The Science of Barley Grass: Benefits that Make it a Superfood?

 

These days, there are many ways to get healthy, maintain health, and supplement your health. While some people may be starting out and others may be far into their health journey, there’s no denying that a simple health regiment is easier to maintain in day-to-day life for everyone. Supplements, shakes, and diets have their places, but they can easily be forgotten about in the crazy daily schedules. Incorporating superfoods into a balanced diet is an easy way to get a high amount of nutrients at once in a way that is easy for your body to absorb and with minimal calories. One superfood that offers high nutrient content and health benefits is barley grass. In this article we will take a deeper look into what barley grass is, the science behind what makes barley grass a superfood, and the benefits of barley grass.

What Is a Superfood?

 

As a fairly new term, “superfood” does not currently have any standard criteria or legal definition; however, superfoods are “foods that offer maximum nutritional value for minimal calories…packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.” One of the main benefits of superfoods is the high amount of antioxidants which help decrease or reverse the effects of free radicals in the body that have been linked to many serious health problems. Although superfoods are not cure-all foods, they tend to be plant-based and work best when consumed with an overall healthy diet. Berries, tea, salmon, dark chocolate, leafy greens, garlic, wheatgrass, barley grass, and barley are some of the foods considered superfoods.

What is Barley Grass?

 

While you may not be as familiar with barley grass, you are probably familiar with the barley grain which is considered the fourth most important cereal crop in the world. While there are many health benefits of barley as a grain, the barley grass health benefits are different. Barley grass is the tender young grass of the barley plant before it turns into a grain. Because the grain has not yet formed, barley grass does not contain gluten, and the grass is highly nutrient-dense. Barley grass is also referred to as barley leaves and barley greens.

What makes Barley Grass a Superfood

 

Now the question is what makes barley grass a superfood. Barley grass is a source of antioxidants and superoxide dismutase (SOD), a source of protein, contains 20 amino acids, 12 vitamins and 13 minerals, and is rich in polyphenols and flavonoids. These include:

• Vitamins: Beta Carotene, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Folic Acid, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Vitamin C, Vitamin E
• Minerals: Calcium, Chromium, Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Zinc
• Enzymes: Peroxides, SOD
• Antioxidants: Lutonarin, Saponarin, Chlorophyll

These nutrients can help support detoxification of the liver, blood, and gastrointestinal tract and can also help support healthy skin, hair and nails, promote energy and vitality, and help neutralize toxins.

Research on Barley Grass

You don’t have to take our word for the superfood nature of barley grass either! There has been an abundant amount of research conducted on the power and health benefits of barley grass. A large portion of the research was conducted over twenty years by Japanese scientist Dr. Yoshihide Hagiwara starting in the 1950s. His research was based on the idea that, after studying 150 different plants, barley grass was the most valuable and had many benefits for the human body. “My research has shown that the green leaves of those barley plants contains the most prolific, balanced supply of nutrients that exists on earth in a single source. Man himself cannot produce a better aid to health,” Dr. Hagiwara writes about barley grass benefits in Barley Leaves Extract for Everlasting Health.

Consuming barley grass powder offers a wide array of potential health benefits, including improving digestion, reducing inflammation, and boosting the immune system. His research was widely accepted by the scientific community and has since been used as the basis for many health supplements and products. There are currently 16 studies and 402 citations of Dr. Hagiwara’s work available on Research Gate.

How to Get the Benefits of Barley Grass

 

You may be wondering how to get the benefits of barley grass powder. Fresh barley grass can be hard to find. While it is possible to grow your own barley grass at home, you will need to juice it to be able to digest it and absorb the nutrients. Barley grass can also be found in powders, juices, tablets, and gummies. When it comes to the powder forms of barley grass, there are two distinct types: barley grass powder and barley grass juice powder. The main difference between these two kinds of powder is how concentrated they are; barley grass juice powder is more concentrated because it is juiced before it is dehydrated into a powder. Barley grass powders can easily be incorporated into recipes like shakes, smoothies, and juices.

At Graasi, we wanted to find a convenient and easy way to incorporate barley grass into people’s everyday lives. We created a ready-to-drink format of barley grass juice powder in water and added the RDA of vitamins C, D, and Zinc for an added immunity boost in addition to the health benefits of barley grass. The taste of barley grass isn’t for everyone, so we lightly sweeten Graasi with organic cane sugar and monk fruit. Incorporating the barley grass superfood in your diet is easier than ever with Graasi. Try Graasi Organic Barley Grass Water today!

 

Sources:

Superfoods: Health benefits, uses, and risks (medicalnewstoday.com)

Barley Grass: Benefits, Uses, and Precautions (healthline.com)

Organic Barley Grass Juice Powder: The Ultimate Superfood (znaturalfoods.com)

Barley-Hordeum-vulgare-L-Medicinal-and-Therapeutic-Uses-Review.pdf (researchgate.net)