Barley (Hordeum vulgare)
Plant:
Barley is a distant cousin of wheat, from Asia and Africa, and its grain has a nutty flavor. Known in the scientific world under the name of Hordeum vulgare, Barley is the fifth most-produced cereal in the world. This cereal has gained great popularity as a raw material for the manufacture of beer malt, but it offers many benefits for the health and beauty of the Human Being. Be careful because barley contains gluten, although in less quantity than wheat.
Properties:
Barley is a source of food for humans, rich in fiber (namely beta-glucans, which can help lower cholesterol and regulate blood sugar), vitamins (A, C, E, Complexes K and B) and minerals (magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, iron and calcium, and silicon). The properties of Barley include, among others, anti-inflammatory, anti-anemic, anti-skeptical, diuretic properties.
Benefits:
- Arthritis,
- hair,
- kidney stones,
- diabetes,
- digestion,
- degenerative colon disease,
- liver (prevents the accumulation of fat),
- hypertension,
- powerlessness,
- osteoporosis,
- skin (stops premature aging),
- weightloss,
- arterial pressure,
- protects the nervous system,
- regulates cholesterol,
- immune system,
- nails,
- gallbladder…
How to consume:
Preferably consume organic and whole Barley, because it is the guarantee that it has all its nutritional properties. It can be used in cereals, flour, or bran, and in the food industry, it is part of breakfast cereals, bars, cakes, pasta, or certain types of bread. Before cooking, you must soak the barley grains in water (up to eight hours) and only then cook them, like wheat or rice. Barley can be eaten as a salad, risotto, soup, in vegetable and/or bean stews, or even alone, seasoned to taste. Barley can also be eaten in sprouts (between 8 to 12 hours) or in microgreens. If you roast the barley beans until they are golden and boil them for a few minutes, you get a barley infusion which can be a great coffee substitute. In the beer industry, Barley is widely used for the production of malt. It is also important to remember that this cereal is also used for animal feed.
Contraindication:
Those who are gluten intolerant. Therefore, it is advisable to be attentive, because each body is different, this can cause possible incompatibilities, total or momentary, generated by its ingestion.
This text is an awareness. Depending on the season and the moment in which you are, it is up to each Being to feel whether he should consume this food. The dosage and frequency depend on the nature and physical condition of each Human Being.
