What! Soba noodles are unhealthy? The truth is...

Myth: “Buckwheat noodles are unhealthy”

In recent years, buckwheat noodles have become popular. At the same time, many rumors about buckwheat noodles have also emerged, such as "buckwheat contains lectins, which can cause intestinal leakage", "buckwheat noodles contain oxalic acid, which affects the absorption of nutrients", "buckwheat noodles are not friendly to blood sugar"... People don't know whether buckwheat noodles can be eaten or not.

Rumor analysis: This statement is not accurate.

These rumors are unfounded. For most people, buckwheat noodles are healthy. For example, although buckwheat contains lectins, lectins decompose when heated, and most people do not eat noodles raw. Another example is that oxalic acid is easily soluble in water, so eating noodles will hardly ingest oxalic acid... However, some people with poor stomachs should not eat too much at one time to avoid indigestion.

Those who want to lose weight should be familiar with buckwheat noodles, right? Buckwheat noodles have always been a "light" in the health circle. Whether it is to control weight or regulate blood sugar, it is highly recommended to eat.

Copyrighted stock images, no reproduction is authorized

However, recently there have been rumors about buckwheat noodles on the Internet, such as "buckwheat contains lectins, which can cause intestinal leakage", "buckwheat noodles contain oxalic acid, which affects the absorption of nutrients", "buckwheat noodles are not friendly to blood sugar"... So are these claims true? Could it be that buckwheat noodles are unhealthy food? Don't panic, in this article we will talk about buckwheat noodles and see if it is a healthy ingredient. Let me first say the conclusion: the previous rumors about buckwheat noodles are untenable. For most people, buckwheat noodles are quite healthy, but some people with poor stomachs cannot eat too much at one time to avoid indigestion. Let's talk about it in detail below.

Is buckwheat a grain?

To talk about soba noodles, we have to first look at what buckwheat is. Buckwheat is a herbaceous plant of the Polygonaceae family, also known as black wheat and buckwheat. The edible part is the seeds, and it is usually eaten as a grain.

Copyrighted stock images, no reproduction is authorized

Buckwheat has the word "麦" in its name, so many people think it is a kind of grain. However, buckwheat is not actually a grain, it is a "pseudo-grain". Please note that this is not to say that buckwheat is a fake or inferior product. This is because the grains we usually refer to in the field of food nutrition are the seeds of crops in the grass family, such as wheat, rice, millet, etc.; there are also foods such as soybeans, mung beans, red beans, kidney beans, etc., but buckwheat is not counted as a grain, so it is called a "pseudo-grain".

Is eating buckwheat noodles harmful to your health?

Buckwheat has always been promoted as a healthy grain, but now there are rumors that eating buckwheat noodles is harmful to health. Is this true? Let's take a look at them one by one.

1. Buckwheat noodles contain lectins. Will they cause intestinal leakage?

Buckwheat, as a seed of a herb, contains lectins, but it will not affect the digestive system as rumored, or even cause intestinal leakage. Lectins are anti-nutritional factors that affect the absorption and utilization of nutrients in the human body. Excessive intake may also cause food poisoning, with symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, chest tightness, dizziness, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Despite this, we don't have to worry at all. Why do we say that? Because lectins are not heat-resistant! Boil and stir-fry, and it will be safe and harmless. Let's look back at how we eat buckwheat noodles. I guess no one would eat noodles raw, right? ? ? After the buckwheat noodles are cooked, the lectins will also be decomposed and destroyed. Moreover, lectins are commonly found in plants, especially leguminous plants, such as beans, green beans, etc. We have used these ingredients for cooking, so don't worry about buckwheat noodles.

2. Is buckwheat noodles not conducive to blood sugar control?

The rumor is that the glycemic index of buckwheat noodles is higher than that of apples, pears, bananas, sweet potatoes, etc., and it is also a high-carb food, which is not conducive to controlling blood sugar. In fact, buckwheat noodles are very suitable for people who need to control blood sugar. Buckwheat flour is made by grinding buckwheat seeds. Buckwheat noodles are rich in dietary fiber, B vitamins and other nutrients, and have a strong sense of fullness, which helps control appetite. The GI value of buckwheat noodles is 59, which is a medium GI food. Although this value is higher than that of fruits such as apples, pears, peaches, and bananas, compared with high GI foods such as white rice (GI value of 82~90) and white steamed bread (GI value of 85~88), buckwheat noodles are still very friendly to blood sugar. As for the carbohydrate content of buckwheat noodles, it is 70.2g/100g, which is a little lower than the noodles we often eat. In addition, buckwheat flour also contains a high level of resistant starch, which helps to improve postprandial blood sugar and sugar metabolism, and reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.

Some nutritional comparisons between buckwheat noodles and dried noodles

3. Buckwheat noodles contain oxalic acid. Will it affect nutrient absorption?

Buckwheat, as a plant seed, does contain some oxalic acid, which is also an anti-nutrient. After being consumed by the human body, it is easy to combine with minerals such as calcium and iron in the body, thereby affecting the body's absorption and utilization of these nutrients. However, even so, there is no need to worry too much. Oxalic acid will dissolve in water during the cooking process of buckwheat noodles. If you don't want to consume too much oxalic acid, just don't drink the noodle soup.

Copyrighted stock images, no reproduction is authorized

Overall, eating buckwheat noodles does not harm health. Regular consumption can help stabilize blood sugar and help lose weight. Compared with noodles made from wheat flour, buckwheat noodles can also allow us to take in more protein, dietary fiber, B vitamins, potassium, magnesium, calcium and other nutrients. Some researchers have also found that partially replacing wheat flour with buckwheat flour (the amount of buckwheat flour added is in the range of 5% to 30%) has a positive effect on the quality of noodles and can increase the total polyphenol content and anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacity of noodles.

People with gluten allergies can eat it safely

Buckwheat noodles are not only healthy food, but also safe for people who are allergic to gluten. Gluten is mainly found in foods such as wheat, barley, and rye, which contain a protein component called gluten. If you are allergic to gluten, you are likely to have an allergic reaction after eating these foods or other foods made with these foods as raw materials, such as bread, steamed buns, dumplings, noodles, cakes, biscuits, etc., which may cause gastrointestinal bloating, diarrhea, vomiting and other discomfort symptoms. Buckwheat flour is a high-quality gluten-free ingredient, and buckwheat noodles made with buckwheat flour are very suitable for people with gluten allergies.

How to choose soba noodles?

Since buckwheat noodles are healthy food, you have to be careful when choosing them, otherwise you may be "cheated"! There are various types of buckwheat noodles on the market. Although some of them are labeled "buckwheat noodles/buckwheat noodles" on the packaging, they may not be 100% buckwheat noodles. If you look closely at the ingredient list, you will find that the main raw material is wheat flour, and the buckwheat flour content may be less than 30%.

Photo: Soba noodles with 20% buckwheat flour

Photo: Soba noodles made from 100% buckwheat flour

If you can't buy 100% pure buckwheat noodles, then look at the position of buckwheat flour in the ingredient list. The first one means the content is relatively high. At the same time, pay attention to the sodium content in the nutritional table and choose one with a low sodium content to avoid excessive sodium intake, which is not good for blood pressure. For example, the sodium content of the buckwheat noodles in the picture below is as high as 900mg/100g. Eating 100g of such buckwheat noodles will consume nearly 2.3g of salt, which accounts for nearly 50% of the maximum recommended salt intake in the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents".

Figure: Buckwheat noodles with high sodium content

Figure: Buckwheat noodles with zero sodium content

As for how to eat buckwheat noodles, it is recommended to eat them with vegetables and protein-rich foods, such as vegetable and shredded pork buckwheat noodles, tomato and egg buckwheat noodles, cold buckwheat noodles, etc.

Compared to the white noodles we usually eat, buckwheat noodles are a relatively healthier food. They are very suitable for people who need to control blood sugar, those who need to lose weight, and those who are allergic to gluten.

However, since buckwheat noodles are relatively high in dietary fiber, people with poor gastrointestinal function and poor digestion should be careful not to eat too much!

Looking in the mirror of rumors

In fact, the rumors about buckwheat noodles are mainly due to a lack of understanding of them. The best way to debunk these rumors is to learn more about the relevant knowledge and to carefully imagine the relevant scenarios. For example, if we hear that buckwheat noodles contain lectins, we will find that lectins are not heat-resistant if we learn more about them. If we imagine the scene of eating noodles, we will know that although buckwheat noodles contain lectins, we eat cooked noodles and will not ingest lectins, so we can eat them with confidence.

References

[1] Wang Xiaoping, Wang Wenyan, Xing Xiaodong, et al. Research progress on the effective components and pharmacological effects of buckwheat [J/OL]. Journal of Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 1-12 [2024-02-16]. https://doi.org/10.14066/j.cnki.cn21-1349/r.2023.0707.

[2] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 1[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2018

[3] Zhang Huiyu. Research on factors affecting buckwheat noodle quality and establishment and verification of prediction model[D]. Jiangnan University, 2023. DOI: 10.27169/d.cnki.gwqgu.2023.000520.

Author: Xue Qingxin, registered dietitian, one of the first nutrition instructors of the National Health Commission

Reviewer: Ruan Guangfeng, Director of the Science and Technology Department of the Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center