Barley Grass for Skin beauty Hair and Health Benefits

Dear Readers, From animal feed to superfood barley grass is said to strengthen the immune system, lower cholesterol and help with weight loss. But how healthy is the plant really? In the following, you will learn everything about barley grass, from the ingredients to the effects and how best to use the healthy superfood.

What is barley grass?

Barley grass has only taken its place on the superfood shelf for a few years. This is by no means food. It consists of the young shoots of the common barley plant, a grain that has been cultivated by humans for 10,000 years.

Barley is therefore not a newcomer to the human diet but on the contrary a traditional medicinal plant. Already in ancient Greece, it was not only used as food but also as animal feed and medicinal purposes.

Ingredients of barley grass

The healthy effect of barley grass is mainly due to the extremely high density of nutrients contained in the shoots.

Minerals

Barley grass is characterized by its high proportion of nutrients from other foods. These nutrients also include numerous minerals and trace elements.

Magnesium

100 grams of fresh shoots contain up to 180 milligrams of magnesium. Magnesium not only plays an important role in metabolism, but it also supports the function of muscles and organs and keeps your blood vessels healthy.

Calcium

The amount of magnesium is only exceeded by calcium. There are more than 800 milligrams of calcium in 100 grams of barley grass. Calcium is a basic building block of bones and teeth, strengthens your skeleton, and protects it from osteopathic complaints.

Zinc and iron

In addition, significant amounts of zinc, which affects your immune system, wound healing, skin and hair health, and iron are also found in barley grass. The latter is essential for the correct functioning of your cells. Iron deficiency has a negative effect on muscles, skin, hair, and nails, among other things.

Vitamins

Barley grass is not only rich in minerals, but also in vitamins. You can find out here which vitamins are in the green shoots.

Vitamin C and Vitamin E

It is high in vitamin C, which is known to boost your immune system and ward off disease. Also present is the “cell protector “vitamin E, which protects your cells from destruction, premature aging, and decay. The vitamin also has an anti-inflammatory effect and promotes fertility.

Vitamin k

Vitamin K is also found in the shoots. Although the vitamin is less well known, it fulfills important functions in your body. The nutrient controls blood clotting in particular, but it also protects the blood vessels, supports bone function, and influences metabolism.

Vitamin A

Finally, barley grass also contains the plant pigment beta-carotene, to which it owes its fresh, green color. If necessary, your body can convert beta-carotene into the essential vitamin A. which is also crucial for cells and the immune system, but especially for your vision.

Fiber

Like all grains, barley grass is rich in fiber. For a long time, scientists and medical professionals thought that your body couldn’t use fiber. However, we now know that nutrients are essential for a healthy and balanced diet.

They have a particularly positive effect on digestion and can prevent various diseases such as cardiovascular problems and tooth decay.

The term “carbohydrates” alone evokes negative associations in many people. They are considered unhealthy fattening foods that damage your health and are hidden in the tastiest foods. But that’s not true.

That’s why carbohydrates are important

Carbohydrates, together with proteins and fat, are among the three so-called macronutrients that your body needs to function. If you want to lose weight quickly in the short term, it is helpful to reduce your consumption of carbohydrates as part of a low-carb diet.

As a source of energy for the muscles and brain, carbohydrates are an irreplaceable part of a healthy and varied diet.

These types of carbohydrates exist

This applies in particular to so-called complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are also known as polysaccharides and chemically consist of several ring structures.

In contrast to simple carbohydrates, which consist of only one ring structure, complex carbohydrates are significantly higher-quality energy suppliers.

They fill you up longer and better, raise blood sugar levels less, and are mainly found in foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals such as barley grass.

Effects of Barley Grass

In view of the many precious nutrients, it is not surprising that barley grass has a positive effect on health in many ways. Nevertheless, it is still disputed which affects the grain sprouts have exactly.

Because although there are many positive testimonials from people who regularly consume barley grass, most of these effects on humans have not yet been.

Scientifically proven beyond doubt

However, based on the various vitamins and minerals, it can be deduced how barley grass affects your organism. You can find out here what the shoots can do and why they are so healthy.

Against high cholesterol levels

Heart attacks and strokes are still among the most common causes of death in Germany. They are often the result of cardiovascular diseases that can be traced back to an unbalanced diet and an unhealthy lifestyle. Cholesterol is one of the factors that promote the development of cardiovascular problems.

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is actually not bad for your body, on the contrary: it even produces it itself, namely in the liver. In addition to this, we also take in cholesterol through food in the form of animal products.

This can lead to too much cholesterol building up in your blood so that it can no longer be properly removed. This can clog arteries and blood vessels, which in turn can lead to strokes and heart attacks.

Barley grass and elevated cholesterol levels

Barley grass helps reduce the risk of such diseases. So-called beta-glucans belong to the high-quality carbohydrates of grain sprouts. These are molecules that have been shown to help fight high cholesterol levels.

They help reduce high blood cholesterol levels, fighting the risk of artery damage and helping to prevent high blood pressure and strokes.

If you want to actively protect your cardiovascular system, you can add flaxseed or the flaxseed oil obtained from the seeds on your menu in addition to barley grass. Both foods are not only tasty but also help against high cholesterol levels and many other ailments.

With high blood sugar levels

The high-energy sprouts of barley not only have a beneficial effect on your cholesterol levels, but they also help keep your blood sugar levels low. This is especially important for diabetics.

Diabetes and blood sugar

Diabetics are known to have to be careful about the foods they eat. Because when we eat carbohydrates, they are converted into glucose during digestion. Glucose enters the blood from the digestive tract, causing the blood sugar level to rise.

When your brain senses that blood sugar levels are high, it sends a signal to the pancreas, where the hormone insulin is produced. Insulin is responsible for transporting glucose from the bloodstream into the cells.

Insulin production is disrupted in diabetics. As a result, glucose cannot be transported to the body’s cells and remains in the blood, where it harmfully increases blood sugar levels. That is why diabetics have to pay close attention to whether and how many carbohydrates they eat. For many, this means giving up delicious desserts.

Barley grass and increased blood sugar levels

The molecule beta-glucan is also one of the components of barley grass. Beta-glucan is a carbohydrate. Like all carbohydrates, beta-glucan is broken down in the digestive tract and converted into sugar glucose, which is then transported from digestion into the blood.

However, beta-glucan has a special feature: if it is ingested in sufficient concentration, it influences the consistency of the chyme in the stomach.

The more beta-glucan there is, the more viscous the chyme becomes. This, in turn, delays the breakdown of the ingested nutrients, particularly the conversion of carbohydrates into sugars.

Because this conversion takes place more slowly through the absorption of beta-glucan, the blood sugar level rises less after eating. Barley grass, which contains beta-glucan, can help to avoid blood sugar spikes and make everyday life easier, especially for diabetics.

To strengthen the immune system

Eating barley grass actively contributes to strengthening your immune system. Because while some of its nutrients, such as vitamin C and vitamin A, act explicitly against pathogens, other vitamins and minerals help your bodily functions to function as best as possible. And an adequate supply of nutrients automatically means that you feel better physically.

Nutrient deficiencies, on the other hand, can worsen your well-being and even trigger diseases like anemia. A nutrient-rich diet, which includes barley grass, for example, but also other superfoods such as chia seeds and chlorella, is therefore fundamental to your health.

Against free radicals

Barley grass not only helps to provide your body with sufficient nutrients. Some of these nutrients also have a very specific protective effect by acting against free radicals. Free radicals are molecules that attack and damage your cells.

As a result, they not only trigger premature cell aging, but also harmful changes in your cells. Such changes can promote the development of secondary diseases, such as cancer.

Vitamin C and vitamin E are two nutrients found in barley grass that fight free radicals. They protect your cells and thus strengthen your health. But another component of the grain sprouts fights against the harmful molecules: the plant pigment chlorophyll, which gives barley grass its bright green color. Thus, three essential ingredients of the plant help to protect your cells and strengthen your health.

When losing weight

Due to its high carbohydrate content, barley grass is not necessarily the right food if you want to lose a few pounds quickly. However, if you want to lose weight in a healthy and long-term manner, grain sprouts are a useful helper.

Because the carbohydrates in barley grass are of very high quality, they fill you up for a particularly long time. Barley grass can help you to eat less and in a more targeted way, especially if you eat a lot of small things over the course of the day or even tend to binge eat.

The plant is particularly effective when you combine it with a healthy diet such as clean eating or the paleo diet. But not only nutrition helps you to lead a healthy life in the long term.

Sport is also important in order to be able to lose weight in the thighs, buttocks, or abdomen. You don’t have to run a marathon for this: Yoga and Pilates are fun and help you to get fit in a gentle way. A detox cure can also help you feel more comfortable in your own skin.

Side Effects of Barley Grass

Due to its healthy ingredients, barley grass strengthens your health in many ways. However, there are a few factors you should consider in order to safely use healthy sprouts.

Allergic reaction

Barley grass is actually well tolerated. As a grain, however, it belongs to the grass family. If you are allergic to grasses or other plant seeds, you should therefore carefully try a small amount to see whether you tolerate barley grass.

A tingling or burning sensation in the mouth and throat, or a rash can be signs of an allergic reaction. In this case, you should refrain from taking it and talk to a doctor about whether and how you should take the grain sprouts.

Intolerance of large amounts

Barley grass is usually not offered fresh. Like all grasses, it spoils very quickly unless it is dried or processed immediately. Because humans, unlike cattle, tolerate dry fibers poorly, barley grass is (freeze) dried after harvesting and then ground into powder.

In theory, you can also grow barley grass yourself. In this case, you should dry the sprouts thoroughly before consuming them. Fresh barley grass is intolerable for humans and leads to indigestion, flatulence, and cramps.

Risk of contamination

Since barley grass is the precursor of mature barley, it is grown in the field like other crops as normal. As a result, the shoots can be contaminated by qualitatively inferior cultivation conditions, for example environmentally harmful insect repellents. That’s why you should always make sure to buy high-quality barley grass, preferably organic.

If you want to be absolutely sure that your barley grass hasn’t been contaminated, you can make your own. You can find out how to do this below.

Barley grass powder tips for use

You can buy barley grass either as a powder or in tablet and capsule form. You can find the grain shoots both online and in retail stores, where they can be bought primarily in health food stores and drugstores as well as in well-stocked organic shops.

Benefits of Barley Grass Powder

Barley grass powder has the advantage that you can dose it yourself. Especially if you want to slowly approach the powder or want to rule out an allergic reaction, you can start with a very small portion of the powder. If you tolerate the plant powder, you can gradually increase the dose and find your optimal daily portion.

Dosing of barley grass powder

Powdered barley grass also has the advantage that it usually comes with dosage instructions. Especially for beginners, such guidelines are useful to find the dose that is best for you.

Depending on your taste and needs, you can usually take up to three teaspoons a day, often in smaller portions throughout the day. If you eat three meals a day, you can drink a glass of water with a teaspoon of barley grass powder with each meal.

Ingestion of barley grass powder

Barley grass powder should always be taken with sufficient liquid. You should calculate at least 150 milliliters of liquid for one teaspoon of the powder, more if you like.

It doesn’t matter if you mix it with water, juice, or tea. However, the ground shoots have a relatively strong, grassy aroma – if you don’t like that, you can also use the powder with other flavor-intensive foods such as ginger, pomegranate seeds, or kale in smoothies.

You can also put the powder in your food. However, you should then drink a lot of liquid with your meal to ensure optimal absorption of the powder. This is an additional advantage because the right drinking behavior strengthens your health.