Barley Grass the Wonder Crop

First what is barley grass ? Barley grass (Hordeum vulgare) is the seedling of the barley plant. Although in the past, the grain of the barley was mainly used for in the production of beer, as a feed for stock and making flour. Researchers discovered the true nutrition of barley is in its leaves the young green shoots that form before the grain is formed.It is usually harvested about 6 months after planting, before the grain is formed when the shoots are less than a foot tall.

Barley grass has an amazing variety of vitamins and minerals. Barely 12 to 14 inches tall, barley grass is packed with all the nutrients a human body needs. Some of the vitamins in green barley grass are five B vitamins, including Vitamin B12. It also contains folic acid, panthothenic acid, B1, B2, B6, beta carotene, and C and E. And recent laboratory analysis on green barley grass has turned up traces of more than 70 minerals, among them calcium, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus.

Barley grass also contains chlorophyll. Chlorophyll has been studied as a as a stimulator of tissue growth, and as a stimulator of red blood cells and the red pigment in blood. Chlorophyll has also been found beneficial in the treatment of calcium oxalate stone disease, and as an accelerator in the healing of wounds. Chlorophyll and other essential nutrients found in barley grass act together to detoxify the body from destructive toxins such as heavy metals and pollutants that we digest every day. Chlorophyll also has anti-inflammatory properties.

Barley grass contains many different enzymes that are the necessary regulators of the body, without them our cells could not function and we would perish. Barley grass has one of the highest natural levels of enzyme SOD (superoxide dismutase), which is a powerful antioxidant that protects the cells against toxic free radicals, thought to be a primary culprit in aging.

Green barley grass is also said to have a high alkalizing effect, because it contains the buffer minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. The modern day diet of processed food produces prolonged acidic environment in the body that can damage bones, raise blood pressure, lower energy levels, invite infection and weaken immune response in the body. Raising pH levels by taking alkaline foods such as barley grass through the diet helps eliminate and reverse these conditions.

Barley grass is truly a wonder food. People may scoff and say all I need to do is eat fresh fruit and vegetables. To get the chlorophyll that is contained in 10 grams of barley grass in powdered form you would have to eat several servings of spinach, kale, mustard greens, and turnip every single day. You would also eat have eat 6 servings of vegetables every single day to match the nutrients found in two small servings of barley grass. Barley grass has many benefits and helps provide the daily nutrition you need to develop a strong foundation for your good health.