Barley - The surprising benefits

Barley is a member of the grass family. It may have made its way onto your breakfast, lunch, or dinner table. Not surprisingly, because it packs a punch in nutrition value.

Let us start with the most surprising. Barley has been shown to remove pesticides from the body. On an everyday basis when we consume our food, regardless of how careful you might have been, some pesticides are going to go into your body. Anything that can reduce the effect of this is beneficial.

Barley has also been shown to have an effect on your GABA receptors. GABA receptors have been linked to your mood, including in cases of depression.

Barley has a high fibre content and has been used as a laxative. People suffering from constipation or indigestion have been known to start their day with barley water.

The young barley leaf has been used to make a drink that helps heal your gut. The lining of the walls of your intestines often gets damaged when you have indigestion.

The tea from the barley leaf has a physial and chemical effect on healing the lining. Recall from an earlier conversation that when the lining of your digestive tract is poor, you develop a leaky gut.

We have spoken about high blood pressure. One of the causes of blood pressure is a higher than normal presence of lipids in our blood plasma.

The high lipid content makes the blood thicker, increasing the pressure required, hence the elevated blood pressure.

Barley has been shown to have an adverse effect on lipids. In a term known as hypolipidimic, barley helps remove fat from the blood. Hypolipidimic simply means that which repels fats.

Finally, barley has been shown to have a negative effect on uric acid. Uric acid is the byproduct of your body consuming foods high in purines. The outcome can be painful crystals that accumulate in a place in your body—your toe or heel, for example.

Not surprisingly, many people ask us if they can include barley water in their program. Small note of caution, barley is not calorie free. A cup of strained barley can have about 150 calories and so you need to understand your calorie balance while adding it to your daily routine. 

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