Checking for buckwheat sensitivity

As has come up in previous posts, I'm an advocate for introducing buckwheat into the diet a bit at a time. For instance, by adding a half-cup of buckwheat flour into a bread recipe, and using 2 1/2 cups of regular flour with it.

I'm usually thinking about digestive adjustments when the idea of gradual introduction comes up. People who eat a low-fiber diet may find buckwheat flour is too much for their GI tract if they have a lot all at once.

But buckwheat's also one of many substances which cause a small number of people to react. And people who are allergic to wheat or other gluten foods may be prone to allergic reactions in general. The reactions people have with buckwheat range from full-on allergic response, requiring an Epi-pen or a trip to the ER, to milder signs of sensitivity like feeling a bit dizzy or short of breath for a little while.

As a person who's allergic a lot of stuff -- both natural substances and additiives and colorants and clarifiers which don't bother other people -- I often try just a little bit of a new food to see what my body will do with it. If I'm sensitive to it, I'll quickly know that and the mild symptoms will go away pretty quickly.

This article goes into this topic a bit more deeply.