Barley: Uncover 23 Surprising Health & Beauty Benefits

Commonly known as ‘Jau’ (Hindi), ‘Pachcha Yavulu‘(Telugu), ‘Barliarisi‘ (Tamil), ‘Barley‘ (Malayalam), ‘Jave Godhi’ (Kannada), ‘Jab‘ (Bengali), ‘Satu’ (Marathi) and Juvar/Cheno (Gujarati). Barley is a member of the grass family and a major cereal grain. This whole grain resembles wheat berries but is somewhat lighter in color. It is extremely versatile with its rich nut-like flavor and an appealing, chewy consistency. It is used as fodder for animals as well as in soups and stews. On being fermented, barley is used as an ingredient in beer and certain distilled beverages. Barley grains, being rich in maltose, are made into malt and used as syrup sweeteners.

There are several types of barley available with the regular grocers. In addition to its culinary uses, it is a great health food packed with nutrients and antioxidants, and has several medicinal properties. Some common forms of barley are as follows.

• Barley Grass: This is basically the seedling of the barley plant that is consumed in the form of young leaves, and is rich in minerals, vitamins, antioxidants and amino acids. It is rich in chlorophyll that detoxifies your body from harmful toxins.

• Hulled Barley: This is the covered barley and is rich in healthy nutrients. It is usually eaten after removing the inedible, fibrous, outer hull. On removing the hull, it is known as dehulled barley, pot barley or scotch barley. When it is cooked, hulled barley takes a longer time to soak but is more nutritious.

• Pearl Barley:The process of removing the bran and polishing is known as pearling. This is basically dehulled barley and is one of the most common ingredients for breakfast and snack recipes all over the world. After removing the bran, it is processed into various barley products such as flour, flakes, etc., which resemble the oatmeal and grits.

• Barley Flour: It is often used as a substitute for wheat flour and, sometimes, even cake flour, and is obtained by grinding whole barley. Whole barley flour is more nutritious than pearl barley flour as it contains bran in its original form. It has a mild, nutty flavor with comparatively lower levels of calories and higher levels of fiber.

• Barley Green Powder: It is basically the powdered form of barley grass with added vitamins and minerals and is known for its medicinal benefits. It comes in various flavors and is easily soluble. It can also be consumed as barley juice.

• Barley Water: It is generally prepared with water, barley, and an assortment of freshly squeezed juices. It is beneficial for kidney and bladder ailments due to its therapeutic qualities.

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Benefits Of Barley

For the convenience of reading, we have divided the benefits into the categories of health, skin and hair.

Skin Benefits Of Barley:

When it comes to skin care, barley is extremely beneficial as it is packed with vitamin C, antioxidants, and minerals. It has been proven to reduce inflammation and create a barrier to protect the skin from outside pollutants. The benefits of barley for the skin are as follows.

1. Maintains Skin Elasticity:

Barley contains selenium, which preserves the skin elasticity and protects it against free radical damage. Selenium improves the functioning of your heart, pancreas and immune system. The deficiency of this mineral can cause skin, colon, prostate, liver, stomach and breast cancers.

2. Improves Skin Tone:

By enhancing the 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 aging. Barley water flushes out the toxins from the body, thus giving you a clean, wrinkle-free skin texture.

4. Healing Properties:

Barley is a rich source of zinc that 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. The deficiency of nutrients or a prolonged illness can adversely affect your hair, leading to hair problems such as thinning, alopecia, hair loss, premature graying, dandruff, etc. Thus, the hair follicles also need nutrients to maintain their health and the growth of the hair. Barley contains all the vital nutrients, including proteins, carbohydrates, dietary fiber as well as vitamins and antioxidants, that are essential for hair health and offers the following hair care benefits.

5. Restores Hair Colour:

The consumption of green barley grass helps in restoring your hair color. Moreover, barley contains the mineral copper that is involved in the formation of melanin, a pigment which provides color to your hair.

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