During the latter part of the Stone Age, early man was sprinkling grains of barley over various foods, adding a chewy, nutty quality to his meals. Humans had not yet discovered how to grind grain into flour.
Ancient cultures were forming loaves of barley bread long before domesticating wheat. Since barley contains only miniscule quantities of gluten, the protein that makes wheat breads rise easily, the breads made from this grain were heavy and quite dense but nutritious nonetheless.
Barley, one of the first crops cultivated by man, has been used as a food and medication since biblical times. More flavorful and chewy than white rice, although not as strongly flavored as brown rice, this versatile grain deserves a place in the kitchen of the health-oriented cook. Like oats, barley is an excellent source of soluble fiber, and so can be effective in lowering cholesterol levels. Hulled barley, the form of the grain in which the bran is left intact, is exceptionally nutritious, especially in terms of thiamin and dietary fiber. In its most commonly eaten form, known as pearled barley, the bran is removed and the grain has less iron, manganese, phosphorus, and thiamin. Still, it's a highly nutritious and tasty food.
Although barley is a major food crop in many parts of the world, in the UK it is used mainly to make beer, whiskey and malted drinks.
Whole barley grains, pot barley and pearl barley can be added to soups or stews. Barley flakes are often added to muesli and other breakfast cereal mixes.
Barley provides useful amounts of the minerals copper, phosphorus and zinc. Barley is rich in fibre, particularly the soluble fibres beta glucan and pectin - the type that can help lower high blood cholesterol
Barley's been feeding humans for millennia, though it fell out of favor during the last one as people came to see it as low-brow peasant fare. It's most often used in soups and stews, where it serves as both a puffy grain and a thickener, but it also makes a nice side dish or salad. At most markets, you'll have to choose between two types of barley. Hulled barley is the most nutritious, since only the tough outer hulls are polished off. Pearl barley is polished some more, so that the outer bran layer is also scrubbed off. It's less nutritious, but more popular since it's not as chewy as hulled barley and it cooks faster.
Varieties:
barley flakes = rolled barley = flaked barley Notes: To make this, barley kernels are sliced, then rolled flat into flakes. Like rolled oats, rolled barley is usually served as a hot cereal. It takes about 30 minutes to cook. Substitutes: rolled oats OR other rolled grains
barley grits Notes: These are barley kernels that have been toasted, and then cracked into smaller pieces in order to speed up the cooking time. They're a bit hard to find. Substitutes: buckwheat grits OR hominy grits
black barley = Ethiopian black barley Notes: This is similar to pearl barley, only it has a black exterior. Substitutes: pearl barley
hato mugi = pressed barley = Job's tears Notes: Look for these large, pressed barley kernels in Asian markets. Substitutes: pearl barley (slightly smaller)
hulled barley = barley groats Notes: This is the least processed form of barley, with just the outermost hull removed. While it's chewier and slower to cook than more processed forms of barley, it's rich in fiber and really good for you. Look for it in health food stores. Substitutes: pot barley (less nutritious, better flavor and texture) OR pearl barley (even less nutritious, even better flavor and texture; smaller, cooks more quickly) OR barley grits (takes less time to cook) OR whole white buckwheat groats
pearl barley = pearled barley Notes: This is the most common form of barley, but not the most nutritious. While hulled barley loses only the thick outer hull in the milling process, pearl barley is stripped of the nutritious bran layer as well, leaving just the "pearl" inside. Despite this, it's still fairly nutritious. It takes about an hour to cook. Substitutes: hato mugi (slightly larger grains) OR arborio rice (not as chewy) OR orzo OR buckwheat groats (Works well in pilafs.)
pot barley = Scotch barley Notes: This isn't as heavily processed as pearl barley, in that the endosperm is left intact, along with the inner pearl of the kernel. It takes about an hour to cook. Look for it in health food stores. Substitutes: pearl barley (Lacks endosperm, takes less time to cook.) OR hulled barley (more nutritious, gritty texture)
pressed barley See hato mugi.
quick-cooking barley Notes: This is similar to pearl barley in taste and nutrients, but it only takes about 10 minutes to cook since it's been pre-steamed. It's often served either hot as a side dish or cold in a salad. Substitutes: pearled barley
sprouting barley Notes: This is unrefined barley, used for making barley sprouts. Don't try to cook with it--it's got a very thick hull.
Varieties:
Barley is sold in several forms. Most of the barley eaten in the U.S. has been milled to remove the bran. It is possible, however, to find less-refined forms, mostly at health-food stores.
Flakes (flaked barley): Like the rolled oats they resemble, barley flakes are grains that have been flattened.
Grits: More similar to bulgur than to corn (hominy) grits, these barley grains have been toasted and cracked into small pieces.
Hulled barley: This form of barley is not as widely available as the other types, but its superior nutrient content makes it worth seeking out (try a health-food store). Because only the outer, inedible hull, and not the bran, is removed, hulled barley is rich in dietary fiber. It also contains more iron and trace minerals than pearled barley--and more than four times the thiamin. The grains are brown, and they take longer to cook than pearled barley.
Pearled (pearl) barley: To produce these uniform, ivory-colored granules, the barley grains are scoured six times during milling to completely remove their double outer hull (called the spikelet) and their bran layer. Unfortunately, as with white rice, this process also removes nutrients. The thorough milling, however, shortens the grain's cooking time considerably.
Quick barley: An instant form of pearled barley, this cooks even faster because it is precooked by steaming. It is no less nutritious than regular pearled barley.
Pot barley (Scotch barley): A less-refined version than pearled, pot barley is milled just three times, so that part of the bran layer remains. Although some supermarkets carry this form, it is more likely to be found in health-food stores.
Barley Nutrition and Phytochemicals:
Nutritional data for cooked barley is quite encouraging and just may inspire you to dash off to the market to buy some.
One cup (237 ml) of cooked pearled barley contains 193 calories, while the whole-grain (hulled) form contains 270 calories and contains as much protein as a cup (237 ml) of milk.
The protein content for pearled is 4 grams; the whole-grain has 7 grams. The pearled carries 44 grams of carbohydrates; the whole-grain has 59 grams.
Weighing in on the dietary fiber, pearled barley has 9 grams while the whole-grain ranks higher with 14 grams. Barley is an excellent source of soluble fiber helpful in lowering cholesterol and in preventing constipation.
The all-important minerals calcium, potassium, and phosphorous also find higher figures in the whole grain variety. The pearled form has 17 mg calcium, the whole-grain 26 mg. Phosphorous scores for the pearled barley show 85 mg with the whole-grain at 230 mg. Potassium content for the pearled form is 246 mg while the whole grain has 230 mg.
The difference is quite apparent. The whole-grain form rates higher in almost every nutrient comparison with the exception of sodium, thiamin, and niacin, where the pearled form is slightly higher. The only nutrients lacking in barley are vitamin C and vitamin B12.
100g boiled pearl barley would provide:
6% RDA Vitamin B6
12% RDA Copper
10% RDA Zinc
15% RDA Phosphorus
Pot barley, also known as Scotch barley, has the outer husk and some of the bran removed. It requires overnight soaking, followed by 2-3hours cooking to make it tender.
Pearl barley - to make pearl barley the outer husk bran (and therefore many of the vitamins and minerals) are removed and grain is steamed, rounded and polished.
Barley flakes - to make barley flakes the grains are pressed and flattened.
Barley Brief History:
The use of hardy Barley grain dates to the Stone Age; barley is possibly the oldest grain in the world. Adaptable and strong, it¡¯s able to grow on both frigid mountaintops and in blistering desert heat. Though barley has been used as a staple grain for millions of years, most of the barley now grown in Western countries is used for animal feed or to make beer and whiskey.
Barley grows in a wider variety of climatic conditions than any other cereal. It used to be a very important source of direct human food, but its use has diminished over the last 250 years, replaced by wheat, and it is now used almost exclusively as animal feed or for making beer and whisky. It contains gluten, so barley flour can be made into bread. More usually found in the shops as whole or pot barley, or polished pearl barley, it is also possible to buy barley flakes or kernels. The whole barley is more nutritious with 100g providing 10.5g protein, 2.1g fat, 69.3g carbohydrate, 4g fibre, 50mg folic acid, 6mg iron and 50mg calcium. It can be cooked on its own (1:3 parts water for 45-60 minutes) as a pleasant alternative to rice, pasta or potatoes, or added to stews. Malt extract is made from sprouted barley grains.
Archaeological evidence has shown that approximately 10,000 years ago in the "Fertile Crescent" barley (Hordeum vulgare) was probably the first domesticated cereal crop. Initially the grain was ground into a paste to make porridge or toasted as flat bread on hot stones. The moist barley paste was susceptible to fermentation, which was a prelude to leavened bread and beer making. Many of these porridges, breads, and fermented beverages were common in the diets of ancient Egyptians and Greeks.
During the latter part of the Stone Age, early man was sprinkling grains of barley over various foods, adding a chewy, nutty quality to his meals. Humans had not yet discovered how to grind grain into flour.
Ancient cultures were forming loaves of barley bread long before domesticating wheat. Since barley contains only miniscule quantities of gluten, the protein that makes wheat breads rise easily, the breads made from this grain were heavy and quite dense but nutritious nonetheless.
Our cultivated barley of today was once a wild grass that originated in the Near East, though some food historians believe China was the place of origin, while others say it was Ethiopia. Archeologists discovered remnants of wild barley, H. spontaneum, at many sites across a belt that stretches from North Africa on the west to Turkey, Iran, and Afghanistan in the east.
Wild barley has a unique feature that guarantees self-propagation. When the seeds are fully matured, they become so loosely attached they simply fall from the spike that holds them during growth. Cultivated barley, in contrast, remains firmly attached and must be harvested. About the sixth century BCE cultivation of barley led to the development of barley seeds that clung firmly to their stalk.
Before cultivation, the early forms of barley were 6-rowed. With cultivation 2-rowed barley became the norm, a feature that has been carried up to the present. The original 6-rowed variety of barley appears on many ancient coins and wall paintings.
The earliest archeological site where uncultivated grains of barley were discovered is at Tel Mureybat in Syria, a place that dates back to 8,000 BCE. The earliest form of uncultivated wheat was also found at this site, though it is evident by the quantity found that barley was the most popular grain at that time. Grains were also discovered at various archeological sites in Mesopotamia, Palestine, and Asia Minor. Those areas, too, showed a preference for barley over wheat.
Egyptian hieroglyphics dating back to 5,000 BCE mention barley's importance to sustenance, while the Sumerians note the use of barley for measurement and as a form of money on their cuneiforms dating back 3,500 BCE. In the Code of Hammurabi, 1750 BCE, the Babylonians employed barley as simple monetary exchange.
About that same period in the Indus Valley, a region that includes Northern India, Pakistan, and Southwestern Tibet, a Vedic writing mentions barley and rice as "two immortal sons of heaven." The Babylonians created the oldest known recipe for making barley wine and inscribed the directions in a cross-shaped form on a library brick dating back to 2,800 BCE.
Barley journeyed into China before wheat. The Chinese in the northern part of the country had a preference for millet, though barley appeared often at their meals cooked in broth, consumed as flat breads, and even eaten instead of rice. The Emperor Shen Nung placed a high value on barley when he mentioned it as one of the five sacred cultivated plants of China in his writings dated 2,800 BCE. The other sacred plants he revered were rice, wheat, millet, and soybeans.
Recovered shards of Chinese pottery from the Hsia Dynasty dating back about 1520 BCE demonstrate barley's value by depicting the hulled grains falling from the sky into a peasant farmer's rice bowl. These ancient Chinese farmers revealed a kinship to the heavy-bearded variety of barley by declaring it as a symbol of male potency.
Before barley was cultivated in China, nomadic peasant families followed the path of wild barley as mature spikes were about to open. They set up tents right on the fields to catch the precious falling seeds before a hearty gust of wind could carry them away.
Since barley was the major grain of the Egyptians as well as the Hebrews it is not surprising that barley should be mentioned in the bible. Exodus I of the Old Testament tells of a pounding rain of hailstones "by which the barley was smitten," one of the ten plagues brought on the Egyptians.
The Bible mentions barley frequently. Ezekiel paid penance to God by eating a diet relying on barley. When three angels came to visit Abraham, he offered them barley bread. Ruth was gathering barley from the field when Boaz first saw her. Joab's fields of barley were set afire when Absalom ordered his servants to burn Joab's grain. From the New Testament in the miracle of the loaves and the fishes, the five loaves of bread that Christ fed to five thousand people were made of barley.
To many Egyptian workers barley meant sustenance. The enslaved people who built the pyramids endured intense desert heat, heavy labor lifting huge stones, and dawn to dusk hours on a spartan diet. Their meals consisted of a mere three loaves of barley bread a day and an allotment of beer--made from barley, of course.
Before the Common Era, barley carried a great deal of importance since it was the major staple grain throughout the entire Near East, Egypt and Greece. Spain was introduced to this grain in the fifth century BCE before travelers brought it to France and Germany. Historians believe barley reached Britain about 500 BCE, southern India about 300 BCE, and southern China in 200 BCE.
In ancient Greece, Turkey, Syria, and Egypt barley was frequently served in the form of porridge or unleavened bread. These ancient civilizations also developed the art of malting barley for making beer.
As the Common Era was approaching, barley began to lose favor in Rome and Greece. Cooks of that period learned that bread making with wheat could offer a superior loaf that was lighter, more flavorful, and was able to keep longer. Barley contains so little gluten, the protein that gives bread its ability to rise, that breads were extremely dense and heavy. Gluten also helps breads retain moisture, a quality lacking in barley, causing barley breads to become stale rather quickly. Barley, however, still remained the grain of the poor, while the rich were breaking bread with wheat.
No longer in existence, Eleusis, an ancient town in Greece, rewarded game winners with sacks of barley. Barley mush was selected for training the athletes because the Greeks considered it more strengthening than other grains. In Rome the gladiators, often called hordearii or "barley men," were consuming a staple diet that relied on barley.
During the Common Era and up until the sixteenth century, European aristocracy developed a resourceful use for barley. They only used the barley bread as "trenchers," an Old English word for plates. While the aristocracy derided barley, the French peasants of this period were thriving on barley bread and bean soup. John Locke, a British philosopher, noted that in France "there was no flesh in the countryside. "
In North America, Massachusetts grew its first crop of barley in 1602. The pilgrims planted the barley seeds they brought with them but had little success; however, the grain found the climate in Pennsylvania more favorable. The Pennsylvanians then added limestone water to the barley and created something they considered much more interesting and more enjoyable than bread. With a little barley sprouting, a little fermenting, and a little distilling, their end product was whiskey. Since wheat and corn were plentiful in North America, barley was never used for baking bread. It gained its popularity as an important ingredient for making beer.
While wheat was coming into popular use during the 18th and 19th centuries in Britain, barley was still favored in the more remote areas of the north and west. As wheat became more affordable throughout Europe, and the average person discovered its merits in bread making, barley was relegated as fodder for the animals.
Barley malt, used as a sweetener, originated in China.Today, the grain is highly valued in Tibet and surrounding areas of the Himalayas for its ability to grow successfully in those high altitudes where weather conditions are extreme.
Barley will grow in many areas of the world where wheat will not thrive. Because barley is so adaptable to a variety of soils and can even grow in soil high in salinity, such as along the Zuyder Zee in Holland, that it remains a popular grain in diverse areas like Tibet, northern Germany, Finland, Israel, the Italian Alps, the Sahara, and Ethiopia.
At present, barley is the world's fourth most important crop and an important staple in many countries. Though the U.S. is the third largest producer of barley, only a small portion reaches the dinner tables. Most of it is sold to farmers for animal feed, while the remainder goes to the production of barley malt for making beer.
In contrast to barley's importance as a food grain in the ancient world, it is now grown in the United States mainly for animal fodder. The animals receive the healthiest of barley's by-products: hay, straw, green fodder, bran and pearlings (the outer layers of the barley that are removed to create pearl barley), barley malt sprouts, the grains that are left after brewers and distillers finish their process, and the hops and yeast left over after brewing beer.
Barley Keeps You Healthy:Health benefits and concerns:
Prevents constipation:
What do Spartacus and Budweiser have in common? Barley - the hearty grain that gladiators ate to give them strength and that breweries use to make beer.
Barley's popularity and status as a health food goes back thousands of years. Greeks cultivated it as long ago as 7000 B.C., and ancient Chinese, Egyptians, and Romans made it an important part of their diet. People also used barley to treat boils, stomach disorders and urinary tract infections.
Today, barley crops up mostly in soups, cereal, beer and animal feed. But its ability to fight heart disease, cancer, and diabetes should earn it a more prominent place in your diet. After all, barley practically overflows with fiber and contains key minerals like potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and iron.
Loading up on soups and cereal made with barley is not the only way to get more of this great grain. Next time you are baking, try sifting some barley flour into the mixing bowl. Or add some barley to your rice to create a more fiber-rich meal. Think of it as entering the arena to battle the enemies of good health.
Celiac disease:
Celiac disease (also called gluten-induced enteropathy) is an intestinal disorder caused by intolerance to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. While oats contain a substance similar to gluten, modern research has found that eating moderate amounts of oats does not appear to cause problems for people with celiac disease. In one of these reports, approximately 95 percent of people with celiac disease tolerated 50 grams of oats per day for up to 12 months. Strict avoidance of wheat, barley, and rye usually results in an improvement in gastrointestinal symptoms within a few weeks, although in some cases improvement may take many months.
Tests of absorptive function usually improve after a few months on a gluten-free diet. Celiac disease is associated with various degrees of osteoporosis and bone mineral loss. Long-term adherence to a gluten-free diet ensures normal bone density and is an important preventive measure in young people with celiac disease.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS):
Limited research has suggested that fiber may help people with IBS. However, most studies have found that IBS sufferers do not benefit by adding wheat bran to their diets and some feel worse as a result of wheat bran supplementation. It has been suggested that the lack of positive response to wheat bran may result from wheat sensitivity, which is one of the most common triggers for food sensitivity in people with IBS. Rye, brown rice, oatmeal, barley, vegetables, and psyllium husk, all good sources of fiber, are less likely to trigger food sensitivities than is wheat bran. However, except for psyllium, little is known about the effects of these other fibers in people with IBS.
Psoriasis:
Anecdotal evidence suggests that people with psoriasis may improve on a hypoallergenic diet. Three trials have reported that eliminating gluten (found in wheat, rye, and barley) improved psoriasis for some people. A doctor can help people with psoriasis determine whether gluten or other foods are contributing to their skin condition.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA):
In one trial lasting 14 weeks, a pure vegetarian, gluten-free (no wheat, rye, or barley) diet was gradually changed to permit dairy, leading to improvement in both symptoms and objective laboratory measures of disease.
Conquers Cholesterol:Lowers cholesterol
Behind every healthy food, there is a healthy ingredient. In the case of barley, the behind-the-scenes dynamo is a form of soluble fiber called beta-glucan. Powered by beta-blucan, time and time again, barley has shown it can lower cholesterol. And remember when you cut artery-clogging cholesterol, you also cut your risk of heart disease. Even in forms as various as barley flour, oil, muesli, or pasta the results are the same.
As food travels through your body, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles carry cholesterol to cells, where it can do damage. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles pick up the cholesterol and whisk it to your liver, which converts it to bile and gets rid of it. This process is called "reverse cholesterol transport".
Beta-glucan is sticky; therefore, it slows down the movement of food through your stomach and small intestine. That gives the HDL particles more time to pick up cholesterol, reducing the chances it will be absorbed later. It slows down lipid absorption and gives more time for reverse cholesterol transport to happen.
Beta-glucan is a complex sugar derived from the cell wall of oat and barley fiber. Beta-glucan is the key factor for the cholesterol-lowering effect of oat bran. As with other soluble-fiber components, the binding of cholesterol (and bile acids) by beta-glucan and the resulting elimination of these molecules in the feces are very helpful for reducing blood cholesterol.
Balances Out Blood Pressure:Controls blood pressure
This healthy grain contains potassium, a mineral that keeps your blood pressure in control. Along with fiber and magnesium - also in barley - potassium may lower your chance of stroke. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently decided to allow foods meeting specific requirements for potassium, sodium, fat and cholesterol to advertise they reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke. You may see a claim like this on your next package of barley.
Manages Weight:
Obesity seriously raises your risk for a variety of health problems, including heart disease. But the fiber in barley can help you lose weight. Here is how:A certain hormone in your gut, cholecystokinin (CCK) is associated with feelings of fullness. When people eat a low fat diet, their CCK levels go up, then back down to normal, or fasting, level. When they eat barley, their CCK still goes up after the meal, but it never makes it all the way back down to fasting level. That means you will probably feel more full after a barely meal. And if you feel full, you are less likely to overeat and put on unwanted pounds.
Curbs Colon Cancer:Combats cancer
When it comes to roller coasters, bigger and faster means better. If you want to protect yourself against colon cancer, start thinking this way about your stool.
It is the fiber in barley that may give you this protection. It adds bulk to your stool and hurries it through your large intestine. In fact, a study at the Texas A&M University showed that eating barley bran flour increased stool weight by almost 50 grams and slashed transit time by eight hours.
Do not get confused! Barley does slow food down in your stomach and small intestine - which helps out with cholesterol levels. But foods normally spend ten times longer in your large intestine, which absorbs cancer-causing agents. That means a bulkier, faster-moving stool is less likely to hang around and cause trouble.
In addition, barley might battle colon cancer by changing the tiny organisms in your large bowel. When these organisms react with beta-glucan, they might produce compounds that protect your colon tissue.
Take note, that by itself; any one of these proposed mechanisms is not enough to prove a relation between fiber and cancer. It could be, in fact, multiple factors coming together. But you need this stuff for a healthy gut. Do not forget, in trying to prevent disease, you are trying to keep your gut healthy as well.
Defeats Diabetes:Battles diabetes
Because of barley's effect on cholesterol and other heart concerns, you might have guessed it would be a good food for diabetics. Experts specifically recommend a high-fiber diet with both soluble and cereal fiber. Barley fits the bill.
Pantry Pointers:
Barley may be a great source of fiber, but not all forms have the same amount. With over 31 grams of fiber per cup, whole-grain barley offers you the most protection. Pearl barley, the most common form, is more refined - meaning some of the nutrients are removed. One cup of cooked pearl barley contains around five grams of fiber. That is almost one-fifth the amount experts' say you need every day. Barley flour or meal, on the other hand, contains almost 15 grams of fiber per cup.
Other variables include coarsely ground Scotch barley and barley grits. Like whole-grain barley, you will find these in most health food stores.
Few Cheers for Beers:
If you are looking to reap the benefits of barley by drinking beer, look elsewhere. It is true breweries use barley, but they remove most of the beta-glucan so the sticky stuff does not gum up the machines. Therefore, you are not going to get fiber from a frosty mug of beer. (sorry!)
You might gain some health benefits, though. One recent study in the British Medical Journal states that men who drink a moderate amount of beer daily are less likely to have a heart attack than those who never drink. However, the heart attack odds skyrocketed if they drink twice a day or more.
Bottom line: If you do not drink beer, it is not worth taking up the habit. But if you already drink, limit yourself to about one beer per day.
Suggestions and Administrations:
Who is this for? Uses:
For medical use, whole barley seeds -- and cereals and flour made from them -- are being investigated for treating diabetes, high cholesterol, and obesity. Some evidence from separate studies involving laboratory animals and humans suggests that barley seed products in the diet may improve blood sugar levels in individuals with diabetes -- possibly because the fiber in barley seeds delays stomach emptying and slows down the absorption of carbohydrates from foods. Like oatmeal, barley seeds contain fiber that dissolves in water and fiber that does not dissolve. Both types that may help to lower cholesterol. In clinical studies, many participants who ate barley or bakery made with barley showed reductions in their total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL, the "bad" cholesterol), or triglyceride levels as compared to participants who ate products made with wheat flour. The positive results from some studies were erratic, however, with some participants showing much different results
than others on the same diet. In addition, barley seed fiber may help individuals lose weight by creating a feeling of fullness that persists because the fiber swells and stomach contents stay in the stomach longer. Barley seeds may also protect against colon cancer. Generally, the fiber in barley seeds has been shown to help prevent colon cancer in laboratory animals. Further studies are needed to prove all of these possible uses for barley.
After beer is brewed, the leftover barley (commonly known as brewer's spent grain) may be used for animal feed. It may also be allowed to sprout, producing a product called germinated barley foodstuff (GBF), which contains more protein than unsprouted barley. GBF also has high amounts of insoluble fiber. In several studies of humans, GBF has helped to relieve diarrhea, inflammation, pain, and other symptoms associated with gastrointestinal conditions such as ulcerative colitis.
Usually called barley grass, the leaves and leaf juice of the barley plant also appear to lower blood cholesterol levels. A small study conducted in China showed that taking barley grass decreased LDL in patients with type 2 diabetes. In addition, chemicals in barley grass may delay or prevent the development of blood vessel damage that can be caused by diabetes. It also contains large amounts of several B vitamins, beta carotene, folic acid, and calcium -- making it a good source of nutrients.
When should I be careful taking it?
Individuals who have celiac disease should avoid barley seeds, cereals, and flour because they contain gluten. Barley grass is not believed to contain gluten, but individuals with any stomach or intestinal disease are advised to use it with caution and to stop taking it if problems develop.
Precautions:
A few cases have been reported of allergic reactions or asthma among individuals who were exposed to dust from processing barley seeds or grass.
Individuals with diabetes should watch their blood sugar levels carefully, if barley is eaten in significant amounts or if it is taken as a dietary supplement. Hypoglycemia (blood sugar that is too low) may occur. Symptoms of low blood sugar include shakiness, sweating, confusion, distorted speech, and loss of muscle control. If not corrected, low blood sugar can lead to unconsciousness and even death.
A Word of Caution:
If you have celiac sprue disease, stay away from barley. Like most grains, barley contains gluten, a mixture of proteins that can damage the lining of your intestines. Beware, too, if you suffer from a gluten food allergy, in which case barley could cause craps, diarrhea, and other problems.
New research also suggests that barley and other foods rich in lectins, a type of plant protein, could increase the risk for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in people whose genes make them susceptible to this disease. The theory is the lectins spur your immune system to attack your body's own joints, leading to inflammation. If you already suffer from RA, try eliminating cereal grains like barley, oats and wheat from your diet. Your symptoms may improve.
What interactions? In theory, taking fiber of the kind found in barley seed products could block the absorption of other substances that are taken at the same time. If you take barley seed products, do not take foods, drugs, or other dietary supplements within 2 hours.
Interactions with Prescription Drugs: Due to a potential ability to lower blood sugar levels, large amounts of barley seed products may interfere with insulin and oral drugs for diabetes, such as:
Actos,Amaryl,Avandia
glipizide (Glucotrol XL),glyburide (Glynase),Glyset
metformin (Glucophage),Prandin,Precose
Barley seeds contain a chemical known as hordenine, which may stimulate parts of the nervous system. If hordenine is taken with prescription drugs that also cause nervous system stimulation, the risk of side effects such as anxiety, dizziness, fast heart beat, headache, insomnia, nausea, and restlessness may increase. Prescription drugs that may interact with hordenine include:
Alpha blockers such as doxazosin and terazosin
Asthma drugs such as albuterol and metaproterenol
Beta blockers such as metoprolol and propranolol
Interactions with Non-prescription Drugs:
Non-prescription cough and cold remedies often contain pseudoephedrine (PSE) or phenylepherine, drugs which may increase the risk of side effects such as anxiety, dizziness, fast heart beat, headache, insomnia, nausea, and restlessness when they are taken with large amounts of barley seed products.
Interactions with Herbal Products:
Because barley seed products may decrease blood sugar levels, taking them with other blood sugar-lowering herbal products may result in hypoglycemia -- blood sugar that is too low. Herbals that may reduce blood sugar include:
Eleuthero,Fenugreek,Ginger (in high amounts),Kudzu,Panax ginseng
No interactions between barley grass and prescription drugs, non-prescription drugs, other herbal products, or foods have been reported. However, not all potential interactions may be known. If you experience unexpected effects while taking barley grass with a drug or another dietary supplement, stop taking the barley grass and discuss the effects with your doctor or pharmacist.
Should I take it?
Both the leaves and the seeds of the barley plant have been used as food and medicine for humans. They are also used widely in animal feeds. For centuries, barley seeds (also called kernels or pearls) have been cooked as a grain similar to oats or rice. A source for the B vitamins, vitamin E, and folic acid, barley seeds are also ground into flour for baking or processed for use as a cereal. A sweetener known as malt sugar may be made from them and another barley derivative -- malt extract -- has been used as a laxative. In western countries, the main current use of barley is for making beer, but in other parts of the world, it is a primary grain for food. In Asia, barley seeds may be fermented and added to soybeans, salt, and seaweed to make one type of miso, a common flavoring agent for foods.
The leaves of barley plants are usually called barley grass because they are long and narrow like grass. During the first part of the 20th century, the juice of barley grass was discovered to be rich in vitamins and minerals. Barley grass is used as a food source in some parts of Asia and it is available for food supplementation as both a juice and a powder that can be added to foods or taken as capsules.
Dosage and Administration
No dosage recommendations are available in scientific literature for barley seeds or barley grass. When used as a food, barley appears to be safe even in large quantities.
Summary: Barley seeds are used for human and animal food. The fiber contained in barley may also have a lowering effect on blood sugar and blood cholesterol levels. While the leaves of the barley plant may also lower cholesterol, they are more often used as a nutritional supplement because they contain a relatively high amount of vitamins.
Risks: Because they contain gluten, barley seeds should be avoided by individuals with celiac disease.
Side Effects: No side effects have been attributed to the use of barley seeds or barley grass.No side effects have been reported from eating barley seeds, flour, or cereal or from taking barley grass juice or powder.
Interactions: Due to a possible lowering of blood sugar, taking barley may increase the effects with drugs or herbs that also reduce blood sugar levels. It may increase the chance of anxiety and other nervous system side effects when it is taken with certain drugs for asthma and heart conditions. Because barley fiber may stay in the stomach, it may block the absorption of drugs and nutrients.
Scientific References:
1.Barley:a legacy from the Stone Age?
Claims & Warning:
Claims: Information this web site presented is meant for Nutritional Benefit and as an educational starting point only, for use in maintenance and promotion good health in cooperation with a common knowledge base reference...Furthermore,it based solely on the traditional and historic use or legend of a given herb from the garden of Adonis. Although every effort has been made to ensure its accurate, please note that some info may be outdated by more recent scientific developments......
Pharmakon Warning: The order of knowledge is not the transparent order of forms and ideas,as one might be tempted retrospectively to interpret it; it is the antidote....(Dissemination,Plato's Pharmacy,II.The Ingredients:Phantasms,Festivals,and Paints;138cf. Jacques Derrida.).
And as it happens,the technique of imitation,along with the production of the simulacrum,has always been in Plato's eyes manifestly magical,thaumaturgical:......and the same things appear bent and straight to those who view them in water and out,or concave and convex,owing to similar errors of vision about colors, and there is obviously every confusion of this sort in our souls.And so scene painting (skiagraphia) in its exploitation of this weakness of four nature falls nothing short of witchcraft (thaumatopoia), and so do jugglery and many other such contrivances.(Republic X,602c-d;cf.also 607c).
Screen Size 1024x768.]
[Scene Close]
MDidea Extracts Professional
Proper Special Extract Series:
Enjoy Daily Cartoons:
Serie No.:P037.Basic Data Sheet Download
.
seminal trace...Barley Extract.5:1.Scotch Barley,Whole barley,Barley Grass,Hordeum vulgare...
Basic Botanical Info:
Barley and its descriptions:
Interactions with Prescription Drugs: Due to a potential ability to lower blood sugar levels, large amounts of barley seed products may interfere with insulin and oral drugs for diabetes, such as:
Scientific References:
Claims & Warning:
