#WellnessWednesday Know your Barley?!
Know your Barley?!
Barley is one healthy grain, however, which doesn’t get the attention it deserves.
Barley is considered an ‘ancient grain’, originating in Ethiopia and southeast Asia, where it has been cultivated for more than 10,000 years.
It is important to note that barley will usually expand to three and a half times its volume when cooked.
Nutritional Facts:
100 gram serving of cooked barley provides 123 kilocalories and is a good source of essential nutrients, including, dietary fiber 3.8 grams, carbohydrates 28.2 grams, proteins 2.3 grams, Fats 0.4 grams, and B vitamin, E vitamin, K vitamin and dietary minerals including iron, Calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, zinc, sodium.
Health benefits of Barley:
1] Barley promotes weight loss over time may reduce hunger and promote feelings of fullness.
2] Barley can boost your intestinal health. Insoluble and Soluble Fiber Content Improves Digestion.
3] Barley’s high insoluble fiber content may also help prevent gallstones and Reduce Your Risk of Gallbladder Surgery.
4] Barley may also lower your cholesterol levels. The beta-glucans found in barley have been shown to reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol by binding to bile acids.
5] Whole grains are consistently linked to better heart health. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that regularly adding barley to your diet may lower your risk of heart disease.
6] Barley’s soluble fiber may bring blood pressure levels down. In fact, a recent review of randomized control studies observed that an average intake of 8.7 grams of soluble fiber per day may be linked to a modest 0.3–1.6 mmHg reduction in blood pressure
7] Barley may reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes by lowering blood sugar levels and improving insulin secretion.
This is in part due to barley’s rich magnesium content — a mineral that plays an important role in insulin production and your body’s use of sugar. Barley is also rich in soluble fiber, which binds with water and other molecules as it moves through your digestive tract, slowing down the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream.
8] A diet rich in whole grains is generally linked to a lower likelihood of many chronic diseases, including certain cancers — especially those of the colon. Again, barley’s high fiber content plays a central role. Its insoluble fiber specifically helps reduce the time food takes to clear your gut, which appears particularly protective against colon cancers. Additionally, soluble fiber may bind to harmful carcinogens in your gut, removing them from your body. Other compounds found in barley — including antioxidants, phytic acid, phenolic acids and saponins — may further protect against cancer or slow its development.
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