7 Benefits of Barley Juice Powder

By Sue Salish

When choosing a greens supplement that provides top-notch nutrition, look no further than barley juice powder. This power-packed powder contains the cold-pressed, dried juice of tender young barley grass. With the indigestible barley grass fiber removed, the highly concentrated nutrients are easier to absorb.

A Powerful Source of Nutrition

Barley grass is so nutrient-dense that it can supply complete nutritional support. Barley juice powder bolsters good health by providing:

• Chlorophyll
• Antioxidant enzymes: particularly,  superoxide dismutase (SOD) and nitrogen reductase
• Antioxidant bioflavonoids: a number of C-glycosylflavones, including saponarin and lutonarin
• Eight essential amino acids, making it an extremely rich source of protein, with 15 times more protein than milk
• Minerals: calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and copper
• Vitamins: beta-Carotene, B1, B2, B6, B12, C, pantothenic acid, lutein and folic acid

With so many nutrients, barley juice powder offers extensive health benefits. These are just seven of many.

1. Fills Nutrition Gaps

Barley grass is so packed with nutrients that consumers can rely on it to fill any gaps in their diets. Vegetarians and vegans, especially, may find it difficult to get all the nutrition they need by eating only plant-based foods. Because barley grass is nutritionally complete, it's an excellent dietary supplement.

2. Helps Control Cholesterol Levels

While the fiber in barley grass is the star in cholesterol control, barley grass juice contains phytochemicals such as flavonoids and folate, which also have a positive effect on cholesterol. Preliminary animal and clinical data show that these phytochemicals assist in lowering total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels while increasing HDL cholesterol levels.

3. Assists With Managing Chronic Disease Symptoms

Loaded with bioactive compounds like superoxide dismutase and bioflavonoids, barley grass scavenges free radicals in the body. This may play a role in reducing inflammation in chronic diseases such as rheumatoid synovitis, arthritis and gout.

4. Beneficial for Bone Health

With 11 times more calcium than milk, barley grass juice is an excellent source of this mineral, especially for people who don't eat dairy products. Its store of manganese also improves normal bone production.

5. Inhibits Cancer Tumor Growth

The high levels of antioxidants and chlorophyll in barley grass may protect against carcinogens. A particularly interesting study shows that barley grass extract inhibits breast and prostate tumor growth. While this was a lab finding, the results support other lab research that suggests barley grass has cancer-fighting properties.

6. Fuels Immunity

Iron, copper, folic acid, vitamins C, B6 and B12, and protein are all vital to maintaining hemoglobin levels and forming red blood cells, and these nutrients are found in abundance in barley grass. It has five times more iron than spinach, and iron improves blood volume and prevents anemia and fatigue. Vitamin C helps improve the body's resistance to disease and infection. Barley grass proteins are easily absorbed polypeptides, and once in the blood, promote cell metabolism and neutralize free radicals.

7. Aids in Boosting Skin Quality

Because selenium affects skin elasticity, and,- when combined with antioxidants, may help prevent free radical damage, barley juice is a good choice as a skin rejuvenator. The cell-regeneration effects of other nutrients in barley grass, such as chlorophyll, iron and vitamin B, also impact skin quality, for added impact.

Mix some Green Foods barley juice powder into smoothies or juice, or add it to salsas, pestos or raw vegetable sauces to take advantage of this highly nutritious supplement.

Sue Salish lives on an island. She loves everything about her home, especially the food and the funky people. Most days, when she's not spinning her own words or editing someone else's, you can find her contemplating the fresh veggies at the farmers market or gazing into tide pools.