Common Buckwheat: A Neglected Plant with Great Health Benefits

Background: Sustainable food security is dependent upon finding and improving food crops.Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) has been neglected but is regaining popularity due to its short duration and low input for growing.Its flour has characteristics closely related to bread wheat.Objectives: This extension article aims to review the specific nutritional and health features of buckwheat grain for the benefit of public health Methodology: The information included in this article was gathered from different literature resources, including Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, Springer Link, ResearchGate, Taylor & Francis, and related databases. Results:The buckwheat is a short-duration crop compared to bread wheat.Its grain is used as a nutritional and functional food as it is rich in essential nutrients, dietary fibres, and vitamins.It is a pseudocereal and gluten-free crop.It has a low glycaemic index and has the insulin-sensitizing agent, D-Chiro-Inositol, which regulates blood plasma glucose level.It is also used in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome.However, despite all these benefits, our consistent food habits are a major deterrent to its adoption.Conclusion: Buckwheat has numerous nutraceutical and health benefits.It remained a neglected crop due to non-adaptability of the crop and farmers perspective, but it is gaining popularity due to increased awareness of the people.