Buckwheat and gut health in people and animals
What it found
In animals and lab tests, buckwheat was linked to less gut inflammation, a more diverse gut microbiome and more short-chain fatty acids.
Human evidence is limited and mixed.
What they found
Studies in people
Gut symptoms in people
In a 12-week cross-over trial in adults with non-celiac gluten sensitivity, those eating buckwheat products had higher overall symptom severity scores than those on a gluten-free diet, but lower abdominal pain and bloating severity. A 30-day trial in children with celiac disease found no toxicity from buckwheat flour and no reaction to its proteins.
IBS and SIBO links
A cross-sectional study found that high daily consumption of buckwheat noodles was linked to a higher prevalence of IBS in Japanese adults. In people with SIBO treated with anti-protozoan drugs, higher buckwheat consumption was linked to more treatment resistance.
Animal and lab studies
Gut inflammation in animals
Mice fed buckwheat had less stomach inflammation and lower levels of inflammatory markers than mice on a high-salt diet without buckwheat. In rats on a high-fat diet, buckwheat led to lower pro-inflammatory markers in the colon.
Cancer cells in lab tests
Buckwheat extracts and flavonoids showed cytotoxic effects against human colon, gastric and liver cancer cell lines, inhibiting their growth. In rats with induced colon tumors, buckwheat protein led to 47% fewer colon adenocarcinomas than casein, though tumor incidence and size were similar.
Gut microbiome in animals
Animals fed buckwheat often had higher alpha diversity and a microbiome composition closer to that of a normal diet than to a high-fat or high-salt diet. Some studies found increases in beneficial bacteria like Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus.
Short-chain fatty acids
Many animal studies found that buckwheat increased fecal short-chain fatty acids, including acetic acid, propionic acid and butyric acid, compared to high-fat or casein diets. Results varied with buckwheat type and dose.
What the authors conclude
“Current evidence, based mainly on data from animal models, suggests buckwheat may have some potential health benefit in the GI tract mediated via its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and cancer cell line inhibiting potential.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that current evidence, based mainly on animal models, suggests buckwheat may have potential health benefits in the GI tract through its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and cancer cell inhibiting effects.
- They state that changes in the microbiome and short-chain fatty acids are seen with buckwheat intake, but their impact on human health remains to be clarified in future trials.
- They advise that human clinical trials are needed and that future studies should consider differences between common and Tartary buckwheat and possible allergic reactions.
How it was done
The authors wanted to review the evidence on how eating buckwheat affects gut health and the gut microbiome, since buckwheat is gluten-free and low in FODMAPs and is often suggested for people with a sensitive gut.
They searched four medical databases and Google Scholar and included 32 studies: one randomized controlled trial, one non-randomized trial, three observational studies, nine lab studies and 18 animal studies. In total there were 1563 human participants and 629 animals (mice, rats, piglets, lambs and cows).
What it can’t tell you
- Most of the findings come from animal and lab studies, so they cannot show what happens in people.
- The human studies were few and mostly had a moderate risk of bias, so the human evidence is limited.
- The cross-sectional studies can only show a link, not cause and effect, between buckwheat and conditions like IBS or SIBO.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by Standard Process Inc (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- The authors have nothing to disclose.
- Authors work at
- University of Lucerne, Switzerland; University of Bern, Switzerland; University of Gothenburg, Sweden
The paper
- Title
- Systematic Review of Human and Animal Evidence on the Role of Buckwheat Consumption on Gastrointestinal Health
- Type
- Systematic review
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- CC BY. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- Valido E, Stoyanov J, Gorreja F, et al (2022). Systematic Review of Human and Animal Evidence on the Role of Buckwheat Consumption on Gastrointestinal Health. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu15010001Free full textPubMed 36615659DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error