The history of barley (Hordeum vulgare), a plant belonging to the Poaceae family, is ancient and dates back 10,000 years. Barley is an ancient grain, cultivated for thousands of years and used in a variety of culinary dishes around the world. Rich in nutrients, barley is especially noted for its fiber, protein, and a range of essential vitamins and minerals. Barley can be consumed whole, pearled (with part of the husk removed), or in the form of flakes and flour, making it incredibly versatile in the kitchen.

Barley has been used since its discovery as a food for humans and animals, and after:

• rice 332.542 billion$
• corn 191.885 billion$ 
• wheat 168.444 billion$ 

is among the most cultivated cereals in the world with 22.905 billion$ (1).

Nutritional Profile (per 100 grams).

• Calories Approximately 354 kcal.
• Protein About 12.5 grams, providing a good source of plant-based protein.
• Fat About 2.3 grams, with a balance of saturated and unsaturated fats.
• Carbohydrates About 73.5 grams, with a high amount of fiber, especially when consumed in its whole form.
• Fiber About 17.3 grams, supporting digestive health and blood sugar control.
• Vitamins and Minerals Rich in B vitamins, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and selenium.

Industrial Production Process

The production of barley flour involves processing barley grains to convert them into a fine powder, suitable for baking and cooking. This process not only retains the nutritional benefits of barley but also enhances its usability in a variety of culinary applications, especially as a healthier alternative to refined wheat flour.

• Selection and cleaning. Barley grains are carefully selected and cleaned to remove impurities such as stones, dust, and other debris.
• Soaking and germination (optional). For some types of barley flour, the grains may be soaked and allowed to germinate to increase digestibility and nutritional value.
• Drying. After soaking, the grains are dried to reduce moisture and prepare them for grinding.
• Grinding. The dried barley grains are ground into flour. The fineness of the grind can vary depending on preferences and the intended use of the flour.
• Sifting. The flour is then sifted to remove any coarse particles and ensure a fine, uniform texture.

Considerations

Barley offers several health benefits, including improving digestive health, supporting weight management due to its satiating effect, and reducing the risk of chronic diseases through its nutritional profile. It has also been shown to help lower cholesterol levels and stabilize blood sugar levels.

Preparation Pearled barley requires shorter cooking times compared to whole barley, but both can be cooked similarly to rice or farro.

Culinary Use Can be used in soups, stews, salads, side dishes, or as a base for main dishes. Barley is also a great addition to bread and other baked goods.

Allergies Contains gluten, making it unsuitable for those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.

Studies

In barley there are functional ingredients interesting for human health such as beta-glucans, polysaccarids, the main components of the soluble part of dietary fiber. Their characteristic is to facilitate the regular function of the gastrointestinal tract, the homeostasis of glucose and the regulation of energy in the human body (2). They can prevent oncogenesis due to the protective effect against powerful genotoxic carcinogens (3).

But while a high beta-glucan content is positive for human health, the brewing industry that uses malt, needs a low concentration of beta-glucans as high levels can negatively affect malt filtration.

In addition, phenolic compounds found in barley, as well as producing an antioxidant effect in the human body, have probiotic and gastroprotective effects (4).

Another interesting aspect of the other ingredients present in barley concerns the effect that fermented barley extract produces on the colon mucosa. It has been noted that this extract can relieve constipation (5).

Barley studies

References__________________________________________________________________________

(1) FAO 2019

(2) Baldassano S, Accardi G, Vasto S. Beta-glucans and cancer: The influence of inflammation and gut peptide. Eur J Med Chem. 2017 Dec 15;142:486-492. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2017.09.013. Epub 2017 Sep 15. PMID: 28964548.

(3) Akramiene D, Kondrotas A, Didziapetriene J, Kevelaitis E. Effects of beta-glucans on the immune system. Medicina (Kaunas). 2007;43(8):597-606. 

Abstract. Beta-glucans are naturally occurring polysaccharides. These glucose polymers are constituents of the cell wall of certain pathogenic bacteria and fungi. The healing and immunostimulating properties of mushrooms have been known for thousands of years in the Eastern countries. These mushrooms contain biologically active polysaccharides that mostly belong to group of beta-glucans. These substances increase host immune defense by activating complement system, enhancing macrophages and natural killer cell function. The induction of cellular responses by mushroom and other beta-glucans is likely to involve their specific interaction with several cell surface receptors, as complement receptor 3 (CR3; CD11b/CD18), lactosylceramide, selected scavenger receptors, and dectin-1 (betaGR). beta-Glucans also show anticarcinogenic activity. They can prevent oncogenesis due to the protective effect against potent genotoxic carcinogens. As immunostimulating agent, which acts through the activation of macrophages and NK cell cytotoxicity, beta-glucan can inhibit tumor growth in promotion stage too. Anti-angiogenesis can be one of the pathways through which beta-glucans can reduce tumor proliferation, prevent tumor metastasis. beta-Glucan as adjuvant to cancer chemotherapy and radiotherapy demonstrated the positive role in the restoration of hematopiesis following by bone marrow injury. Immunotherapy using monoclonal antibodies is a novel strategy of cancer treatment. These antibodies activate complement system and opsonize tumor cells with iC3b fragment. In contrast to microorganisms, tumor cells, as well as other host cells, lack beta-glucan as a surface component and cannot trigger complement receptor 3-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and initiate tumor-killing activity. This mechanism could be induced in the presence of beta-glucans.

(4) Charalampopoulos D, Pandiella SS, Webb C. Evaluation of the effect of malt, wheat and barley extracts on the viability of potentially probiotic lactic acid bacteria under acidic conditions. Int J Food Microbiol. 2003 Apr 25;82(2):133-41. doi: 10.1016/s0168-1605(02)00248-9.

Abstract. In this work, the effect of cereal extracts, used as delivery vehicles for potentially probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB), on the acid tolerance of the cells was evaluated under conditions that simulate the gastric tract. More specifically, the effect of malt, barley and wheat extracts on the viability of Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus reuteri during exposure for 4 h in a phosphate buffer acidified at pH 2.5 was investigated. In the absence of cereal extracts all strains demonstrated a significant reduction in their cell population, particularly L. plantarum. The viability of L. plantarum was improved by approximately 4 log(10) cycles in the presence of malt and 3 log(10) cycles in the presence of wheat and barley. The survival of L. acidophilus and L. reuteri was increased by more than 1.5 and 0.7 log(10) cycle, respectively, upon addition of cereal extracts. In order to evaluate the contribution of the cereal constituents on cell survival, the individual effect of glucose, maltose and free amino nitrogen (FAN), which were added at concentrations that correlated to the reducing sugar and FAN content of the cereal extracts, was examined. The viability of L. plantarum was progressively improved as the maltose or glucose concentration increased; an increase by approximately 2 log(10) cycles was observed in the presence of 8.33 g/l sugar. The survival of L. acidophilus increased by more than 1 log(10) cycle, even at very low concentrations of maltose and glucose (e.g., 0.67 g/l), while L. reuteri stability was enhanced in the presence of maltose but no appreciable effect was demonstrated in the presence of glucose. Sugar analysis indicated that glycolysis was inhibited in all cases. Addition of tryptone and yeast extract, used as sources of FAN, enhanced L. acidophilus acid tolerance, but did not affect L. reuteri and L. plantarum. The results presented in this study indicate that malt, wheat and barley extracts exhibit a significant protective effect on the viability of L. plantarum, L. acidophilus and L. reuteri under acidic conditions, which could be mainly attributed to the amount of sugar present in the cereal extracts.

(5) Lim JM, Kim YD, Song CH, Park SJ, Park DC, Cho HR, Jung GW, Bashir KMI, Ku SK, Choi JS. Laxative effects of triple fermented barley extracts (FBe) on loperamide (LP)-induced constipation in rats. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2019 Jun 21;19(1):143. doi: 10.1186/s12906-019-2557-x. 

Abstract. Background: Constipation, a common health problem, causes discomfort and affects the quality of life. This study intended to evaluate the potential laxative effect of triple fermented barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) extract (FBe), produced by saccharification, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Weissella cibaria, on loperamide (LP)-induced constipation in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, a well-established animal model of spastic constipation....Results: In the present study, oral administration of 100-300 mg/kg of FBe exhibited promising laxative properties including intestinal charcoal transit ratio, thicknesses and mucous producing goblet cells of colonic mucosa with decreases of fecal pellet numbers and mean diameters remained in the lumen of colon, mediated by increases in gastrointestinal motility. Conclusion: Therefore, FBe might act as a promising laxative agent and functional food ingredient to cure spastic constipation, with less toxicity observed at a dose of 100 mg/kg.