Barley Health Benefits. A rich, steaming cup of mushroom-barley soup is comfort food for anyone. Aside from the delicious aspect, there’s another reason to slurp it down: Barley, an ancient grain that we’ve been hearing a lot about, has a lot of health benefits. Barley is available in a variety of forms, including pearled barley, barley flour, flakes, grits, and more. It’s super-healthy, just like other whole grains, epidemiological studies have connected eating barley to a lower risk of certain diseases.
Barley Health Benefits
Is barley better for you than rice, for starters?
Both barley and brown rice offer advantages. Brown rice should be your go-to if you’re gluten-free, as barley contains gluten. Brown rice wins when it comes to folate and vitamin E, while barley wins when it comes to fibre and calcium.
Barley is a high-fibre grain.
Barley is a tasty method to increase your fibre intake. “And fibre provides a wide range of health advantages, from aiding improved glucose management to supporting good digestion,” adds Stefani Sassos MS, RDN, a registered dietitian with the Good Housekeeping Institute. Barley is one of the best sources of fibre among whole grains, and it’s a particularly healthful sort of fibre: just one cup of pearled barley offers 6 grammes of fibre and only 193 calories. It also provides 3.5 grammes of protein, which isn’t nearly as much as other whole grains like quinoa, Kamut, or teff, but it’s still a lot.
Barley is a good source of vitamins and minerals.
Barley is high in a variety of nutrients that keep your body running smoothly. It contains niacin, a B vitamin that our bodies utilise to convert food into energy. Niacin is also important for the health of our mental and digestive systems, as well as our skin. B6 is a B vitamin that assists our brains and immune systems, and barley is a rich source of it. The grain is also mineral-rich. Barley is high in manganese selenium, as well as iron.