Buckwheat pillow is a kind of pillow that many people like. It can change its shape with the movement of the head and fit the head, so it is more comfortable. Many people think buckwheat pillow is healthier than ordinary pillow, which can relieve dizziness and headache, and even regard it as a "health pillow". So can buckwheat pillows really be healthy?

Buckwheat, commonly known as clean grass, is an important coarse cereal crop and plays an important role in the history of ancient crop cultivation in China. At the same time, buckwheat has high medicinal value, and there are many records of treating diseases with buckwheat in medical works of past dynasties. Buckwheat pillow is actually a pillow with buckwheat skin as the pillow core. Buckwheat pillow has a long history. "Compendium of Materia Medica" records: "Buckwheat is cold and nontoxic. Buckwheat shell as a pillow has a proper effect on insomnia, dreaminess, dizziness, tinnitus and other symptoms. " Modern medicine has proved that buckwheat shells can adjust the flatness of pillows and improve air permeability. Pillows with excessive elasticity, such as spring pillows and inflatable pillows, will constantly exert expansion force on the neck when people sleep, which will easily cause fatigue and injury to the neck muscles. However, the buckwheat pillow is moderate in hardness, which can enhance the neck support and is beneficial to the blood circulation of the head. Therefore, long-term use of buckwheat shell pillow can not only dispel brain fire, clear heart and improve eyesight, but also significantly improve insomnia, migraine and cervical spondylosis. In addition, buckwheat pillow also has the advantages of warm in winter and cool in summer, no pollution and odor, clean and dry, and environmental protection.

But buckwheat pillow is good, but it can't be used everywhere. Some people have allergic symptoms after using buckwheat pillows, and itchy and painful red pimples appear on their necks and foreheads. This is because the air humidity is high in summer, and buckwheat pillows are more likely to breed bacteria and cause mite allergy than ordinary pillows. Therefore, children, allergic people, asthma patients and the elderly with urticaria should use buckwheat pillows with caution.

Buckwheat pillow has a certain health care function, but don't exaggerate the facts. We should choose a suitable pillow according to our actual situation.

This work is the original of "Popular Science China-A Brief Introduction to Scientific Principles", please indicate the source for reprinting.