The Benefits of Barley: Appetite and Blood Sugar Control

Barley has such a mild flavor some might call it boring, but Swedish researchers have uncovered barley’s tremendous diabetes-related health benefits.

Putting Barley To The Test

After consuming bread primarily made from barley kernels for three days - at breakfast, lunch, and dinner - research participants had decreases in blood sugar and insulin levels, an increase in insulin sensitivity, and demonstrated better appetite control.

The effect barley has on blood glucose and appetite is attributed to barley’s amazing mix of dietary fibers. The fibers stimulate and cultivate good digestive bacteria, and the release of certain hormones.

“After eating the bread made out of barley kernel, we saw an increase in gut hormones that regulate metabolism and appetite, and an increase in a hormone that helps reduce chronic low-grade inflammation, among the participants,” said researcher Anne Nillsson. “In time this could help prevent the occurrence of both cardiovascular disease and diabetes.”


Getting Barley's Benefits

Though the Swedish scientists are not suggesting that eating barley is a solution for type 2 diabetes, they do hope more people will more often consume these fiber-rich, glucose normalizing kernels.

It’s easy to cook creatively with versatile barley:

  • Barley does not have to be restricted to beef barley soup. It makes an excellent nutritious addition to many of your favorite soups, stews, and casseroles without appreciably altering the flavor.
  • Some salads and veggie dishes will benefit from barley’s earthy texture. Barley goes very well in beet salads, for instance, and could be an interesting addition to your favorite potato salad.
  • Rice is usually used to make risotto, but you can make it with barley instead.
  • Barley can be used in drinks, including teas and water. To make lemon barley water simmer some pearl barley, strain the liquid, add lemon, and a bit of stevia or honey to sweeten.
  • A little milk and some fresh berries make cooked barley a warm, satisfying breakfast cereal.

Barley is also awesome on its own. The nutty, slightly buttery flavor and somewhat chewy texture makes barley a great compliment to many meats and main course dishes.


Sources: Science Daily; The Kitchn
Photo credit: Christian Scheja


More Articles

With its slightly nutty flavor, chewy texture, and nutritional punch farro is an ancient whole grain worth a place in our pantry.

Farro...

Having diabetes is cause for concern, however it doesn’t mean that you need to eliminate all of your favorite foods from your diet completely....

With diabetes becoming more of an epidemic each and every day, being knowledgeable about the disease, its effects on the body as well as ways to...

If you’re a diabetic or live with one, it can be tough trying to figure out the best foods to eat because your priority is to control your blood...

In this post, I will show you the 10 best ice creams for diabetics.

When you think of sweetened foods that a diabetic shouldn’t consume,...

More Articles

If you’re living with diabetes, snacking is a necessity because going for more than 3-4 hours without eating can be detrimental to your health....

For diabetics, choosing healthy snacks can be a daunting task.

A good rule of thumb is to pick out snacks that are rich in protein, fiber,...

According to information available through the National Institutes of Health, there’s an estimated 462 million people in the world who are...

Eleven Clinical Studies

After eleven clinical studies and 300,000 participants, researcher Vasanti Malik and her team of researchers...

Diabetic women often have a harder time losing weight than non-diabetic women. A study funded by Jenny Craig proved that diabetic women have an...

Many recent studies have proved that magnesium levels are lower in patients with diabetes than in non-diabetics. This magnesium...

Fluid retention, also known as edema, is a problem that affects many diabetics, especially those with type 2 diabetes...

Some of us might be thrilled if we could manage our blood sugar by sitting in a hot tub or sauna, instead of working up a sweat biking, or using...

Cooking and baking with the ancient cereal grain sorghum has health benefits for people with diabetes, and those with weight control issues....

When it comes to certain foods, there are always questions as to whether or not a diabetic can have them without...

Matcha tea is a rich, creamy, full-bodied beverage with amazing nutritional properties that address several diabetes health concerns.

The...

Salads are good example of foods that type 2 diabetics can enjoy with relatively low guilt. With the right greens and other elements added, salad...

Remaining gainfully employed is important to many people. Those who live with any form of diabetes may find that some lines of work are more...

Learning that you have diabetes does mean making some lifestyle changes. One of the areas that needs attention is your diet. Most people find that...

One of the more challenging aspects of life as a type 2 diabetic is managing your diet. There’s often the temptation to avoid certain foods...