Barley and its Benefits

This morning as I was mixing my 10 month olds oatmeal, i was about a tablespoon short of the amount needed. I looked in the pantry to see what other box we had on hand, and it turned out to be Barley. I thought this would be a good opportunity to present the health benefits of barley and why it is such a common choice for infant nutrition.

Barley has been used for human consumption for the longest time. This is not only because it adds a unique delightful flavor to dishes, but because it adds nutritional value to the food we eat.


Health Benefits of Barley
Intake of barley is very likely to help you maintain your overall health in the long term. These whole grains are rich in protein, vitamins, minerals and amino acids essential for our health. More importantly, barley is one of the richest sources of both soluble and insoluble fiber.

Insoluble fiber aids in proper excretion of waste products in the body, while soluble fiber (known as beta glucan) mixes with liquid, binds to fatty substances and allows them to leave the body. Barley is also seen to be rich in tocotrienols, which is an antioxidant which helps lessen risk for contracting heart disease and cholesterol problems.


Wheat and Barley
The health benefits of wheat and barley are very comparable, and some claim that they are one and the same. However, barley is rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber, while wheat is only rich in the latter. While both can help prevent "roughage" during excretion, barley also helps promote general heart health.

All forms of barley contains almost all vitamins, minerals, amino acids and fiber that your body needs. However, the value of barley nutrition and its effect on your health depends largely on the type of barley that you consume.



Kinds of Barley

Barley nutrition today comes in all forms possible. The grain, the leaves and the extract of barley are all used as food sources. Here are some of the most widely used forms of barley nutrition:


•Hulled barley. Barley in its hulled form contains the most amount of nutrients. However, hulled barley takes a lot more time to soak when used with usual dishes.



•Barley Grass. Barley grass, most especially on the young leaves, are excellent sources of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants. Though it does not contain as much dietary fiber as can be found in barley grains, it contains chlorophyll which can help detoxify your body from harmful toxins.



•Barley Green Powder. Due to the superior medicinal benefits of barley, many companies now produce barley powder which are made from pure barley grass. Most of them have delightful flavors and superior solubility that people take them as barley juice.



•Barley Flour. Flour made from barley can be used as substitute for wheat flour or even cake flour. The flour that is produced from whole barley is a lot more nutritious than flour from pearl barley mainly because the bran in the former is still left intact.



•Barley Water. The main claimed benefit of barley water is in supporting the kidneys especially in times of stress. It is also used as a therapeutic water for those who have kidney and bladder ailments.


•Pearl Barley. Pearl barley is what you can find in groceries. These are hulled barley which have been processed to remove the bran.


As you can see, barley nutrition comes in all forms, so it is easier for us to take advantage of its nutritional benefits.