Cholesterol Benefits from Buckwheat Protein

Filed in archive Studies on July 18, 2007

In the presence of buckwheat protein, cholesterol absorption has been found to be reduced by 47 percent.

Such were the findings of University of Wisconsin researchers who used Caco-2 cells to model the absorption of cholesterol in the presence or absence of buckwheat protein.

According to lead author Brandon Metzger, from Standard Process and the University of Wisconsin:

"We looked at how buckwheat protein modulated cholesterol uptake in Caco-2 cells from micelles to better understand a possible mechanism of action in the gut.

When we conducted the cholesterol binding experiments in vitro, we found that a large proportion of the cholesterol was associated with an insoluble fraction of buckwheat protein."

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) is a relatively minor crop in the US and used mainly as flour for pancakes.

Findings have been reported in an article published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry.

Find more details from the full report.

[Photo Credit: Special Foods]