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Barley grass is the leaf of the barley plant, a cereal cultivated by man since 7000 BC, and has a variety of important nutrients recently confirmed by science.
A concentrate of minerals, vitamins and essential amino acids
The plant has a nutritional value clearly superior to barley grain and represents a valid natural supplement of vegetable proteins, omega 3, beta-glucans, inulin, hordein, tricine, minerals and vitamins.
There are also potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, copper, manganese, zinc, organic sodium, chlorophyll, beta-carotene, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin C, folic acid, pantothenic acids and many important enzymes. The barley grass also contains all the nine essential amino acids – one of the few plant organisms to boast this distinction. Furthermore, in its powder version, we can find almost five times the iron present in spinach, as well as almost 30 times the amount of vitamin B1 and 11 times the amount of calcium present in cow’s milk.
Valuable antioxidant
Barley grass powder is now also known for its powerful antioxidants. According to a discovery first published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry in 2017, antioxidants are important to protect the body from free radicals, responsible for cell damage. The high antioxidant content helps preserve heart health and can be beneficial against diseases such as arthritis.
Also Natural News, in 2012, confirmed that powdered barley grass is useful for eliminating harmful free radicals in our body. In the article it is assumed that this property is due to “an exchange of hydrogen ions, which makes free radicals weaker “.
Reduces cholesterol
A notable health property of barley grass powder is the benefits it brings to blood and cholesterol levels. A 2004 study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition examined the effects of barley grass on cardiovascular risk factors. The research concluded that a particular soluble fiber found in barley grass plays a strong role in lowering cholesterol levels.
Another study from 2008, examining the nutritional value of the intake of a high content of barley grass, found confirmation of the same positive effect on reducing cholesterol levels.
The study, published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, found that one 21-day diet enriched with powdered barley grass helped to significantly reduce the amount of cholesterol LDL in the blood.
How do you assume
Barley grass can be taken in the form of powder extract or it can be grown at home.
Place the whole barley grains in a sprouting device, immerse the world barley grains in a little water, place everything in a warm environment and as the hours go by you can see the appearance of green stems of barley that will grow in height. Barley grass is harvested in an early state of germination, 200 days later germination, when the shoots reach about 30 cm in height. This is where they can offer the most nutrients, because young leaves have a very high capacity for absorb substances nutrients from the soil.
This barley grass can be cut and eaten like salad.
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