Health Benefits Of Barley

9 Health Benefits Of Barley:

Barley is grown widely across the world. It’s used as a vital component of different health foods and animal fodder as well. It is also used in soups and stews and barley bread in lots of cultures. The nutritional value of barley is immense. Plus, this centuries-old grain consists of important vitamins, fiber, and minerals. Particularly, it’s rich in iron, vitamin B-complex, calcium, manganese, magnesium, selenium, zinc, protein, copper, amino acids, beta-glucans, dietary fiber, and various antioxidants as well. The health benefits of barley are several. Here’re some of the main reasons why one has to add barley to the diet.

1. Helps You Reduce Weight

Frankly speaking, excessive body weight often increases the risks of heart attack, stroke, gout, diabetes, gallstones and cancer as well. Besides, being overweight can result in different physical disorders including skin irritation, breathing problems and joint pains and lower back that can eliminate mobility and cripple you too. Luckily, barley has the capacity to reduce weight thanks to its insoluble fiber content. When combined with water, the insoluble fiber expands in your stomach and makes you feel full for a longer time. You can use barley soup or water to help you to lose weight soon.

2. Prevents Diabetes

The modern sedentary lifestyle and lack of physical activity are one of the initial causes of diabetes. It’s a harmful disease, which can increase the risk of heart attack, eye damage, and kidney failure too. The health benefits of barley for diabetes are effective and well known as well.  Barley does not lead to the levels of blood sugar to spike suddenly because it contains a low glycemic index. In addition, its insoluble fiber also helps to curb blood sugar level. According to researchers, the diabetic patients should eat boiled barley instead of rice. Therefore, including barley in the diet together with daily workouts to reduce fat may have a positive impact on diabetes.

3. Prevents Gall Stones

Generally, gallstones are small solid substance pieces forming in the gallbladder. Obesity, estrogen, genetics, cholesterol drugs, diabetes, age, and gender are some of the risk causes of getting gallstones. Several symptoms of gallstones include pain in the upper back and upper abdomen, nausea, vomiting, bloating, gas, heartburn, and indigestion. Consuming barley helps to prevent gallstones due to its insoluble fiber content, according to scientists. Insoluble fiber helps to move the food fast through the small intestines & reduces the secretion of bile acids, which make it a great property for the digestive system.

4. Enhances Cardiovascular Health

Barley is a healthy food for heart health. Regular consumption of barley powder is effective to decrease the chance of heart diseases by reducing the absorbed cholesterol level in the intestines. Barley comprises the soluble fiber named beta-glucan enhances healthy blood lipid levels & decreases the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine. Apart from that, it reduces the harmful LDL cholesterol level in both women and men. This in turn minimizes the chance of coronary heart diseases, heart failure, stroke, and heart attacks as well.

5. Helps To Reduce The Risk Of Hypertension

Hypertension or high blood pressure is serious medical condition causing a coronary heart disease, stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, heart failure as well as other serious health issues. Its major symptoms consist of nausea, vomiting, severe headache, confusion, nose bleeds and vision changes. Barley has fiber and niacin, which aid in decreasing the chance of high blood pressure. Daily eating of barley helps to prevent the buildup of cholesterol in the heart arteries. In fact, you need to include barley in your to help to control hypertension.

6.  Decreases The Risk Of Cancer

Today, cancer is a very serious medical condition, which is caused due to an uncontrolled division and uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the human body. The common causes of cancer include aging, tobacco, sun exposure, radiation exposure, chemicals, and lots of other substances, some viruses and bacteria, family history of cancer, poor diet, certain hormones, lack of physical activity, alcohol and obesity, etc. Fortunately, barley contains a nutrient known as selenium, which supports the metabolic functions, thereby reducing the risk of cancer. In addition, barley contains lignans and antioxidants which further enhance the cancer-fighting agents of barley.

7. Protects Against Childhood Asthma

Another health benefit of barley is protecting against childhood asthma. This problem is a widespread respiratory disorder among children across the world. Increased intake of whole grains like barley can reduce the risks of childhood asthma by nearly 50%. Particularly, the powerful antioxidants such as vitamin C and E housed in barley help to normalize breathing and lower the prevalence of wheezing as well. Furthermore, high consumption of barley can aid in reducing the asthma and bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR).

8. Helps To Prevent Osteoporosis

Basically, osteoporosis occurs when the quality and density of the bones are reduced rapidly. Barley is considered as one of the most greatest and healthy foods that aid in reducing the osteoporosis problems. The reduced estrogen level during menopause can cause bone loss and it’s vital to promote the intake of various mineral and vitamins to ensure bone health. Barley that immensely helps postmenopausal women to maintain strong and healthy bones since it contains copper, phosphorous, manganese as well as several other nutrients.

9. Improves Skin Elasticity

Generally speaking, barley also contains lots of benefits for the skin care. It assists in maintaining skin elasticity.  Barley has the high quantity of selenium, which helps to preserve the skin’s elasticity. As a result, it prevents the premature skin aging & gives the skin protection from the free radicals & oxidative stress as well.

Apart from the health benefits of barley, I also would like to share with you a healthy and yummy barley soup. You should include this soup in your healthy breakfast dishes to lose weight.

Barley Soup

Ingredients

• ½ cup of barley
• 1 cup of lentils
• 1 cup of chopped carrots, mushrooms and celery
• 1 cup of onions
• 1 tbsp of tomato paste
• 6 cups of vegetable broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp of finely chopped parsley
• ½ tsp of black pepper
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. In a frying pan, sprinkle some olive oil and fry together the garlic and onions for 4 minutes. Then, add the vegetables, stirring often. To it, add the vegetable broth, barley, lentils, tomato paste together with bay leaf. Thereafter, boil the soup for an hour at reduces heat. Blend it well and add the pepper, salt, and parsley. Afterward, remove from flame and enjoy!

Including barley in your diet is sure to fill most of the essential nutritional requirements of the body.  Remember to share your experience with us. Hope that this article will be beneficial for all of the readers.