Buckwheat vs. Quinoa — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison

Introduction

Buckwheat and quinoa are both nutritious and versatile grains that are becoming increasingly popular in the culinary world. This article will compare the two grains to see their differences and similarities, focusing mainly on health and nutrition.

Nutrition

The infographics on this page are presented for 100g servings of cooked, roasted buckwheat groats and cooked quinoa.

The average servings sizes for these grains per person is one cup, weighing 168g for buckwheat and 185g for quinoa.

Macronutrients and Calories

These two grains are similar in macronutrient compositions, with quinoa only slightly denser. Quinoa comprises 72% water, 21% carbohydrates, and 7% other nutrients, whereas buckwheat comprises 76% water, 20% carbohydrates, and 6% other nutrients.

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison

Buckwheat

1

Protein: 3.38 g

Fats: 0.62 g

Carbs: 19.94 g

Water: 75.63 g

Other: 0.43 g

Quinoa

4

Protein: 4.4 g

Fats: 1.92 g

Carbs: 21.3 g

Water: 71.61 g

Other: 0.77 g

Contains more ProteinProtein	+30.2%
Contains more FatsFats	+209.7%
Contains more OtherOther	+79.1%

~equal in Carbs ~21.3g

~equal in Water ~71.61g

Calories

Quinoa is considerably higher in calories containing 120 calories per 100g, while the same serving of buckwheat provides 92 calories. 

Carbohydrates

Quinoa provides about 1g more carbohydrates than buckwheat in the same serving size. This is primarily due to net carbs, as quinoa is only 0.1g richer in dietary fiber per 100g serving.

In a 100g serving, quinoa contains 21.3g of carbohydrates, of which 87% is made up of net carbs, and 13% is dietary fiber. At the same time, buckwheat provides 20g of carbs, comprised of 86% net carbs ans 14% dietary fiber.

The net carbs content of quinoa is entirely made up of starch, whereas buckwheat contains sucrose, glucose, and fructose.

You can learn about the carbohydrate content of quinoa in detail on our page.

Carbohydrate type comparison

Carbohydrate type breakdown side-by-side comparison

Buckwheat

3

Starch: 0 g

Sucrose: 0.4 g

Glucose: 0.2 g

Fructose: 0.1 g

Lactose: 0 g

Maltose: 0 g

Galactose: 0 g

Quinoa

1

Starch: 17.63 g

Sucrose: 0 g

Glucose: 0 g

Fructose: 0 g

Lactose: 0 g

Maltose: 0 g

Galactose: 0 g

Contains more SucroseSucrose	+∞%
Contains more GlucoseGlucose	+∞%
Contains more FructoseFructose	+∞%

Contains more StarchStarch

+∞%

~equal in Lactose ~0g

~equal in Maltose ~0g

~equal in Galactose ~0g

Protein

Quinoa is richer in protein, with 4.4g per 100g serving, whereas buckwheat provides 3.4g in the same serving size.

While these two types of grains are not the best source of protein in terms of quantity, the protein quality is high, as these grains have some amounts of all essential amino acids.

Fats

Buckwheat contains less than 1g of fats. Quinoa is also very low in fats but is still three times higher than buckwheat.

The predominant fat type in these grains is unsaturated.

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison

Buckwheat

1

Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.134 g

Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.188 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.188 g

Quinoa

2

Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.231 g

Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.528 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 1.078 g

Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat

-42%

Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat	+180.9%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat	+473.4%

Vitamins

Quinoa is the winner in this category as it provides seven times more vitamin E, three times more folate or vitamin B9, vitamin B2, and vitamin B1. Quinoa is also almost two times richer in vitamin B6 and contains vitamin E, which buckwheat lacks entirety.

At the same time, buckwheat is two times richer in vitamin B3 and provides vitamin K, which is absent in quinoa. 

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Buckwheat

3

Quinoa

7

Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3	+128.2%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5	+∞%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K	+∞%

Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A	+∞%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E	+600%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1	+167.5%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2	+182.1%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6	+59.7%
Contains more FolateFolate	+200%
Contains more CholineCholine	+14.4%

~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg

~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg

~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg

Minerals

Quinoa is also the ultimate winner in the mineral category, being richer in almost all minerals. Quinoa provides almost two times more calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, and zinc. It is also richer in magnesium, manganese, selenium, and copper.

Buckwheat is lower in sodium.

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Buckwheat

1

Quinoa

9

Contains less SodiumSodium

-42.9%

Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium	+25.5%
Contains more CalciumCalcium	+142.9%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium	+95.5%
Contains more IronIron	+86.3%
Contains more CopperCopper	+31.5%
Contains more ZincZinc	+78.7%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus	+117.1%
Contains more ManganeseManganese	+56.6%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium	+27.3%

Weight Loss & Diets

While both grains are good options for low-calorie and high-fiber diets, buckwheat would be preferable.

Buckwheat and quinoa are not suitable for keto or other low-carb diets.

Both can be used on a gluten-free diet, as they do not contain the protein gluten; they are safe for people with celiac disease and gluten intolerance.

Both are low FODMAP and may be consumed during a low-FODMAP diet; they are mostly safe for people with IBS.

Health Impact

Grains like buckwheat and quinoa can be essential to a healthy diet and have many health benefits. Based on scientific evidence, here are some ways that grains can impact your health.

Cardiovascular Health

The high dietary fiber content of whole grain meals, particularly quinoa, boosts their potential for disease prevention and reduces the risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease (2).

According to research, including quinoa seeds in one's diet can lessen one's risk of developing cardiovascular disease by reducing body weight, waist circumference, fat mass, triglyceride levels, and total cholesterol (3).

Research finds that consuming more buckwheat may help lower blood triglyceride and total cholesterol levels (4).

Also, studies have shown that switching to a diet rich in buckwheat products may prevent the onset of cardiovascular disease by lowering blood levels of circulating risk factors for the disease and indicators of oxidative stress (5).

Diabetes

Buckwheat and quinoa are almost equally low in their glycemic index values, meaning the consumption of these grains does not increase blood glucose levels rapidly.

Fiber, protein, and polyphenols are quinoa components that may have been found to have protective qualities against the metabolic side effects of type 2 diabetes and obesity. Consuming quinoa can lower triglyceride and fasting blood glucose levels (6).

According to studies, Tartary buckwheat may help people with type 2 diabetes improve their lipid profile and insulin resistance (7). 

Digestion

Whole grains are one of the primary sources of dietary fiber, which has been shown to improve gut health and lower the risk of several gut diseases, such as functional constipation, hemorrhoids, colon cancer, diverticulitis, and irritable bowel disease (8, 9).

Quinoa, Tartary buckwheat, and buckwheat honey contain prebiotic fiber that may beneficially affect the gut microbiota (10, 11, 12).

Cancer

Quinoa contains various bioactive compounds that have been studied to have anti-cancer and chemoprotective activity on leukemia, hormone-independent cervical, breast, and prostate cancer cells, and potentially colon cancer cells (13).

Several buckwheat compounds have been studied for their anti-cancer activity on breast and liver cancer cells (14, 15).

Author name: Victoria Mazmanyan

Education: General Medicine at YSMU

Last updated: May 11, 2023

Medically reviewed by Arpi Gasparyan