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Millet vs. Buckwheat — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison

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Article author photo Sveta Badalyan by Sveta Badalyan | Last updated on January 04, 2024
Medically reviewed by Elen Khachatrian Article author photo Elen Khachatrian
Millet
vs
Buckwheat

Summary

Millet is high in net carbs, protein, fats, phosphorus, zinc, and copper. Millet also contains more vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, and folate. On the other hand, buckwheat has higher magnesium, choline, selenium, iron, potassium, calcium, manganese, dietary fiber, and vitamins B5, E, and K. Millet has less sodium, oxalate, and saturated fats, whereas buckwheat has fewer calories.

Introduction

This article will compare millet and buckwheat's nutritional values and health impact.

Buckwheat originated in Southeast Asia and then spread throughout Asia and into Europe. Millets come from different parts of Africa and Asia.

Classification

Buckwheat is not related to wheat, despite its name. Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) is a pseudocereal and belongs to the family Polygonaceae and the genus Fagopyrum.

Millet belongs to the Poaceae family and the genus Panicum.

Varieties

Buckwheat comes in three common varieties: common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum), and perennial buckwheat (Fagopyrum cymosum).

Pearl millet, proso millet, finger millet, and foxtail millet are common millet types.

Appearance

Buckwheat groats are tiny, angular, and triangular-shaped hulled seeds of the buckwheat plant. They are usually a pale green tint, although this might vary according to the type. Buckwheat groats have a slightly mushy texture and a deeper color when cooked, ranging from light tan to a deep, rich brown.

The color and size of millet grains vary depending on the variety. Pearl millet has spherical, pale yellow grains. Proso millet, on the other hand, has smaller, rounder grains that are white or pale yellow. The grains of finger millet are small and reddish-brown in hue. Foxtail millet grains are small, spherical, and yellow, with a distinctive tail-like shape.

Taste and Use

Millet has a nutty and slightly sweet flavor with an earthy undertone. It's often compared to the taste of corn. Buckwheat, on the other hand, has a robust, rich, and slightly tangy flavor.

Cooked milled have a somewhat creamy or buttery texture. Depending on the type, millet's flavor profile might differ; some may taste more pronouncedly nuttily, while others may taste sweeter. Buckwheat's flavor profile varies depending on its form. Raw buckwheat groats have a more delicate flavor, whereas roasted buckwheat has a robust flavor.

Millet is a staple food in various countries across Africa and Asia. It can be used for both sweet and savory dishes. You can cook as a whole grain or make traditional alcoholic drinks such as beer and spirits. Millet is also used in health food products like cereal, granola bars, and snacks. Millet flour is used in gluten-free baking to produce bread, cakes, cookies, and muffins.

Buckwheat is versatile and can be used in various recipes such as salads, side dishes, or pilafs. You can use buckwheat flour for making noodles or pancakes. Buckwheat is also used in beer production.

Nutrition

In this part of the article, we will compare the nutritional information of millet and buckwheat.

Macronutrients and Calories

Millet is high in macronutrients and is denser compared to buckwheat. Millet has 71% water, whereas buckwheat provides 76%.

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Contains more Fats +61.3%
Contains more Carbs +18.7%
Equal in Protein - 3.38
Equal in Water - 75.63
Equal in Other - 0.43
4% 24% 71%
Protein: 3.51 g
Fats: 1 g
Carbs: 23.67 g
Water: 71.41 g
Other: 0.41 g
3% 20% 76%
Protein: 3.38 g
Fats: 0.62 g
Carbs: 19.94 g
Water: 75.63 g
Other: 0.43 g
Contains more Fats +61.3%
Contains more Carbs +18.7%
Equal in Protein - 3.38
Equal in Water - 75.63
Equal in Other - 0.43

Calories

Compared to buckwheat, millet has more calories per hundred grams. A hundred grams of millet provides 119 calories, whereas buckwheat has 92 calories. One serving of millet (1 cup or 174g ) provides 207 kcal, whereas one serving of buckwheat (1 cup or 168g) has 155 kcal.

Protein

Compared to buckwheat, millet is slightly higher in protein. A hundred grams of millet provides 3.51g of protein, whereas buckwheat has 3.38g. Both contain all essential amino acids. Millet provides more isoleucine, leucine, methionine, phenylalanine, and valine. In contrast, buckwheat is high in tryptophan, threonine, lysine, and histidine.

Millet and buckwheat are gluten-free (1, 2).

Fats

Millet and buckwheat have small amounts of fat. In a 100g serving, millet and buckwheat contain 1g and 0.62g of fat, respectively. Buckwheat provides slightly more monounsaturated fat, whereas millet has more polyunsaturated fat and less saturated fat.

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +170.2%
Contains less Saturated Fat -22.1%
Equal in Monounsaturated Fat - 0.188
20% 21% 59%
Saturated Fat: 0.172 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.184 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.508 g
26% 37% 37%
Saturated Fat: 0.134 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.188 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.188 g
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +170.2%
Contains less Saturated Fat -22.1%
Equal in Monounsaturated Fat - 0.188

Carbohydrates

Millet and buckwheat are high in carbohydrates, millet being higher. In a 100g serving, millet and buckwheat contain 23.67g and 19.94g of carbs, respectively. In addition, millet is high in net carbs, whereas buckwheat has high fiber content. In a 100g serving, millet and buckwheat contain 22.37g and 17.24g of net carbs, respectively. The dietary fiber content for millet and buckwheat is 1.3g and 2.7g, respectively.

Carbohydrate type comparison

Carbohydrate type breakdown side-by-side comparison
57% 29% 14%
Starch: 0 g
Sucrose: 0.4 g
Glucose: 0.2 g
Fructose: 0.1 g
Lactose: 0 g
Maltose: 0 g
Galactose: 0 g

Vitamins

Millet provides more vitamins B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6 (pyridoxine), and folate. Millet also contains small amounts of vitamin A (3IU), whereas buckwheat lacks vitamin A. Buckwheat has over two times more vitamin B5, six times more vitamin K, and 4.5 times more vitamin E. Neither contain vitamin C or vitamin D.

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.
Millet
6
:
Contains more Vitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +165%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +110.3%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +41.5%
Contains more Vitamin B6 +40.3%
Contains more Folate +35.7%
Contains more Vitamin E +350%
Contains more Vitamin B5 +109.9%
Contains more Vitamin K +533.3%
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 1% 1% 0% 0% 27% 19% 25% 11% 25% 15% 0% 1%
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 0% 2% 0% 0% 10% 9% 18% 22% 18% 11% 0% 5%
Contains more Vitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +165%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +110.3%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +41.5%
Contains more Vitamin B6 +40.3%
Contains more Folate +35.7%
Contains more Vitamin E +350%
Contains more Vitamin B5 +109.9%
Contains more Vitamin K +533.3%

Minerals

Millet has more phosphorus, zinc, and copper. On the other hand, buckwheat is high in magnesium, potassium, calcium, choline, selenium, iron, and manganese. Moreover, millet has two times less sodium. A hundred grams of millet has 2 mg of sodium, whereas buckwheat provides 4 mg.

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.
Contains more Phosphorus +42.9%
Contains less Sodium -50%
Contains more Zinc +49.2%
Contains more Copper +10.3%
Contains more Calcium +133.3%
Contains more Iron +27%
Contains more Magnesium +15.9%
Contains more Potassium +41.9%
Contains more Manganese +48.2%
Contains more Selenium +144.4%
Equal in Copper - 0.146
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 1% 24% 32% 43% 6% 1% 25% 54% 36% 5%
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 3% 30% 37% 30% 8% 1% 17% 49% 53% 12%
Contains more Phosphorus +42.9%
Contains less Sodium -50%
Contains more Zinc +49.2%
Contains more Copper +10.3%
Contains more Calcium +133.3%
Contains more Iron +27%
Contains more Magnesium +15.9%
Contains more Potassium +41.9%
Contains more Manganese +48.2%
Contains more Selenium +144.4%
Equal in Copper - 0.146

Oxalate content

Compared to millet, buckwheat has over ten times more oxalate content. The oxalate value of millet is 13mg, whereas buckwheat has an oxalate level of 133mg.

Cholesterol

Millet and buckwheat are cholesterol-free.

Glycemic Index

Millet has a glycemic index of 71±10. The glycemic index of buckwheat is 51±10. That shows that millet is high-GI food, whereas buckwheat is low-GI food.

You can access our extensive glycemic index chart that contains information on over 600 foods.

Acidity

The PRAL value indicates the food's capacity to degrade into bases or acids within the body. Millet has a PRAL level of 2.9, whereas the PRAL value of buckwheat is 1. Both are acidic, millet being more acid-forming.

Weight Loss & Diets

Vegan: Vegans can use buckwheat and millet in their diet, as they are made entirely of plants and don't contain any animal ingredients.

Vegetarian: Vegetarians avoid all animal flesh products. Vegetarians can use both of them.

Paleo: Eating natural, unprocessed foods and staying away from processed foods are the main goals of the paleo diet. As buckwheat is a pseudocereal, it can be part of the paleo diet, whereas millet is not paleo-friendly.

Keto: The keto diet includes low-carb, high-fat, and high-protein foods. Because of their high carb content, both are not keto-friendly.

DASH: Whole grains like millet, buckwheat, rice, and amaranth are allowed in the DASH diet.

Health Benefits

Cardiovascular Health

Buckwheat consumption may reduce some CVD risk factors (3).

Based on findings, consuming buckwheat is linked to statistically substantially reduced amounts of triglycerides and total cholesterol compared to control arms. Nevertheless, neither HDL nor LDL cholesterol was significantly affected by buckwheat consumption (4).

Consuming millet is linked to several health benefits, such as controlling blood pressure and protection against cardiovascular and cancer diseases (5).

Foxtail and proso millet may prevent cardiovascular disease by lowering plasma triglycerides in hyperlipidemic rats (6).

Buckwheat contains antioxidants, particularly rutin. Rutin's therapeutic and biological activities include increased blood vessel elasticity, effectiveness against circulatory problems, atherosclerosis, antioxidant properties, antiinflammation, antihypertension, vasoconstrictive, spasmolytic, cholesterol reduction, and protection against oxidative stress (7).

Diabetes

Based on the findings, buckwheat consumption may enhance insulin resistance and lipid profile in DM type 2 patients.

Furthermore, subgroup studies on the daily dosage of buckwheat consumption revealed decreased insulin, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. When buckwheat intake surpasses 110 g per day, symptoms of insulin resistance occur (8).

In addition to being abundant in nutrients, finger millet includes a variety of bioactive substances such as polyphenols, flavonoids, phytic acid, and dietary fiber. Polyphenols have anti-oxidant and anti-diabetic properties. Phytic acid may inhibit carbohydrate digestibility and control post-prandial glucose levels and obesity (9).

Digestive System

According to the study, various millet bio-actives efficiently regulated pathogenic gut flora, such as Shigella and Clostridium histolyticum, lowering gut inflammation (9).

Buckwheat flavonoids have hepatoprotective properties. They may lower serum aspartate transaminase activity at the molecular level (7).

As buckwheat and millet are gluten-free, people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivities may consume them.

Cancer

Millets include dietary fibers, plant protease inhibitors, and bioactive peptides that might cause apoptosis, stop cell proliferation, and interact with the gut microbiota to potentially have anti-cancer effects (5).

The results show that buckwheat hull has anti-cancer properties against some types of cancer cells. Hexane and ethyl acetate fractions found in buckwheat have inhibitory effects against MCF-7 cells in vitro (10).

Article author photo Sveta Badalyan
Education: General Medicine at YSMU
Last updated: January 04, 2024
Medically reviewed by Elen Khachatrian

Infographic

Millet vs Buckwheat infographic
Infographic link

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Millet Buckwheat
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in price ok
Lower in Saturated Fat ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Rich in minerals ok
Lower in Cholesterol Equal
Rich in vitamins Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Millet Buckwheat Opinion
Net carbs 22.37g 17.24g Millet
Protein 3.51g 3.38g Millet
Fats 1g 0.62g Millet
Carbs 23.67g 19.94g Millet
Calories 119kcal 92kcal Millet
Fructose 0.1g Buckwheat
Sugar 0.13g 0.9g Millet
Fiber 1.3g 2.7g Buckwheat
Calcium 3mg 7mg Buckwheat
Iron 0.63mg 0.8mg Buckwheat
Magnesium 44mg 51mg Buckwheat
Phosphorus 100mg 70mg Millet
Potassium 62mg 88mg Buckwheat
Sodium 2mg 4mg Millet
Zinc 0.91mg 0.61mg Millet
Copper 0.161mg 0.146mg Millet
Manganese 0.272mg 0.403mg Buckwheat
Selenium 0.9µg 2.2µg Buckwheat
Vitamin A 3IU 0IU Millet
Vitamin E 0.02mg 0.09mg Buckwheat
Vitamin B1 0.106mg 0.04mg Millet
Vitamin B2 0.082mg 0.039mg Millet
Vitamin B3 1.33mg 0.94mg Millet
Vitamin B5 0.171mg 0.359mg Buckwheat
Vitamin B6 0.108mg 0.077mg Millet
Folate 19µg 14µg Millet
Vitamin K 0.3µg 1.9µg Buckwheat
Tryptophan 0.038mg 0.049mg Buckwheat
Threonine 0.113mg 0.129mg Buckwheat
Isoleucine 0.148mg 0.127mg Millet
Leucine 0.446mg 0.212mg Millet
Lysine 0.067mg 0.172mg Buckwheat
Methionine 0.07mg 0.044mg Millet
Phenylalanine 0.185mg 0.133mg Millet
Valine 0.184mg 0.173mg Millet
Histidine 0.075mg 0.079mg Buckwheat
Saturated Fat 0.172g 0.134g Buckwheat
Monounsaturated Fat 0.184g 0.188g Buckwheat
Polyunsaturated fat 0.508g 0.188g Millet

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Millet Buckwheat
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Calories diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet ok

People also compare

Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).
Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score
10%
Millet
8%
Buckwheat
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
22%
Millet
24%
Buckwheat

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?
Millet
Millet is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.77g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Millet
Millet contains less Sodium (difference - 2mg)
Which food is cheaper?
Millet
Millet is cheaper (difference - $1.8)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Buckwheat
Buckwheat is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.038g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Buckwheat
Buckwheat is lower in glycemic index (difference - 20)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Buckwheat
Buckwheat is relatively richer in minerals
Which food contains less Cholesterol?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (0 mg)
Which food is richer in vitamins?
?
It cannot be stated which food is richer in vitamins. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information.

References

All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.

  1. Millet - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168871/nutrients
  2. Buckwheat - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170686/nutrients

All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.

Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.