Common name:	Barley
Scientific name:	Hordeum vulgare
Synonyms:	Apra, orzo, six rowed barley, Ta Mai
Parts used:	cut and dried or powdered barley grass or barley grass juice powder

 Overview:

Barley is a hardy, annual grass that grows to a little over 3 feet in height. The flowers are very small and are wind pollinated. It is widely cultivated as a grain and is native to central Asia. Barley has been grown as a food source for thousands of years. It is one of the first grains to be grown for food. Paleontologists have found evidence that humans grew barley dating to 7000 BC. Roman gladiators ate barley for increased strength and stamina. Although, barley is more widely known for the grain it produces, its newly sprouted greens are becoming known for not only their nutritional value but for the many health benefits they contain.

Active ingredients:

Barley contains a very large number of chemically active ingredients. These include but are not limited to the following:

• tricin-a potent antioxidant
• the flavonoids: aesculin, apaganini, cyanidin, procyanidins
• prodelphinidins
• palmitoleic acid
• catechins
• saponins
• organic acids
• plant steroids including beta-sitosterol and stigmasterol
• methylesterase
• coumarin

Barley grass is a highly nutritious food source. It contains:

protein	800	mg
fiber	600	mg
chlorophyll	19	mg
vitamin K	280	mg
vitamin C	11	mg
vitamin A	1750	IU
vitamin E	1.1	mcg
thiamin/B1	10	mcg
riboflavin	71	mcg
choline	1	mcg
B-12	1	mcg
niacin	263	mcg
pantothenic acid	840	mcg
folic acid	38	mcg
biotin	4	mcg
calcium	18	mg
phosphorous	18	mg
potassium	112	mg
magnesium	3.6	mg
iron	2	mg
manganese	0.35	-
selenium	.35	mcg
sodium	1	mg
zinc	17.5	mcg
iodine	7.5	mcg
copper	0.2	mcg
cobalt	1.75	mcg

Barley grass is used in traditional medicine for nutritional support and as a:

• antioxidant
• cellular regenerator
• rejuvenating tonic
• to relieve symptoms in digestive disorders
• immune system enhancer
• anti-viral

Clinical uses:

Clinical studies here and abroad are showing the exiting possibilities in using barley grass. Studies by Yasuo Hotta at the University of California, La Jolla, isolated a substance P4D1 from barley grass. His studies showed that P4D1 was a potent anti inflammatory and was also responsible for DNA repair at the cellular level. His presentation a Japan Pharmacy Science Association meeting detailed how P4D1 helped suppress and alleviate the symptoms of pancreatitis, inflammation of the oral cavity and lacerations of the stomach and small intestines. These studies also showed that the anti inflammatory effect of barley grass was superior to steroids without their many side effects. Barley grass is also showing promise in treating the toxic effects of alcohol consumption. Acetaldehyde is a by product of alcohol breakdown in the liver. Acetaldehyde is toxic to tissue and may be responsible for the cancers associated with excess alcohol consumption, cancer of the stomach and the esophagus.

Recommended Dosage:

Adult

Fluid extract (1:1) in 25% ethanol: 5 to 10ml three times a day. Powdered extract (solid): 5 to 10g of barley grass mixed with juice or water 3 times/day.

Contra-indications:

Barley grass is generally regarded as safe with no known contra indications.

Drug interactions

Barley grass has shown no drug interactions to date.

Web References

1. Flora Health
2. Wikipedia
3. iBiblio.org
4. Green Foods.com

Printed Reference Material

1. Cremer L, Herold A, Avram D, Szegli G. 1996. Inhibitory capacity of some fractions isolated from a green barley extract upon TNF alpha production by the cells of the THP-1 human monocytes line. Roum Arch Microbiol Immunol. 1996 Oct-Dec; 55(4): 285-94.
2. Duke JA. 1992. Handbook of Phytochemical Constituents of GRAS Herbs and Other Economic Plants. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, pp. 293-295.
3. Kanauchi O, Iwanaga T, Mitsuyama K. 2001. Germinated barley foodstuff feeding. A novel neutraceutical therapeutic strategy for ulcerative colitis. Digestion. 2001; 63 Suppl 1: 60-7.
4. LeVasseur SA, Helme RD. 1991. A double-blind clinical trial to compare the efficacy of an active based cream F14001 against a placebo non-active based cream for the treatment of pressure ulcers in a population of elderly subjects. J Adv Nurs. 1991 Aug; 16(8): 952-6.
5. Mitsuyama K, Saiki T, Kanauchi O, Iwanaga T, Tomiyasu N, Nishiyama T, Tateishi H, Shirachi A, Ide M, Suzuki A, Noguchi K, Ikeda H, Toyonaga A, Sata M. 1998. Treatment of ulcerative colitis with germinated barley foodstuff feeding: a pilot study. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 1998 Dec; 12(12): 1225-30.
6. 1. S. Nakajima, Y. Hagiwara, H. Hagiwara, and T. Shibamoto. Effect of the antioxidant 2"-O-Glycosylisovitexin from young green barley leaves on acetaldehyde formation in beer stored at 50 degrees C for 90 days, 1998, Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry Vol. 46 (4), 1529-1531

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