zionIf you drink beer you are probably already familiar with barley. Barley is an essential ingredient in beer. But you may not know that barley grass, the green shoots and leaves part of the barley stalk, is a nutritional powerhouse that can dramatically improve your health and help your body fight serious problems like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and high cholesterol.
A Long History
Barley is said to be the first grain that was domesticated and grown by humans. Conservative estimates say that barely has been grown in one form of another for about 7,000 years. That’s primarily because barley is a very hardy plant and can adapt well to different growing conditions. And throughout those 7,000 years barely has been used as medicine as well as a very nutritionally dense and healthy food. The Ancient Romans ate it. So did the Greeks and the Egyptians and the Chinese. The tender stalks and leaves need to be harvested while they are young in order to have the greatest amount of barley grass benefits. Barley grass is an extremely nutrient dense food that contains B Vitamins, Omega 3s, complex carbohydrates, magnesium, selenium and protein. (https://www.naturalfoodseries.com/11-benefits-barley-grass/ )
With all those healthy vitamins and minerals it’s no surprise that taking a barley grass supplement or eating barley grass every day can have some pretty amazing health benefits. Barley is a multi-faceted grain that can provide good health as well as delicious bread, cereals, and other foods. Ancient cultures may not have known how extensive barley grass benefits are but they knew that eating barley grass was essential for keeping good health. Some of the many amazing barley grass benefits include:
Weight Loss
Barley grass has a lot of fiber in it, and fiber is very beneficial for weight loss. Barely has complex carbohydrates and a lot of fiber which means that it will keep you full for longer so that you won’t be hungry or tempted to snack. And because barley grass is a nutrient-dense superfood it can help boost your metabolism and help you lose weight. Replacing pasta and rice with barley can be a big help when you’re trying to lose weight. And eating barley cereal for breakfast will give you the slow-burning fuel and fiber your body needs to stay energized and full until lunch so that you are not reaching for donuts or high sugar foods by the middle of the morning trying to stay awake.
Helps Reduce Ulcerative Colitis Flares
Ulcerative Colitis can be very difficult to deal with. Sufferers of this disorder often have digestive problems as well as other health problems that can severely limit their ability to move freely and go about their day. But one of the contributing factors to the overwhelming symptoms of UC is bad gut bacteria. Barley grass helps keep a balance in the gut and keeps fluids from building up in the gut and the digestive tract in order to keep the body healthy and eliminate the symptoms of UC. If you have UC taking a barley grass supplement or eating barley grass daily can help reduce the unpleasant symptoms of UC and make it easier for you to live the way you want.
Lowers Cholesterol
High cholesterol can contribute to heart disease and other problems. Eating barley grass or taking a barley grass supplement each day can help you keep your cholesterol under control and bring down your high cholesterol so that you will have a lower risk of a heart attack or stroke. Heart specialists recommend adding low fat and high fiber foods to your diet in order to give your body the nutrients it needs without a lot of additional calories and fat. Barely grass is a good alternative to wheat bread, pasta, and rice for people who want to eat low carb or people that are sensitive to wheat.
Helps Manage Blood Sugar And Diabetes
Millions of people every year develop Type II diabetes as a result of unhealthy lifestyles and genetics. Diet is the most important tool that diabetics have to manage their diabetes. Exercise and a healthy diet can totally eliminate the symptoms of diabetes. But in order to manage diabetes a diet that is rich is in slow burning low carb foods is recommended. Foods that have a slower impact on the blood will prevent blood sugar spikes that cause major health problems for people with diabetes. Barley grass is a slow burning fuel with complex carbohydrates that won’t cause blood sugar spikes.
Fight Cancer
According to research that has been done on the development of cancer-free radicals play a large role in determining who gets cancer and how serious that cancer becomes. Barley grass can help fight cancer and lower the chances of developing cancer because it is packed with antioxidants that fight free radicals. Free radicals are unbound cells that travel throughout the body looking for cells to attach themselves to. Antioxidants bond with the free radicals and make them essentially harmless. And barley grass has the vitamins and minerals to help boost the body’s natural immune health as well as antioxidants that will work throughout the body to stop free-radical damage.
Helps Fight Digestive Upset
Barley grass isn’t just helpful for people with UC. It’s great for everyday digestive health as well. By balancing the bacteria in the gut and having lots of fiber to clean out the digestive tract barely grass is one of the best things that you can take to keep your digestive tract naturally healthy and functioning the way that it’s supposed to. If you want to eliminate diarrhea, constipation or other digestive issues adding barley grass to your daily diet or supplement regimen will do that for you.
Boosts Immunity
Barley grass contains a wealth of vitamins and minerals that will naturally boost your immune system and give your body the nutrients it needs to fight off infections, colds, the flu, and even diseases like cancer and heart disease. Your natural immune system does a fantastic job of keeping you healthy when it has everything it needs to function properly. Eating barley grass or taking a barley grass supplement each day will ensure that your immune system has what it needs to be a healthy powerhouse that can destroy any illnesses, bacteria, or diseases that try to attack your body. Barley grass can also help eliminate the inflammation that can cause chronic pain.
Cell Rejuvenation And Growth
Barley grass contains healthy chlorophyll which your cells use to stay healthy. The chlorophyll in barley grass will help cells heal damage, form healthy new cells, and stay strong and healthy. There is also a natural enzyme in barley grass that helps cells repair themselves after UV exposure so if you spend a lot of time in the sun you should be taking barley grass as well as wearing sunscreen to make sure that you are protected from UV radiation and skin cancer caused by too much UV radiation.
Natural Detoxifier
Barley grass is a natural detoxifying agent and liver booster that will help your liver naturally filter the toxins and garbage out of your body. If you notice that you have been feeling very dull or sluggish or you have been eating a very unhealthy diet filled with foods that are heavily processed and contain a lot of sugar, salt, and wheat taking barley grass will help your liver filter out all the garbage from the food that you’ve been eating so that it doesn’t drag your body down. Taking barley grass supplements or eating barley grass should have you feeling more energetic and healthier very soon.
Reduces Symptoms Of Asthma And Allergies
Barley grass is also a great way to reduce the symptoms of asthma and allergies naturally. If you have seasonal allergies but hate taking prescription medication or if you suffer from asthma natural barley grass can boost your respiratory function and help your lungs stay healthy and strong. When your lungs are functioning well you should notice fewer occurrences of asthma and allergy symptoms.
Knowing all these amazing barley grass benefits, it’s surprising that barley isn’t a bigger part of the modern diet. In the past, people ate cereals and breads made from barley, not wheat, almost every day. Wheat has become the dominant grain in the Western diet but if you are sensitive to wheat eating bread and other products made from barley can be a very healthy alternative. Sometimes barley cereals and breads are also a nice alternative to wheat based products.
You can also take barley grass supplements that contain high concentrations of barley grass so that you can get the highest amount of health benefits from this plant. No matter how you choose to take barley grass adding this superfood to your diet is sure to help you manage your health, feel stronger and more vital, and help protect you from serious health problems like heart disease, asthma, diabetes, and UC.
