Barley, which has been cultivated for more than ten thousand years now, was initially found in the regions of Ethiopia and Southeast Asia. Hulled barley nutrients, per cup, include 22 grams of protein, 61mg of calcium, 245mg of magnesium, 486mg of phosphorus, 832mg of potassium, and 69mcg of selenium.

Barley nutrients

Barley nutrients are not limited to vitamins and minerals, but the value of barley nutrition to human health varies depending on the type of barley that is consumed, how it is processed and even where it is grown. The large number of nutrients in barley grass, particularly protein, explains its popular use as animal feed.

Some health supplement manufacturers advise that the nutrients in barley grass are important to human health; however barley grass has never been a food source for humans. Since ancient times, humans have collected and eaten hulled barley grains. Today, we can find healthy foods that contain hulled barley, barley flour, barley meal or pearled barley. The number of barley nutrients is higher when the bran and germ have not been removed.

Hulled barley nutrients, per cup, include 22 grams of protein, 61mg of calcium, 245mg of magnesium, 486mg of phosphorus, 832mg of potassium, and 69mcg of selenium. It is also a good source of lutein and zeaxanthin, as well as other vitamins and amino acids. The mineral content of barley varies depending on the content of the soil in which it grows, but these average figures were compiled by the US Department of Agriculture.

Cooked pearled barley nutrient content, per cup, includes only 3.55grams of protein, 17mg of calcium, 35mg of magnesium, 85mg of phosphorus, 146mg of potassium, and 13mcg of selenium. It is still a good source of lutein and zeaxanthin. Pearled barley nutrients are so much lower than those found in hulled barley, because the bran and germ have been removed.

A cup of barley flour or meal provides nearly as many nutrients as hulled barley and will improve the nutritional value of baked goods when used as a substitute for all or part of the wheat flour. Barley nutrients also include beta-glucan content, a form of soluble fiber. The cholesterol lowering affects achieved by consuming oats and products that contain oats are believed to be related to beta-glucans. Barley is even higher in beta-glucans than oats. Both barley nutrition content and oat nutrition content are higher than that of wheat or rye.

Many public health organizations, including the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association, recommend a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains like barley. It is believed that a diet of this type reduces the risk of heart disease and some forms of cancer, may prevent adult onset diabetes and may help control the obesity epidemic in the United States.

Whole food supplements containing barley and other whole grains provide barley nutrients in the form of a capsule. The health benefits of the nutrients in barley grass and supplements that contain it are unknown, no matter what the manufacturers may claim, because the grass has never been evaluated for consumption by humans.


Russell Cantwell is editor of http://www.whole-food-supplements-guide.com Visit barley nutrients for more info now and to discover the whole food supplement I personally take that contains barley.

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