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Super Foods that Heal - BARLEY Nutritional and health benefits of Barley
For many centuries humans have used the barley plant (both the seeds and leaves) as food and medicine. A source for B vitamins, vitamin E, and folic acid, barley seeds are also ground into flour for baking or processed for use as a cereal. Malt sugar, another common derivative of barley is made and used as a natural laxative. Many people associate barley with the making beer, but in other parts of the world it is a primary grain for food. In Asia, barley seeds are fermented and added to soybeans, salt, and seaweed for flavoring food. For medical use barley is being researched for it ability to treat diabetes, high cholesterol, and obesity. Some evidence 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 both soluble and insoluble types of fiber that may help to lower cholesterol. Studies have shown that individuals with barley in their diet experienced reductions in their total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL, the "bad" cholesterol), and triglyceride levels. Additionally, barley may assist in weight loss in that it acts as an appetite suppresent making people feel like they have eaten more than they really have. Barley seeds may also protect against colon cancer. - Fibre - Barley is a good source of both soluble and insoluble fibre. At a time when consumers are being encouraged to increase fibre and grain intake, barley foods or barley components added to other foods are a useful way to meet nutritional goals.
- One of the theories for the hypocholesterolemic effect is that the soluble fibre becomes viscous in the intestinal tract, thus interfering with the absorption of dietary cholesterol and fat.
- Tocotrienols - Barley has high concentrations of tocotrienols, compounds which act as antioxidants, and are capable of reducing serum LDL-cholesterol (one of the risk factors in cardiovascular disease). Tocotrienols act by repressing the activity of the first rate-limiting enzyme (HMG-CoA Reductase) in the liver, thus reducing cholesterol synthesis.
- Beta-glucan - Beta-glucans are carbohydrates distributed throughout the grain, with slightly higher concentrations in the outer layers of the kernel. "Waxy" barley varieties are higher in beta-glucans than other barleys. High beta-glucan levels in the waxy barley was believed to be one of the reasons for the improved blood glucose and lipid levels among diabetics in the clinical trial at the University of Alberta.
Barley is available in many forms: flour, flakes, and pot and pearl barley. It is easily added to the diet by baking with it, adding it to casseroles and soups, and using in porridge. It is an extremely versatile grain.
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