evidence on how BW affects CMH is limited. However, the available literature indicates that BW supplementation in mild dyslipidaemia and type 2 diabetes may provide some benefit in lowering TC and glucose, albeit non-significant. Our work highlights the need for more rigorous trials, with better methodological rigor to clarify remaining uncertainties on potential effects of BW on CMH and its utility in clinical nutrition practice.

Translational Research on Bee Pollen as a Source of Nutrients: A Scoping Review from Bench to Real World

“…It is worth underlining that the examples of BP that we enumerated in this section are all derived from well-known plants that have evidence-based antidiabetic effects. Indeed, Camellia sinensis [ 233 , 234 ] and Fagopyrum esculentum [ 235 , 236 ] were largely reported to exert antidiabetic, anti-dyslipidemia, and protective cardiovascular effects in animals and humans. Echium plantagineum oil [ 237 ] and Quercus sp.…”

Dietary Phenolic Compounds: Their Health Benefits and Association with the Gut Microbiota

“…While this is not a favorable outcome in terms of natural nutrient uptake, it also has some desirable consequences related to diabetes and lipid metabolism [ 141 , 142 , 143 ]. Concerning cardio-metabolic disease, meta-analyses have not yet yielded consistent results regarding the usefulness of phenolic compounds, such as rutin [ 144 ]. Recent studies suggest that buckwheat has inhibitory effects on Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological disorders [ 145 ], but it is not yet clear whether rutin is responsible for this effect [ 146 ].…”

The Influence of Fertilisation on the Yield and Antioxidant Capacity of Common and Tartary Buckwheat

“…Because of buckwheat's positive impact on human health, buckwheat has recently grown in popularity in human nutrition. Several studies have demonstrated that buckwheat intake affects the treatment and prevention of numerous illnesses, including diabetes (Qiu et al, 2016), cardiovascular disorders, arterial hypertension (Llanaj et al, 2022), and cancer (Dziedzic et al, 2018;Noreen et al, 2021). The therapeutic properties of buckwheat are the result of its high antioxidant potential.…”