Pearl barley porridge is a natural vitamin supplement - what was given to ancient Roman gladiators before battle?

Chemical composition and nutritional value of pearl barley

Barley grains are partially ground, so they retain a sufficient amount of useful compounds.

The pearl barley contains:

• retinol (A);
• tocopherol (E);
• calciferol (D);
• B vitamins;
• amino acids;
• cellulose;
• lipids;
• proteins;
• mineral elements (calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium);
• trace elements (zinc, iron, selenium).

Raw pearl barley has a calorie content of 320 kcal per 100 grams. One hundred grams of boiled cereal contains 100 kcal. The glycemic index of pearl barley is no more than 20 units, which is less than in other cereal products.

The good nutritional value and low calorie content of barley allow this product to be included in many dietary menus.

Content of vitamins and minerals in 100 g of pearl barley

How is pearl barley useful for the human body?

The most important substance in barley grains is lysine. This amino acid accelerates the healing of skin damage and activates cellular regeneration. Therefore, pearl barley porridge is recommended for patients who have undergone injuries and surgical procedures.

Substances found in cereals have a variety of positive effects on the human body.

1. Fiber, which grains are rich in, is extremely important for the proper functioning of the digestive tract. It cleanses the body of toxins and decay products remaining after digestion of food.
2. Pearl barley porridge has a mucous consistency, so it is beneficial for peptic ulcers and other inflammatory pathologies of the stomach. Cereal mucus also coats the walls of the throat, eliminating coughs and eliminating infectious diseases of the upper respiratory tract.
3. The cereal is rich in minerals. It is especially rich in phosphorus, an element that increases brain performance. The grain also contains a lot of selenium, a microelement that has a pronounced antioxidant effect.
4. Lysine is necessary for the synthesis of collagen fibers. And collagen maintains the beauty of hair, youth and healthy skin.
5. The energy value of the product is high, but the calorie content is low. Porridge satisfies well, relieves hunger for a long time, but does not cause weight gain.
6. Barley differs from other grains in that it contains protein in high concentration. And protein elements are necessary for building muscle fibers. Therefore, people leading an active life and athletes cannot do without pearl barley porridge in their diet.

For diabetes

Cereal dishes must be present in the diet of diabetics. Barley porridge regularly included in the menu normalizes the concentration of glucose in the blood. Moreover, the likelihood of sugar fluctuations is significantly reduced. The product also saturates the diabetic’s body with fiber, enzymes and other necessary substances.

For pancreatitis

Patients suffering from pancreatitis are forced to adhere to a special diet. It is recommended to include pearl barley in the menu. Porridge has an enveloping, antibiotic, soothing and restorative effect. For pancreatitis, it is advisable to make milk porridge; the grain is soaked before cooking.

For gastritis

Porridges are extremely useful for inflammatory diseases of the digestive organs. The main thing is not to let the cereal become too boiled.

For gastritis with low acidity of gastric juice, pearl barley broth . Thanks to its enveloping effect, it perfectly reduces the symptoms of the disease. To prepare a decoction, you need to pour 100 grams of cereal with a liter of warm water, leave for 5 hours, then cook for 20 minutes. The boiled product is infused for half an hour, filtered, and taken a quarter glass 3 times a day before meals.

Barley for constipation

The fiber contained in cereals ensures the normal functioning of the intestinal tract. Fiber fibers are not digested, but they bring great benefits to the intestines: they normalize microflora and remove harmful accumulations.

From the history

It is known that pearl barley has long been popular. For example, it was highly valued by gladiators in Ancient Rome. Since such porridge has a very high calorie content, it could quickly restore a person’s strength after a long battle in the arena, and warriors received a portion of stamina and energy with it.

The word “pearl” itself comes from the Old Russian “pearl” or “pearl”, which corresponds to its appearance. In the Bible, barley grains are mentioned very often, more than twenty times. And in ancient times, now inexpensive pearl barley was constantly included in the menu of high-ranking and noble people. In order to properly prepare porridge from it, the cereal was soaked for at least twelve hours, and then boiled in water or milk. It was also simmered in ovens, placed in special clay pots.

At one time, pearl barley porridge was constantly included in the menu of the military: its calorie content and satiety were well known. However, since it had to be soaked and cooked for a long time, it subsequently became less popular among soldiers.

Benefits for the female body

Few women believe, but pearl barley helps get rid of extra pounds.

Cereal dishes are carbohydrate foods. But carbohydrates in cereals are slow, they perfectly saturate the body, provide a lot of energy, but do not cause weight gain.

According to scientific research, it is beneficial to consume pearl barley for women entering menopause. Older women who regularly include pearl barley porridge in their menu reduce the risk of breast cancer by half. This is due to the fact that cereal contains a lot of selenium, a strong antioxidant that destroys malignant cells.

Barley during pregnancy

Cereal porridges are very healthy during pregnancy. They saturate the mother’s body with useful compounds that help survive the difficult period of gestation and ensure the full development of the embryo.

• Pearl barley porridge consumed during pregnancy:
• eliminates constipation, common in expectant mothers;
• speeds up metabolism;
• saturates the body with iron, which is important for the synthesis of blood cells and the prevention of anemia;
• provides the embryonic body with vitamins and mineral elements;
• maintains the normal nervous system of the mother;
• eliminates stagnant processes in the maternal body;
• prevents obesity in the expectant mother.

Barley during breastfeeding

Mothers should not eat pearl barley porridge during the first months of breastfeeding. It is advisable to return the product to the diet no earlier than 4 months after birth. It is better for mothers to eat hot porridge, it is digested faster.

Many mothers are interested in the age at which a child can eat pearl barley. Some nutritionists warn that porridge contains gluten, a protein substance that can cause allergies in a baby. Other experts say that pearl barley is healthy and safe for babies. But the main thing that mothers need to remember is that pearl barley porridge is a difficult product to digest and should not be given to a child under 3 years of age.

To feed a baby from one year old, yachka - ground pearl barley - is used. It boils better and is easily absorbed by the child’s body. To prevent allergies, children should be given liquid pearl barley, prepared in water, not milk. If the baby has an allergic reaction after eating, then porridge is excluded from the diet.

How to choose the right product

Few people truly love pearl barley porridge, because people often do not know by what criteria they should choose it correctly. There are at least five pearl barley numbers on sale. The higher the number, the smaller the grain will be.

The optimal choice for cooking is number two. This product looks like a beautifully polished white powder, with whole and ripe grains, which are best suited for soups.

The third, fourth and fifth numbers can be used when cooking porridge. However, it should be borne in mind that if a batch of grains is too colorful or contains broken grains, beware of mitotoxins, which can cause not only stomach discomfort, but also poisoning. You need to carefully look at the appearance of the grains of these numbers before you buy, and then you can prepare delicious porridge, avoiding unpleasant consequences.

Barley for weight loss

The answer to the question, is it possible to lose weight while sitting on barley, is positive. Porridge is easily digestible, suitable for fasting days, tones the body, and normalizes digestion. The pearl barley diet is optimal for weight loss.

You can quickly lose weight through a barley mono-diet. With this method of eating, you need to consume one serving of porridge daily to replenish the norm of proteins and carbohydrates. Vegetable dishes and lean fish are included with the porridge as sources of vitamins and microelements.

Barley is eaten for breakfast and can also be eaten for lunch. But you should not eat more than 3 servings per day, otherwise the functioning of the digestive tract may be disrupted. When on a pearl barley mono-diet, you should drink enough water.

Are there any contraindications?

Only if a person has an allergic reaction to amino acids. In addition, you should always eat barley soup or porridge hot, because during the cooling process its beneficial properties are largely lost. A nursing mother, as already mentioned, can consume pearl barley, but pregnant women cannot, due to possible intestinal disorders. You should not give pearl barley porridge to children under three years of age.

If you properly distribute your diet and follow all the necessary recommendations when preparing pearl barley, it will always serve as both a healthy and tasty dish.

Useful properties of pearl barley porridge

In the human body, barley porridge has a variety of positive effects:

• enveloping;
• soothing;
• antibiotic;
• antiviral;
• diuretic.

It is recommended to use pearl barley for:

• diabetes;
• hepatitis;
• infectious diseases of various nature;
• pathologies of the liver and kidneys;
• arthritis;
• prostatitis;
• oncological diseases.

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In order for pearl barley to bring maximum benefit to the body, you need to know how to cook it. Dry barley grain is hard and tough; it takes at least 2 hours to cook. To make the porridge cook faster, it is recommended to soak the cereal in water for several hours before cooking to swell.

The water in which the grain was soaked is drained. Pour no more than 3 glasses of water into the swollen cereal. But if the grain was not soaked, then take 6 glasses of water. If a dairy dish is being made, then milk is added to the pan in the middle of cooking. The porridge is salted and seasoned with oil at the end of cooking.

Storage

• It is necessary to carefully inspect the grain - the content of foreign inclusions is unacceptable.
• It is better to keep pearl barley in a dry place in a glass or cardboard container for 5-10 months.
• If the cereal has become rancid or musty, it should not be used.
• Pour it into the storage container, not full; there must be space under the lid.

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Pearl barley diet for 3 days

If it seemed to you that the option described above is very strict, you do not yet know about the possible three-day diet. Repeat the one-day diet, extending it for 3 days.

Strict adherence to the prescribed rules allows you to get rid of 2–3 kg , that is, approximately 1 kg during the day. This mono-diet is effective for any weight.

In what form and how often can pearl barley be consumed?

In what form can cereals be consumed? The range of its application is quite wide, so we will list the most basic types of dishes with the addition of barley.

• Firstly, pearl barley is traditionally served as porridge. It can be eaten in its pure form, or you can add berries or pieces of fruit to the porridge to give the dish additional taste and aroma. Morning barley will provide the body with a good dose of vitamins and help you quickly enter the fast pace of the day.
• Barley groats are often used in soups. For example, it can be added to cabbage soup cooked with mushrooms and vegetables - pearl barley will make the soup more satisfying, while having almost no effect on its calorie content.
• Barley grits can act as a healthy side dish for meat and fish dishes.
• You can make a salad from pearl barley - for example, mix boiled barley with cucumbers or add it to a vinaigrette.
• For diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, patients are advised to use nutrient broth. Usually, to prepare it, you simply boil lean chicken - however, you can also add a little pearl barley to the broth, then the dish will become doubly satisfying and nutritious.
• Since the vitamin complex contained in pearl barley makes it a good way to strengthen the immune system, pearl barley broth is recommended to drink for colds. If you have a fever and don’t have the strength to eat even a small portion of porridge, you can boil the cereal and pour just nutritious broth into a cup - it alone contains a large amount of vitamins A, C and E, which are important for fighting colds.
• There is another original way to use cereals - pearl barley with kefir. This dish will especially appeal to women on a diet and those who do not really like the “pure” taste of pearl barley. If you pour kefir over boiled cereal, the resulting dish will be nutritious, low-calorie, healthy - and very tasty. Barley with kefir can easily replace traditional morning porridge.