Life is Full with Chemistry

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Barley (off-topic) XD

Barley is one of the common cooling remedy among the locals and it is one of my favorite drink. I love having a few glasses of it when the weather is hot and dry. I even make it when I’m free during the weekend. It such a nice beverages which I never miss having it in any days of a week. Besides that, does anyone know about what make barley so special and could give such a great cooling ability to our human body?? Does u know how barley came about??

Let me tell u more about it

Barley existed 17000BCE ago and it was found in Epipaleolithic at Ohala II at southern end of the Sea of Galilee, Israel (largest freshwater lake in Israel). (Surprisingly barley is found in such a large freshwater lake).

Barley was one of the first crops domesticated in the East. During the Neolithic age, barley beer was developed and later was used as currency due to its demands.

In ancient Egypt, barley was used to make bread and beer. On top of that, in ancient Greece, barley was used to prepare ritual drink call as “Barley-mother” and soon converted to malt which fermented to alcoholic beverages. Even in Roman, barley was a special meal for gladiators known as hordearii “barley-eaters”

From the history of barley, I come to understand about the usage of it during the ancient civilizations as a food for humans and animals, as well as alcoholic beverages. On top of that, barley water has been used for various medicinal purposes since ancient times.

Barley comes in various different forms nowadays. Here are the types of barley you could find

Hulled barley / Dehulled Barley
Barleys in its hulled form contains most nutrient require a lot of time to soak when used.

Pearl Barley
Barley undergo pearling process in which removing the outermost hull, the grain’s bran layer and its inner endosperm layer. Pearl barley contain least nutrient compare to hulled barley and less chewy.

Pot/Scotch Barley
Barley been polished which remove its outer hull and leaving large amount of the grain remain intact. It has denser of nutrient than pearl barley and mainly use in soup production.

Barley Flakes
Barley has been flattened and sliced into rolled oat shape. Barley flakes can be made either from hulled, hulless or pearl barley which differ in the nutrient content depending on the source of barley used.

Barley Grits
Barley has been cracked and toasted which can be made either from hulled, hulless or pearl barley which has significantly different in nutrient content.

You must be curious wondering what the chemistry behind this grain after the long introduction of it.
Sorry to make it so long but this topic interest me a lot as it my favorite grain after all!! XD

Let get into health benefit, I will make it quick.

Barley consist of high fiber which could give intestinal health a boost by providing bulk and decreasing the transit time of fecal matter, therefore decrease the risk of colon cancer and hemorrhoids. On top of that barley provides food for “good” bacteria in large intestine which allow them to produce butyric acid which act as primary fuel for cells of large intestine and maintain healthy colon.

Barley’s insoluble fiber also produced propionic acid which has cholesterol-lowering properties which help lowering blood cholesterol levels. Additional of that, barley is high in beta glucan, which lower cholesterol by binding to bile acid and removed via feces. (This is very beneficial for people which have heart disease since it forces the body to make more bile by breaking down cholesterol.) (Interesting point right? He he ^-^)

Barley is a good source of niacin, a type of B vitamin that provides numerous protective actions against cardiovascular risk. Niacin reduces total cholesterol and lipoprotein-α level. Lipoprotein-α composed of protein and fat that found in blood plasma which similar to LDL cholesterol but more dangerous as it could attach to blood vessel walls. Niacin help prevent oxidizing of LDL which harmful to blood vessel. On top of that, niacin help reduce clotting of blood platelets which will causes formation of blood clots. Conclude that, barley give additional protection against atherosclerosis. (Isn't it good consuming barley?)

Do you know that barley is a rich source of magnesium? Magnesium is a mineral act as a co-factor for 300 over enzymes in our body include glucose and insulin secretion. Therefore consumption of barley could reduce the risk of diabetes by promoting healthy blood sugar control. Barley could effectively reduce both glucose and insulin due to barley’s soluble fiber content. On top of that it contains more than 4 times the soluble fiber of common oats.

I think you should be tired of reading so much of word. I just conclude what you could benefit upon consumption of barley.

Barley is high in dietary fiber, copper, selenium, manganese, phosphorus and tryptohan which provide nutrient that help to improve our health. Barley could give protection against high cholesterol, intestinal problem, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular and breast cancer for postmenopausal women, decrease heart failure risk (heart disease), lowering risk of diabetes, prevent formation of gallstones, decrease risk of childhood asthma, reduce risk of colon cancer and reduce symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

From this assignment I learnt a lot of benefit of this grain which actually benefit human life. If u aren’t a barley-lover like me, you might want to consider be one. It would help u to reduce the risk of getting any of the above disease or health problems. Hope my posting would help u understand more about it. ^-^

~Jasonyap~