Barley Water, Benefits, How to Make and Side Effects

Due to the presence of dietary fibre, unstrained barley water has a laxative action and help increase faecal volume. This, in turn, prevents constipation. Barley water is said to be effective in the management of ulcerative colitis, pancreatitis, and disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. 

The insoluble fibre present in barley also benefit the friendly bacteria in the intestine, which aids bowel movement and digestion.

(Read more: How to improve digestion)

Furthermore, barley is rich in selenium, a mineral that is suggested to have an ameliorative effect on gastric ulcers. 

(Read more: Homeopathic remedies for peptic ulcer)

Barley inhibits the growth of cancer cells through the combined effects of high alkaline, strong antioxidative, phytochemicals, flavonoids, and chlorophyll. Phytochemical mixtures of barley have been found to show promising antitumour effects in breast cancer.

Green barley extract has also been found to have anticancer effect as it shows antiproliferative and proapoptotic functions on leukaemia, lymphoma along with human breast cancer cells.

A study conducted in 2014 examined the effects of β-d-glucans, bioactive components of plant cells on breast cancer cells. The study has found that drinking barley water helps to cease the rapid cell division of breast cancer cells.

(Read more: Diet for cancer patients)

Barley water contains high amounts of vitamins and antioxidants that can boost the immune system.

Consuming barley water on a regular basis also helps to speed up wound healing and help the body resist cold and flu.

Additionally, barley water, when taken along with antibiotics helps to promote the function and effectiveness of the medication.

(Read more: Immunity boosting foods)

Barley is also extremely rich in calcium. Homeostasis of calcium is of paramount physiological and pathophysiological importance in bone health and diseases.

Drinking barley water may thus make sure that you get enough calcium which, in turn, reduces the risk of osteoporosis.

(Read more: Calcium-rich Indian foods)

Drinking barley water can also help to fight fatigue. Lutonarin and saponarin comprise about 17% of the total constituents in barley. These are flavones that have antihypoxia (increases oxygen supply to tissues) and anti-fatigue effects on humans.

So, erase that fatigue away with a glass of barley water.

Barley water is a powerful diuretic and helps in clearing out toxins from kidneys. It is traditionally used for the management and prevention of urinary tract infections (UTI).

A qualitative study was conducted in 2012 with 151 Hispanic women. The participants had a wide variety of symptoms for UTI. Several interviews were conducted, where a large number of Hispanic men and women claimed that one of the best home remedies they relied on for curing UTI was barley water.

More research is, however, required to determine the exact components of barley that show such effects.

(Read more: Home remedies for UTI)

Barley water has the potential for reducing inflammation. The bioactive compound, saponarin is an important functional ingredient responsible for the anti-inflammatory properties of barley water. 

Studies indicate that barley water with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties can be used as a natural drug for the treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. It is suggested to act by neutralising reactive oxygen species and downregulating tumour necrosis factor (a cell signalling protein triggering systemic inflammation) from peripheral blood and synovial fluid of patients.

(Read more: 5 Foods that help reduce inflammation)

Drinking barley water can have immense benefits for skin health because it is rich in antioxidants and a host of other nutrients. The zinc present in barley may help to heal the skin and repair wounds. Drinking barley water may also help in the reduction of facial lesions or wounds over time.

The presence of large amounts of selenium in barley may aid in maintaining the elasticity of the skin and keeping it toned by preventing free radical damage. So if you want to get rid of that acne, start drinking barley water.

Barley water also helps to keep the skin hydrated. Evidence from a study suggests that barley water may help delay ageing. Participants were given barley and soybean as a dietary supplement for 8 weeks and the hydration effects were estimated. At the end of the study, a considerable increase in the skin hydration levels was noticed. This increase in skin hydration has been claimed to slow down ageing.

(Read more: Prevention of premature ageing)

Consumption of barley water can prevent thrombosis and cardiovascular diseases by improving blood viscosity and flow. The metabolites of an amino acid tryptophan present in barley are suggested to have a potential for developing appropriate therapies for patients with cardiovascular diseases.

Barley is also abundantly rich in potassium. An increase in potassium intake is associated with decreasing inflammation and oxidative stress, which can prevent the risk of a heart disease.

Furthermore, barley water is known to help reduce blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels, two of the major risk factors for heart diseases.

The bioactive compound saponarin found in barley possesses blood pressure regulating potential. Barley water helps in the regulation of blood flow and digestion. It also aids in regularising the general toxification of the human body, due to the presence of superoxide dismutase, lutonarin as well as saponarin.

A study conducted in 2006, which was published in the Journal of American Dietetic Association found that increasing the intake of whole grains such as barley rich in insoluble fibre, helps to reduce blood pressure and maintain a healthy weight.

(Read more: High blood pressure symptoms)

Barley water on regularised consumption can help in reducing total cholesterol as it reduces low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, but significantly increases the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels. Hexacosanol, a bioactive compound present in barley can improve cholesterol metabolism by decreasing cholesterol synthesis.

A recent study was conducted on healthy and hypercholesterolemic men and women to determine and record any change in serum lipid and cholesterol levels on consumption of barley water. The duration of the study ranged from 4 to 12 weeks, and it concluded that barley significantly reduced the total cholesterol, along with LDL, and triglyceride levels in the body.

(Read more: High cholesterol treatment)

Barley has a number of biologically active compounds which help in controlling hyperglycemia (increased blood sugar). Saponarin is one such component that can control blood glucose in case of diabetes.

Barley is also abundantly rich in both magnesium and calcium. A study was conducted on a group of African American women in the United States to test the association between eating a diet rich in magnesium and calcium and the risk of occurrence of Type 2 diabetes. The study kept track of the food frequency patterns of 41,186 women for 8 years and it was found that the daily consumption of magnesium-rich foods, especially whole grains, was linked to a lower risk of type-2 diabetes.

(Read more: What to eat and what not to eat in diabetes)

Barley water can be of great aid when it comes to weight loss. Barley is high in protein and very low in fat, cholesterol, and sugar content. It is also packed with essential vitamins and minerals. These properties make it an ideal nutrient for weight loss.

(Read more: 15 Tried and tested tips to lose weight)

Drinking barley water has recently become a very popular way to burn calories. About 2 to 3 glasses of barley water can be consumed every day to speed up metabolism for effective weight loss.

If consumed regularly, barley water can significantly reduce the risk of obesity.

Barley water in combination with lemon and honey is a wonderful alternative to beverages high in calories.

(Read more: Weight loss diet chart)

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