Barley

Description
Barley is the forth important cereal crop in the world, it is very nutritious and an excellent body-builder.
Barley resemble wheat in composition although it is less palatable. The barley grain, also called pearl barley, is prepare by removing the outer husk.

Origin and Distribution
Barley was the first cereal food to be domesticated in the middle east at 9,000 years and was probably the most important of the early cereals. Hulled barley was grown the ancient Egyptians. IT is now widely grown in Europe and region near the Sahara and the high plateau of Tibet. The world largest producer are Soviet Union, Germany, China and the United State.

Food Value
Barley is very nutritious and a rich source of protein and vitamin B-complex. Its protein content is superior to the protein of corn and beans.
    Most of the world's Barley is converted into malt. it is the most important cereal use in brewing of beer. Barley cannot be used for  leavened bread because of low gluten content. Its is more used in soup.
   Barley is also widely used as feed for live stock.



                                                                        BARLEY

Value per 100 gms edible portion

Natural Benefit and Curative Properties
   Barley has many medicinal virtue. Pearl barley, which is the form grain is largely eaten and consume as a
food by invalids. The malt prepare from barley is use in preparation of malt extracted for incorporation in the diet of the infant and invalid.
     The partially germinated and dried grain is a source of malt extract  which is more nutritious than the unmalted barley-malt extract consist chiefly of dextrin and malt and malt sugar and contain ferment diastase enzyme which is develop during the malting process. This ferment diastase possesses the power of converting starch into dextrin and sugar. Thus assisting in the digestive of starch and farinaceous food.

Digestive System Disorder
   The pearl barley has been used be orient traditional physicians for the healing and rejuvenation of the digestive system. A simple, yet effective folk remedy was to brew barley an sip through out the day, while restricting the intake of other food. The folk remedy has help many people even till this days.
    The barley brew is prepare by boiling one-quarter cup of all natural pearl barley in about 2.5 liters of water. When the water has boiled down to about 1.25 liters, it should be strained carefully. This all-natural barley brew helps the digestive in two ways. It has a demulcent or soothing response and relieve the burning digestive action. It also has a mucilagenous response and introduces a natural oily substance which help to protect the abraded mucous membrane of the digestive system. Once the digestive system is thus soothed and healed,  it can promote better assimilation of foods.

Fever
   Barley is also useful in fever and all kind of inflammatory conditions on account of its soothing properties.

Urinary Disorder
   Barley gruel with butter milk and lime juice is an excellent diuretic carbohydrate food. It is highly beneficial in the treatment of urinary disorders like nephritis and cystitis.