Pearl barley benefits have a lot. Like pearled barley is still a good source of some nutrients, hulled barley is the healthier option. Researchers found that eating a lot of high beta-glucan pearl barley significantly reduced high serum cholesterol levels and lowered visceral fat. Here we are discussing the benefits of pearl barley.
Pearl Barley Benefits for Health
Blood sugar control
Barley is the best cereal choice for people with diabetes because it helps control blood sugar levels under control. According to some studies suggest that it is eating barley for dinner, and improves insulin sensitivity by 30%.
It lowers the glycemic index
Barley contains beta-glucan, a component that has a significant effect on the reduction of the glycemic index and the normalization of the body’s insulin response. This alone makes them a lot healthier than rice.
It will lower your blood pressure
Just like the other cereals, barley helps to control cholesterol levels and promote overall cardiovascular health. It lowers blood pressure and reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke.
It aids in weight loss
Grains contain more fiber, but it also takes longer to digest than other grains. It is, therefore, an ideal choice for those people who want to lose weight, such as eating, barley-based foods that will make you feel full for a longer time. The nutritional value of barley is so high that you have enough energy to keep you going for many hours.
How to Cook Pearl Barley?
One thing you need to be aware of, though, is that pearl barley takes much longer to cook than rice. Therefore, you will need to consider this when planning your meals. Barley is most often used in stews and soups. However, you can also add it to cold salads as its rich nutty taste goes well with fresh vegetables.
To cook the grain, you‘ll need to take one part of pearl barley and two parts of water. It’s imperative to soak barley prior to cooking. In a perfect case scenario, you should let it soak for 4 hours at the least. Change the water from time to time.
Well-soaked barley will soften and you will be able to cook it in about an hour. Let it simmer and stir it occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the walls of the pot. Using a pressure cooker will make the process of cooking barely very easy as the machine will do everything on its own. However, you will need to soak the grain even when putting it into the cooker.
You can cook barley “risotto-style” to create a delightfully delicious chewy dish. It soaks up the flavor from spices, so the taste of your culinary experiment is sure to be good.
It’s best to buy pearl barley in bulk as there are so many interesting things you can cook with it that it always pays to have some barley in your pantry.
It can be stored for many months as long as you keep it dry.
FAQ
Is Pearl barley better for you than rice?
Brown rice also has over five times more folate and vitamin E. However, barley has twice the calcium and fibre and about 30 per cent fewer calories. The two are equivalent in protein and fat content. Ultimately, both grains are healthy choices and getting variety from both is best.
Is Pearl barley good for your kidneys?
The Vitamin B6 and magnesium in barley helps break down the masses of toxic calcium Oxalate (primary cause for stones) in the kidney. –Dietary fibre in barley reduces the amount of calcium that is excreted by the body through urine, restoring renal health and cleansing the kidneys.
Is Pearl barley still healthy?
Pearled barley technically doesn't count as a whole grain, because both the hull and the seed kernel's outer coating (bran) are removed during processing. However, the beta glucans are found in the main part of the kernel (endosperm), so pearled barley is still a healthy choice.
