Monday, 18 January 2016

Benefits of Barley for good health


The uses of barley are many. For the convenience of reading, here we have divided the benefits into the categories of health, skin and hair.
Skin Benefits of Barley
When it comes to skincare, barley is extremely beneficial as it is packed with vitamin C, antioxidants and minerals. It has proven to reduce inflammation and create a barrier to protect the skin from outside pollutants. The skincare benefits of barley are as follows.
1. Maintains Skin Elasticity
Barley contains selenium which preserves skin elasticity and protects it against free radical damage. Selenium improves the functioning of your heart, pancreas and immune system. Deficiency of this mineral can cause skin, colon, prostate, liver, stomach and breast cancers.
2. Improves Skin Tone
By enhancing skin elasticity, barley facilitates skin tightening, making your skin more supple and well-toned and giving it a younger appearance.
3. Anti-ageing Properties
The antioxidants in barley help in decelerating the signs of ageing. Barley water flushes out toxins from the body, thus giving you a clean wrinkle free skin texture.
4. Healing Properties
Barley is a rich source of zinc which speeds up the healing properties of the body. Barley greens, when taken orally or applied as a paste can heal facial lesions within 5-6 months.

Hair Benefits of Barley
Healthy hair is a part of a healthy body. Deficiency of nutrients or prolonged illness can adversely affect your hair, leading to hair problems such as thinning, alopecia, hair loss, premature greying, dandruff etc. Thus, the hair follicles also need nutrients to maintain their health and growth of the hair. Barley contains all the vital nutrients including proteins, carbohydrates, dietary fiber as well as vitamins and antioxidants that are vital for hair health and offers the following hair care benefits.
5. Restores Hair Colour
Consumption of green barley grass helps in restoring your hair colour. Moreover, barley contains the mineral copper that is involved in the formation of melanin, a pigment which provides colour to your hair.
6. Promotes Hair Growth
Barley is rich in micronutrients thiamin and niacin that help in hair growth. It also contains Procyanidin B-3 which is isolated from barley and identified as a hair growth stimulant.
7. Combats Hair Loss
Anaemia is one of the most common causes of hair loss. Barley contains the minerals iron and copper which enhance the production of red blood cells, thus warding off anaemia and consequently stimulating hair growth.

Health Benefits of Barley

Being a great source of nutrients, antioxidants and minerals, barley is loaded with amazing health benefits which are given below.
8. Lowers Cholesterol Levels
Barley is rich in both soluble and insoluble fibers. The soluble fiber dissolves and binds with fatty acids, thus lowering total cholesterol levels as well as low-density lipoprotein (LDL), also known as bad cholesterol. The insoluble fiber, on the other hand, yields propionic acid that helps in keeping the blood cholesterol levels low. Low cholesterol levels significantly reduce the risk of stroke and heart attacks.
9. Aids in Weight Loss
Consuming barley makes you feel fuller for a longer period and hence suppresses appetite. Moreover, the fiber in barley facilitates the removal of fat substances from the body. Thus, barley can aid in weight loss.
10. Protection Against Cancer
Barley contains a phytonutrient called plant lignans. One such lignan called enterolactone helps to prevent breast cancer as well as coronary diseases. The dietary fiber provides the good bacteria in the large intestines that help in proper functioning, thus protecting against colon cancer.
11. Checks Diabetes
Eating barley is particularly beneficial for diabetic patients as it stabilizes the blood glucose levels. This is because the beta-glucan fiber found in this whole grain has the ability to slow down the body’s absorption of carbohydrates from foods, leading to a reduction in glucose and insulin levels.
12. Beneficial in Anemia
Barley contains the mineral copper which helps in the formation of hemoglobin needed for the production of red blood cells. Thus, it helps in abating anemia.
13. Aids in Digestion
Barley juice is extremely beneficial for the digestive system. It aids in digestion by enabling the digestive juices to work overtime, thus reducing the bloated feeling in the stomach. It helps to shed calories by preventing the build-up of fat and increasing the rate of metabolism.
14. Prevents Gallstones
Being rich in insoluble fiber, barley helps in reducing bile acids secretion, thus increasing insulin sensitivity and reducing the levels of triglycerides. Hence, barley can help women to avoid gallstones effectively.
15. Improves Immunity
Barley contains twice the amount of vitamin C than that in oranges which supports your immune system by reducing the chances of cold and flu. Iron enhances the blood volume, thus preventing anemia and fatigue. It facilitates proper kidney functioning and development of body cells. The manganese enables you to feel good and energetic which in turn benefits the nervous system and immune system.
16. Prevents Osteoporosis
Barley grass contains phosphorus and copper which are good for the overall health of bones. Phosphorus is effective in curing bone and tooth ailments. Barley grass juice has eleven times more calcium than milk. Manganese is needed for normal bone production and also in iron deficiency. Thus, barley can be a natural remedy for osteoporosis.
17. Prevents Atherosclerosis
The thickening of artery walls due to coagulation of fatty materials such as cholesterol is known as atherosclerosis. Niacin or B vitamin complex contained in this food grain reduces the overall cholesterol and lipoprotein levels, thereby lowering the cardiovascular risk factors. Having barley is particularly beneficial for postmenopausal women having high blood pressure, high cholesterol or cardiovascular diseases.
18. Protects the Body Organs
Barley protects important organs like heart, pancreas and liver by keeping the dangerous diseases like heart diseases, colon and breast cancers and prostate problems at bay. The phosphorus in this grain helps to keep the bones and teeth healthy and aids in the functioning of kidneys and heart muscles.
19. Antidote Properties
According to the research studies, barley possesses antidote properties due to which it can prevent the spread of poison in the body.
20. Healthy Bowel Functioning
It also helps to maintain healthy bowel functions due to its rich fiber content. This helps in preventing constipation.
21. Diuretic Property
It is a powerful diuretic and keeps the urinary tract healthy by preventing Urinary Tract Infection (UTI).
22. Cools Down the Body
It is the perfect summer drink as it brings down the heat content from the body. This is why it is generally given to people with high temperatures.
23. Benefits PregnancyBarley water has specific benefits for pregnant women. I have listed them here.

  • It helps prevent yeast and UTI during pregnancy.
  • It helps ease the common problems like morning sickness and nausea.
  • It regulates blood sugar levels and thus helps in prevention of gestational diabetes.
  • It also prevents edema (swollen ankle and feet) by improving circulation and preventing high BP.
  • It prevents constipation and haemorrhoids.

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