Why should we take barley on? Let’s take a look at its resume!
First of all, let’s not confuse black nile barley with pearled barley which is much less nutritious. Pearled barley has had the outer bran and husk removed. But that’s not necessary! When you are looking for barley, always look for hulless varieties to get the most nutritional value.
Whole grains are worth it! In a study of over 360,000 people, they found that those who consumed the most whole grains (barley included) had a 17% lower risk of dying from…everything. Really, they had a 17% lower chance of dying from all chronic diseases, including the big guns like diabetes and cancer.
Wow!
So, why would that be? Here are some barley highlights (This is for ½ cup uncooked barley).
FIBER
Fiber is so important in your diet. Many people do not get enough of it. When I’m eating poorly over the holidays or something, I can tell the difference not having enough fiber causes.
In half a cup of barley, there are 15.9 grams of fiber! Compare that with modern wheat’s 11.5grams, and you’ll see why I’m excited about that.
Fiber will help you stay cleaned out and reduce the risk of colon cancer.
PROTEIN
Barley has 11.5 grams of protein which is also more than wheat.
Protein is literally everywhere in your body, and it must be consumed in order for the body to function properly.
How much protein should I be getting?
Harvard recommends this formula. Keep in mind, this is the minimum for a sedentary adult. You’ll want to multiply your weight in pounds by 0.36 grams of protein. That gives you a good starting point for the protein you need.
According to Healthline, the average adult female in American weighs 170lbs which would mean that ½ cup of barley would supply 20% of the daily value of protein. The average adult male weighs about 198lbs which means this much barley would provide 17.5% of the minimum protein needed in a day.
Those are all averages and every person is different, but that should give you a good idea of how great barley is in this way!
MANGANESE
Wait for it…
97%!
That’s right, barley provides 97% of the manganese you need in a day.
Manganese is important for our metabolisms, and I know we all want better metabolisms. It helps with using and digesting the food we eat.
THIAMINE
That same amount of barley provides 43% of our daily value for this powerful little nutrient. Thiamine is a B vitamin that is vital for the nervous system and conversion of food into energy.
SELENIUM
I was amazed while researching what selenium can do.
It’s important for reproduction. About 10% of women in the United states struggle with infertility of some kind. It’s a good idea to get all the help from our food that we can.
Ever met anyone with thyroid issues? Selenium helps the thyroid function properly. Thyroid issues can have many negative affects on your life. It’s good to do what you can to keep it healthy.
Selenium helps produce DNA!
It helps guard the body against the negative affects of free radicals or infection.
Barley provides 54% of our needed selenium!
MAGNESIUM
For many body processes such as blood pressure and blood sugar, muscle and nerve function, the creation of DNA, bones, and protein, we need magnesium. According to healthline, “Health problems associated with magnesium loss include diabetes, poor absorption, chronic diarrhea, celiac disease and hungry bone syndrome.”
Yikes!
Luckily, barley contains 33% of the RDI for magnesium.
Barley is a good source of other nutrients such as riboflavin, niacin, iron, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and copper. A half a cup can go a long way!
wonderful info! thank you! just found it at my local amazing health food store and am excited to try it! Also, going to check out the other products on your site! excited. thank you. Just want to say, that eating ‘real’ quality first rate whole grains and baking your own, or cooking rice-style, makes a HUGE difference. that store-bought stuff is really just a higher end order of crap. Go for the gold people!
Sprouting Black Nile barley improves the nutrients and lowers the GI assisting in weight loss by staving off hunger pangs and by requiring more energy to digest.