One of America's oldest and most successful companies.The old mill. near the banks of Keuka Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York State.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Birkett Mills
163 Main Street
Penn Yan, NY 14527
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315-536-3311
  
  An Old World Favorite.  
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
     
  Buckwheat Helps Manage Diabetes  
 

Researchers from Canada have found new evidence that buckwheat may be beneficial in the management of diabetes. In a controlled study, they showed that extracts of the seed lowered blood glucose levels by 12% to 19% when fed to diabetic rats.

The study may lead to new uses of buckwheat as a dietary supplement or functional food to help people with diabetes and others with conditions involving elevated glucose, the researchers claim. The findings will appear in the December 3, 2003 issue of The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.
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  Buckwheat Shown to Lower Cholesterol  
  Recent work has shown that buckwheat protein as part of the diet lowers blood cholesterol substantially. A few years ago a buckwheat protein was found to soak up cholesterol from food and prevent it from being absorbed in the small intestine. Dr. Kayashita, a nutritionist at Hiroshima University, found that this buckwheat protein is not digested, so it carries the cholesterol out of the body.

The latest investigations show that buckwheat is more effective at lowering cholesterol than the soy protein isolates that are being sold for that purpose.		  
     
 
For more information:
Contact Dr. Thomas Bjorkman
Dept. of Horticultural Sciences
Cornell University-NYSAES, Geneva, NY 14456
315-787-2218
315-787-2216 (fax)
tnb1@cornell.edu
 
     
 
 
 
 
 
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Origins of Buckwheat
  Buckwheat, one of the earliest crops to be grown in the United States, originated in Asia and was brought here by Dutch colonists who first planted it by the Hudson River.
 Defining Buckwheat
   Buckwheat, although used in much the same manner as grain, is, botanically speaking, a fruit closely related to the rhubarb plant. Its seed is triangular in shape and has a black shell. The kernel inside this shell is known as a groat. When roasted, the groat is commonly called Kasha which is a popular staple in Russia and throughout eastern Europe.
Usage Versatility
  While buckwheat is primarily associated with flour for pan cakes, the groats or Kasha can be steamed, boiled, or baked for use as a side dish. Kasha is also served in soups, stew or salads, and makes a fine cereal, when mixed with sweetening and cream. One of the best known buckwheat dishes is "Kasha Varnitchkes," which is made of Kasha and noodles combined. Kasha is low in fat and sodium and high in potassium, phosphorus and fiber. It contains no cholesterol and 50% more vitamin B than wheat, with no more calories.