Features of buckwheat digestion: how long does it take to digest

Digesting any product is a complex and lengthy process. The human digestive system processes food efficiently so that it brings maximum benefit.

Buckwheat, a cereal rich in vitamins, micro- and macroelements, is digested and absorbed differently in adults and children. In order for healthy grains to charge you with energy and make digestion comfortable, you need to follow a number of simple rules.

How does the digestion process occur?

Digestion is the intake, digestion and absorption of nutrients by the digestive system. The body needs nutrition for energy, cell renewal and growth.

Cavity digestion takes place in the cavities of the mouth, stomach, small and large intestines, membrane digestion - on cell membranes and in the intercellular space in the small intestine.

Proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals that enter the body with food are not absorbed by tissues and cells unchanged. They are broken down in the cavity of the digestive tract by special enzymes and are converted from high molecular weight compounds into low molecular weight compounds that are soluble in water.

Then the substances are absorbed in the digestive tract and enter the body’s fluids (blood and lymph), from where they are extracted by tissue cells.

The digestive system consists of:

• oral cavity;
• pharynx;
• esophagus;
• stomach;
• small, large and rectal intestines.

Stages of Digestion

Foods are digested at all stages of the digestive system. Each department has its own function.

In the oral cavity

Here the food is crushed and treated with saliva, in which some substances dissolve and their taste is revealed. The enzyme amylase breaks down starch into sugars. Proteins and fats are not broken down in the mouth. Digestion time at this stage is 15–20 seconds.

Next, the lump moves into the stomach through the esophagus within 2–9 seconds. A special valve prevents food from backflowing.

In the stomach

Here the food is mixed with sour juice and subjected to mechanical and chemical processing for 3–5 hours. Pepsin breaks down proteins. Food mixed with hydrochloric acid and enzymes, partially digested, becomes liquid or semi-liquid. Then in small portions it passes into the small intestine.

In the small intestine

The most important stage from a biochemical point of view, since the digestion process uses more than 20 enzymes that are secreted in the intestines. This is where most of the nutrients and vitamins are absorbed.

In the duodenum, under the influence of pancreatic juice and bile, the breakdown of proteins, fats, starches and acids begins. They are finally digested in the jejunum and ileum with the help of enzymes produced by mucosal cells. The duration of the process here is 5-6 hours.

The walls of the small intestine are covered with villi, through which the breakdown products of proteins and carbohydrates enter the blood, and fats enter the lymph.

Reference. The total absorptive surface of the small intestine is about 500 m2, and its length in an adult is 6.5 m.

In the large intestine

Undigested food remains enter the large intestine, where they remain for 10 to 15 hours.Glucose, vitamins and amino acids are absorbed here. Feces are formed from food debris, mucus, dead cells of the mucous membrane and intestinal microbes.

The department consists of 3 parts: cecum, transverse colon and rectum. Its average length in an adult is 1.5 m. The duration of the entire digestion process in a healthy person is 24–36 hours.

What affects the absorption time of foods?

Each product has its own absorption time. For good digestion, follow these rules:

1. At the same time, do not eat foods that require different amounts of time to digest. For example, cereal is digested on average in 3 hours. If you add a sausage sandwich to it, this will increase the duration of digestion by 1.5–2 hours.
2. Mix food with the same digestion time, for example, vegetable and apple-pear salads, carrot-beet juice.
3. After eating, do not drink tea, water or other liquids for 1-2 hours - they will dilute gastric juice, complicate digestion and increase the load on the gastrointestinal tract.
4. Chew food thoroughly - this will speed up the digestion process.
5. Protein (meat) foods are eaten only warm. In the stomach it will be digested in 2-3 hours. Cold foods are absorbed faster, proteins are not broken down, but go straight to the small intestine. There, bacteria found in protein foods begin to multiply and cause gas, bloating and constipation.

Adding vegetable oils to food lengthens the digestion process. Due to their envelopment in fat, such foods are not processed in the stomach by juices and enzymes.

How long does it take for buckwheat to be digested in the stomach?

Due to the high protein content (12.7 g per 100 g of raw product), the digestion time of buckwheat is 120 minutes, that is, exactly as long as buckwheat is in the stomach. The product is completely absorbed only after 4-5 hours. During this time, all proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins are processed by the gastrointestinal tract and enter through the small intestine into the blood and lymph.

Features of assimilation

Boiled buckwheat porridge in water is a product with a long digestion time (up to 2 hours). How long will buckwheat be digested if you add full-fat milk or butter to it? It will take at least 6 hours for complete absorption, because fats will not allow food to quickly break down in the stomach. The result is a feeling of heaviness and heartburn. To avoid discomfort, it is better to eat the product with boiled chicken breast or boiled egg without butter or milk.

Cereals contain 62.2 g of complex carbohydrates per 100 g of weight. This is a product with a low glycemic index - after consuming it there will be no sharp jump in blood sugar. Carbohydrates will be released into the blood gradually, resulting in a constant energy balance. Macronutrients are slowly absorbed in the intestines, so a person does not feel hungry for 3-4 hours, and has enough energy.

Fiber from buckwheat porridge enters the intestines partially digested. Passing over it like a broom, she cleanses it of toxins.

In adults

Buckwheat is recommended for adults to eat due to its high content of proteins, vitamins (PP, E and group B), phosphorus, potassium, silicon, copper, boron, manganese, amino acids, fiber and healthy carbohydrates.

Calorie content cereals - 313 kcal per 100 g. This is 13.2% of the daily value of an adult (2500 kcal).

Porridge rich in iron (up to 50% of the daily requirement), but with the simultaneous use of calcium, both elements are practically not absorbed. In order for buckwheat to benefit the body, people over 45 years of age, especially women, due to the high risk of osteoporosis, are recommended to consume it separately from milk, cottage cheese and cheese. The optimal interval between products is 3-4 hours.

Buckwheat in combination with kefir, butter and whole grain bread is a difficult food to digest. People with gastritis, stomach ulcers, pancreatitis, or colitis experience diarrhea or constipation.

Groats are also excluded by those who have been diagnosed with individual intolerance. But buckwheat flour is used for dietary dishes, since it does not contain gluten, a plant protein that causes digestive problems for many people.

In children

The cereal, unique in its chemical composition, gives the child strength, makes him healthy, strong and smart.

Buckwheat porridge is introduced into complementary foods for children due to its low allergenicity from 4-5 months. It is combined with vegetables and steamed cutlets. The product is added to the baby’s diet starting with 1 tsp. per day, then the portions are increased. At the same time, they monitor the baby’s condition: if diarrhea and constipation occur, they stop giving buckwheat.

Buckwheat milk porridge causes problems with digestion. To digest complex carbohydrates and milk, the child’s body requires different enzymes. Cereals remove fats that the body receives from milk.

If a child has neurological problems (poor sleep, hypo- or hypertonicity of muscles), porridge is given with caution due to the presence of complex carbohydrates. By breaking down, they increase the tone of the body.

Dietary fiber in buckwheat improves intestinal motility, which facilitates the functioning of the child’s digestive system.

Attention! Buckwheat leads to rapid saturation, so portions should correspond to the needs and age of the child.

Beneficial properties of buckwheat for the gastrointestinal tract

Cereals have a positive effect on the organs of vision, cardiovascular and nervous systems, but they are especially valued for their beneficial effects on the gastrointestinal tract.

Buckwheat normalizes digestion due to the fiber in its composition. In order for the porridge to cleanse the intestines, it is not boiled, but soaked in boiling water in the evening in a ratio of 1:2. After 8–10 hours the product is ready for use.

Magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, iodine, copper contained in cereals are well absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract and improve metabolism.

Selenium prevents the development of cancer cells in the stomach and intestines.

Buckwheat cleanses the liver of toxins. The cleansed organ produces enzymes to digest foods in the required quantities, and the digestion process is normalized.

Reference. Thanks to improved liver function, the skin is cleared of acne, smoothes out and becomes more elastic.

The product does not irritate the gastric mucosa, so it is eaten for gastritis 1-2 times a week.

For pancreatitis, cereals are included in the diet on the 5th day after an exacerbation. Moreover, for the first 2-3 days they eat well-cooked porridge.

With bloating, diarrhea, constipation go for green buckwheat, brewed with boiling water or sprouted. Unprocessed kernels stabilize digestive processes.

Cereal helps pregnant women against heartburn. To prevent discomfort in the morning on an empty stomach or at the onset of heartburn, chew 3-4 raw grains.

Conclusion

Buckwheat will benefit the body and will be well absorbed if you follow the basic rules for its use. The characteristics of the effect of cereals on adult and children’s organisms are also taken into account.The product normalizes the coordinated functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and does not cause discomfort.