I love to cook rice, millet, quinoa and buckwheat. Buckwheat (called Kashi when roasted) is a quick dish to make when I am in a hurry. It’s not a grain, but cooks like one. It is a seed and contains all the eight essential amino acids, as well as the semi-amino acid Histidine, making this fruit seed a complete protein. This seed has the minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper, manganese, and selenium in it. There are plenty of vitamins in it as well including thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, Folate, Pantothenic Acid. Buckwheat plays an effective role in helping to lower cholesterol. I love it because it’s gluten free and filling. The proteins found in Buckwheat are essential because they are not produced by the body. The essential amino acids are L-lysine, L-leucine, L-methionine, L-Isoleucine, L-tryptophan, L-threonine, L-Valine, and L-phenylalanine.
How do these essential amino acids benefit our bodies? Here are a few samples. L- Lysine is important for bone growth. It’s medicinally used to help in the treatment of cold sores. L Leucine is getting a lot of attention now due to studies suggesting that it may help our bodies lose fat, but not muscle. That’s potential good news. I love the amino acid L-methionine because it helps support the skin by keeping it elastic and toned. It also helps lower one’s cholesterol by helping to remove fat from the liver. L-Isoleucine is important in that it supports endurance, increases energy, and helps to repair muscle tissue. L-Tryptophan helps decrease stress levels. L-Threonine helps to support strong bones, skin, nails, and tooth enamel. It is essential for a body’s overall health. L-Valine helps support the maintenance of muscle tissue. It’s known as a branched-chain amino acid. L-Phenylalanine is essential for the overall health of our bodies. It converts to L-tyrosine then to L-DOPA and lastly to dopamine which then converts into the catecholamines (neurotransmitter and stress hormones) norepinephrine (noradrenaline), and epinephrine (adrenaline). These essential amino acids are easily obtainable through diet.