"Jeju buckwheat has the effect of inhibiting weight gain... it also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects"

(Jeju=Yonhap News) Reporter Jeon Ji-hye = Research results have shown that Jeju buckwheat has effects of inhibiting weight gain and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. The Jeju Agricultural Technology Institute announced on the 30th that in a joint research with Jeju University to scientifically verify the functionality of Jeju buckwheat, a regional specialty crop, the results confirmed effects such as reducing fat accumulation and alleviating internal inflammation. The research results showed that lipid accumulation in fat cells significantly decreased in cell experiments using Jeju buckwheat extract. Additionally, in an experiment where buckwheat extract was administered to experimental mice that consumed a high-fat diet for 12 weeks, it was found that weight gain was inhibited by about 10 to 25% compared to experimental mice that were not administered the extract. In the evaluation of antioxidant efficacy, Jeju buckwheat also showed excellent effects in the ability to remove reactive oxygen species, which cause aging and diseases in the body. In particular, the new variety 'Hwanggeum Miso' bred in 2020 showed about 2.5 times higher antioxidant activity compared to 'Yangjeol', a representative domestic variety. Furthermore, in cell experiments to confirm anti-inflammatory effects, the expression of substances that promote inflammatory responses decreased compared to the control group, and the expression of substances that inhibit inflammation increased, proving that it can help alleviate inflammatory responses in the body, according to the Agricultural Technology Institute. The Agricultural Technology Institute plans to publish a paper in an international academic journal based on the research results and to promote the excellence of Jeju buckwheat based on scientific evidence. As of last year, Jeju's buckwheat cultivation area was 4,236 hectares, accounting for 87% of the country, and the production volume was 2,586 tons, accounting for 83% of the country, making it the largest buckwheat producing area in the nation. atoz@yna.co.kr