Barley as a whole grain, has many health benefits as it provides fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Barley is rich in many beneficial nutrients and contains both insoluble and soluble fibre. Beta-Glucans, a prebiotic fibre in barley, promotes the growth of friendly bacteria in your digestive tract that promotes good digestion, gut health and helps lower cholesterol. Moreover it has a low glycemic index (GI) which makes it a diabetic-friendly food. It reduces hunger and helps in losing weight.
Barley no doubt is super healthy, nutritious millet and is very good for diabetic and obese people but there is not always one fit all solution for all. It is likely that it may cause gas, bloating, or feelings of fullness in some people. This usually lessens with continued use. It can also cause an allergic reaction in some people. So you need to see if that suits you otherwise there are many other healthy millets like Jowar (sorghum), Bajra (pearl millet), ragi (finger millet), Jhangora (barnyard millet), Barri (Proso or common millet), Kangni (foxtail/ Italian millet), Kodra (Kodo millet) etc. that you may include in your diet to enjoy the health benefits.
Jowar Flour/Sorghum Is Healthy And Gluten-Free
Barley Health Benefits
Barley has a lower glycemic index and is lower in calories. It is richer in fibres, and vitamins B2, B3, and B6.
Barley can be used for lowering blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol, and also for promoting weight loss. It is also used for digestive complaints including diarrhoea, stomach pain, and inflammatory bowel conditions.
Drinking barley water every morning helps flush out all toxins from your body and improves your overall health.
Note: Barley is acidic in nature and has a 4.5 pH level, once digested. So, if you suffer from acidity, you must avoid foods that leave acidic residue.
How to use Barley benefits for Diabetes
Barley can be consumed as a porridge, chapati, chilla, dosa, side dish, snacks, and replacing any food that involves rice that is high in glycemic index and therefore not healthy for diabetic people.
Whole grain barley is very high in dietary fibre, which allows it to be digested slowly. Combined with a high level of magnesium, whole grain barley is considered an incredibly beneficial food for diabetics and those with a high risk for developing diabetes.
Related: Diabetic Diet Along With Lifestyle Changes Based on Ayurveda
Learn abouth a recent study from Lund University in Sweden shows that barley health benefits on Diabetes. The report mentions that Barley can rapidly improve people’s health by reducing blood sugar levels and the risk for diabetes. The secret lies in the special mixture of dietary fibres found in barley, which can also help reduce people’s appetite and risk for cardiovascular disease.
WATCH: Barley helps improve blood sugar levels and reduce appetite
How to use Barley Benefits for Weight loss
For weight loss, Whole-grain, hulled barley is more nutritious than refined, pearled barley. It can be substituted for any whole grain and easily added to your diet.
To reap maximum benefits, drink barley water at least two times a day. You can have this drink anytime.
Barley when combined with proper diet and exercise, it can help in weight loss as it takes longer time to digest and keeps the stomach full.
Here are some ways to add barley to your diet:
- Try barley chapati instead of wheat roti.
- Add it to soups and stews.
- Make a salad with cooked barley, lentils, vegetables and lemon dressing.
- Eat it as a side dish instead of rice or quinoa.
How to Cook Barley, Eat More Grain!
Research
Barley is primarily a cereal grain popularly known as jau in India. It is the fourth most important cereal crop after rice, wheat and maize. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is a functional food and one of the ancient cultivated cereal grains in the world. Many potential benefits have been linked to intake of barley as it contains pharmaceutical properties.
The present study is devised to investigate the effect of barley on postprandial blood glucose response in diabetics. Check out the latest research on the Hypoglycemic Effect of Barley (Hordeum vulgare) in Diabetics.
